Hangzhou Tongjian Lake Spring Sea of Flowers: Complete Guide

Flowing through the southwest of Hangzhou as “Golden Ox Lake” in historical records, this body of water was called “Mingsheng Lake” by Han Dynasty scholars and renamed “Stone Lake” during the Song Dynasty. Eventually, silt accumulation and agricultural expansion reduced the vast lake to merely a historical silhouette. In 2019, an ecological flood control project awakened the dormant Tongjian Lake—dredging waterways, reconstructing wetlands, and regenerating vegetation. The once-vanished scenic beauty made a stunning comeback in autumn 2020. Today, this 1.35-square-kilometre waterscape, with its layered flower fields and reflective waters, creates Hangzhou’s most captivating spring landscape.

Walking through Tongjian Lake Flower Sea Park feels like entering nature’s colour studio. Around the P1 parking area’s main flower section, blue-purple nemophila cascades like a stellar river, interwoven with white chrysanthemums to form a dreamlike carpet. As April approaches, lupines transform into flowing rainbow waterfalls, creating distinct visual harmonies against the distant swaying foxtail grass. Visitors often stroll through in light-colored attire; when garments brush against flower stems, even casual photographs capture oil painting-like qualities. Along the lakeshore, camping areas are dotted with tents, children chase butterflies, and pleasure boats glide across mirror-like waters—creating moments where one cannot distinguish whether people are appreciating the scenery or becoming part of it.

Walking westward to the entrance of the Lingshan Cave Scenic Zone, vast fields of rapeseed flowers perform a golden rhapsody. At dawn, light mist lays a soft filter over the flower fields, with dewdrops refracting delicate light on petals; at sunset, slanting rays bathe the sea of flowers in gold. Photography enthusiasts set up tripods awaiting light’s magic; occasionally, bees enter the frame, enhancing the scene with unexpected liveliness.

For those seeking tranquility, a 15-minute drive leads to Liyu Mountain near Yunqi Town—a hidden treasure. Ascending the bluestone steps, vibrant azaleas emerge from rock crevices, blazing like flames across the ridges when in full bloom in April. At the mountain’s foot sit scattered anglers, their fishing rods creating a curious contrast with the fading rapeseed fields—juxtaposing fading vibrancy with flourishing vitality, perhaps symbolizing the century of transitions this land has witnessed.