The West Lake is renowned for its clear spring waters, free from mud, with the Chinese-style medium-sized painting barges of the Foreign Affairs Cruise Company gliding gracefully along the shore. The barges, with their simple and bright shapes and ancient-style designs, offer a feeling of ‘the boat floats in the water, and the person walks in the painting’ when appreciating the West Lake’s beauty. They are classically beautiful and well-received by tourists, capable of accommodating large domestic and international tour groups.
‘The phoenix calls and the dragon roars, the day is long, and the sound of falling flowers intoxicates the fairy maidens.’ The Foreign Affairs Cruise possesses a pair of dragon and phoenix bronze painting barges, personally crafted by the master carver Zhu Bingren. Legend has it that the West Lake was formed from a pearl that fell from the sky, with a dragon and phoenix playing in the lake, symbolizing the auspiciousness of ‘dragon and phoenix playing with pearl.’ The tops of the Long Yin and Feng Ming barges are gold, suitable for small meetings and private wedding charters, and are used by the Foreign Affairs Department annually to host distinguished guests from home and abroad.
‘In August, osmanthus flowers bloom everywhere, and with the fragrance comes happiness.’ The Foreign Affairs Cruise has three ships named after Hangzhou’s city flower, osmanthus, namely ‘Golden Osmanthus,’ ‘Silver Osmanthus,’ and ‘Jade Osmanthus.’ These are double-decker luxury painting barges with elegant shapes and smooth lines, ideal for receiving large domestic and international group tours. The operating hours are 09:00-21:30 from March 1st to October 31st, and 09:30-16:00 from November 1st to February 28th, with specific times subject to the actual situation at the pier.
West Lake Foreign Affairs Cruise
The West Lake is renowned for its clear spring waters, free from mud, with the Chinese-style medium-[...]
