West Lake hosts Mid-Autumn programme on 25 September

West Lake hosted the Moon Full at Pinghu, Warmth around West Lake Mid-Autumn programme in Hangzhou on 25 September 2026. The event took place at Pinghu Qiuyue, known as Xihu in Chinese romanisation, and combined seasonal cultural activities with the lakeside setting.

The programme was reported by Hangzhou Daily on 26 September after opening on the festival day. Its activities included a moonlight post office, an autumn moon poetry gathering, rubbing and lacquered-fan workshops, and a special Pinghu Qiuyue stamp for visitors making their own fans.

West Lake’s Mid-Autumn programme opened on 25 September

The programme was presented as Moon Full at Pinghu, Warmth around West Lake. The reported venue was Xizi Post Station at Pinghu Qiuyue, a named scenic location beside the lake in Hangzhou. The event served residents and visitors during the 25 September Mid-Autumn celebration.

The activity area linked simple creative work with the setting. Visitors could make a round fan and add a stamp associated with Pinghu Qiuyue. The same programme also included the moonlight post office and autumn moon poetry gathering, giving the event a cultural focus rather than a regular sightseeing format. report on the 25 September programme records the opening and its activities.

Pinghu Qiuyue connects the event with West Lake’s landscape

West Lake is a cultural landscape made up of the lake, surrounding hills, causeways, islands, gardens, temples, pagodas and pavilions. UNESCO describes the site as surrounded by cloud-capped hills on three sides and by Hangzhou on the fourth.

The setting gave the programme a direct connection with the place rather than using the lake as a general city backdrop. Fan-making and poetry at Pinghu Qiuyue brought visitors into one of the landscape’s named scenic settings, where seasonal observation has long been part of the way the lake is experienced. The UNESCO World Heritage description records the site’s causeways, artificial islands and ten poetically named scenic places.

West Lake’s named views remain part of the visitor experience

UNESCO says the principal artificial elements of the landscape, including two causeways and three islands, were created through repeated dredging between the ninth and twelfth centuries. Ten scenic places had been identified by the Southern Song period, including views shaped by seasonal changes, time of day, sound and movement.

Pinghu Qiuyue belongs to that tradition of giving particular viewpoints poetic identities. The 25 September programme therefore placed a contemporary visitor activity inside a landscape whose meaning is carried by named views and carefully shaped relationships between water, hills and the city. That link is the practical significance for travellers: the event was located at a specific West Lake scene, not at an unspecified venue in Hangzhou.

Visiting West Lake: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Mid-Autumn programme opened on 25 September 2026 at Xizi Post Station in Pinghu Qiuyue beside West Lake, with the moonlight post office, poetry gathering and hands-on fan activities reported from the site.
• The reported access point was the Pinghu Qiuyue activity area. The programme was presented for residents and visitors, and the report does not state an admission charge.
• West Lake is in Hangzhou, with the city on its eastern side and hills around the other three sides. Pinghu Qiuyue is one of the named lakeside scenic locations.
• The landscape includes water, hills, causeways, artificial islands, bridges, gardens, temples and pagodas. A visit can therefore involve lakeside walking and uneven outdoor terrain, although the event report gives no separate route details.
• China’s official language is Mandarin Chinese and its national currency is the renminbi.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about West Lake

When did the Mid-Autumn programme take place at West Lake?

The programme opened on 25 September 2026 at Pinghu Qiuyue in Hangzhou. It included a moonlight post office, an autumn moon poetry gathering and fan-making activities.

What is West Lake?

West Lake is a cultural landscape in Hangzhou, China, comprising the lake, surrounding hills, causeways, islands, gardens, temples and pagodas. UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage cultural landscape.

Where is West Lake and how do you get there?

West Lake lies in Hangzhou, with the city on one side and hills surrounding the other three sides. The 25 September programme was held at Pinghu Qiuyue, but the event report does not specify a particular station or route.