Photo adjustments
Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Explore the region
About Bai Causeway
Jindai Bridge interrupts the planted strip, opening views across different sections of the lake. The causeway’s older name refers to white sand; it should not be confused with a separate embankment built by the poet Bai Juyi. Its relatively short span makes the changing water views, bridge arches and island approach the main pleasures of the visit.
In the Tang dynasty the causeway was called Baisha Causeway (白沙堤) or Shadi (沙堤); in the Song and Ming dynasties it was also known as Gushan Road (孤山路) and Shijin Causeway (十锦塘). It is one of the 'Three Causeways of West Lake' (西湖三堤), together with Su Causeway (苏堤) and Yanggong Causeway (杨公堤).
The causeway runs about 2 li (里) from Broken Bridge (断桥) west past Jindai Bridge (锦带桥) to Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake. Broken Bridge, together with Hangzhou's Long Bridge (长桥) and Gushan (孤山), is grouped in a local saying as the 'Three Wonders of West Lake' (西湖三怪): the Long Bridge is not long, Gushan is not solitary, and Broken Bridge is not broken.
What to look for
- Broken Bridge and Jindai Bridge along the causeway.
- The approach to Gushan and the Autumn Moon waterside terrace.
Location & getting there
Getting to Bai Causeway
Join the causeway at Broken Bridge from Beishan Road, or enter from Gushan Road at its western end. This is a pedestrian lake crossing, so arrange vehicle pickup on the surrounding roads.
Combine your visit
A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.
-
Broken Bridge断桥残雪
Begin at the causeway’s eastern connection with the shore.
-
Jindai Bridge
See the second bridge and the water on both sides.
-
Autumn Moon terrace平湖秋月
Finish at the low platform where the causeway reaches Gushan.
This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.
Find Bai Causeway
白堤 · 西湖区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge 断桥残雪
Less than 1 km awayBroken Bridge joins Beishan Road to the eastern end of Bai Causeway. The bridge is intact; its name belongs to a group of stories and winter views rather than a missing span. The present bridge dates to a twentieth-century…
View guide →Baochu Pagoda 保俶塔
Less than 1 km awayBaochu Pagoda makes a slender landmark above the north side of West Lake. The present brick-and-stone tower follows a 1933 rebuilding and has no internal staircase, so the visit centres on its exterior and the paths of Baoshi…
View guide →Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake 平湖秋月
Less than 1 km awayAutumn Moon over the Calm Lake occupies a low terrace at Gushan’s southeast corner, where Bai Causeway reaches the island. The platform projects over the water, making this a close-to-the-lake view rather than a hilltop…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “白堤” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 88353776.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Bai Causeway” · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "白堤", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 88353776.