Plan at a glance
Calligraphy garden and entrances
Lanting is in Lanting Town, Keqiao District, Shaoxing. The usual entrance is the main gate and visitor center of Lanting Scenic Area. The main sights include Goose Pond, the Lanting Stele Pavilion, Qushui Liushang, the Imperial Stele Pavilion, Wang Youjun Shrine, the Tianzhang Temple ruins and the Lanting Calligraphy Museum. The route is generally gentle: allow about 2 hours for a quick visit or 3-4 hours for a first visit.
Adult admission is RMB 70 per person. Students and visitors aged 60-70 can buy half-price tickets for RMB 35. Tickets can be bought online through the Shaoxing Cultural Tourism Group WeChat account. The daily recitation challenge for the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection is limited to 42 people; whether it operates, its conditions and the same-day arrangements follow the scenic-area notice.
Opening hours and the museum
The scenic area is open 8:00-17:20, with last entry at 16:50. The Lanting Calligraphy Museum is closed on the first Monday of each month. Access to the other parts of the scenic area still follows the arrangements on the day.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Qushui Liushang and calligraphy sites
Lanting suits calligraphy and history enthusiasts, visitors who enjoy garden walks, traditional-style photographers and families on educational outings. Goose Pond, the Lanting Stele Pavilion, Qushui Liushang, the Imperial Stele Pavilion and Wang Youjun Shrine form the main cultural sequence. At Linchi's Eighteen Ink Jars, visitors can also practise writing with a brush dipped in water.
The Qushui Liushang area may host a period-style performance, commonly around 10:30 and 14:00, but the performance is not guaranteed every day. If you want to join a floating-cup wine-and-poetry activity, rubbing experience or another activity, follow the same-day programme and charges on-site.
Bamboo, stele pavilions and the museum
The Tianzhang Temple ruins, Chenghuai Bridge and Goose Pond are better for observing bamboo, water, stele pavilions and spare, garden-style architecture. The Imperial Stele Pavilion contains the Kangxi copy of the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection and a poem by Qianlong. The Lanting Calligraphy Museum adds calligraphy background and works toward the end of the walking route.
Commercial facilities are limited, and the main reasons to visit are the gardens, inscriptions and museum. Other nearby tombs or mountain paths require separate transport and should not be treated as part of the same walk.
Build your day
2-hour core route
Enter through the main gate and visit Goose Pond, the Lanting Stele Pavilion, Qushui Liushang, the Imperial Stele Pavilion and the Tianzhang Temple ruins before leaving. If time is limited, focus on Goose Pond, the stele pavilions and Qushui Liushang; if a performance or activity is unavailable, continue with the walking route.
3-4-hour complete route
First-time visitors can follow the sequence of Goose Pond, the Lanting Stele Pavilion, Qushui Liushang, Liushang Pavilion, Wang Youjun Shrine, the Imperial Stele Pavilion, Linchi's Eighteen Ink Jars, Chenghuai Bridge, the Tianzhang Temple ruins and the Lanting Calligraphy Museum. The exit is near the calligraphy museum, so there is no need to return to the original entrance. If the museum is closed, keep the garden and stele route.
Recitation challenge and activities
If you want to join the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection recitation challenge, first confirm that it is operating and that places remain, then arrange the rest of the visit. Rubbing, water-brush writing and period-style performances may have separate rules, so read the on-site instructions instead of compressing the garden walk to catch one activity.
Get there
Buses, taxis and driving
Buses 3, 3A, 303 and special line 0003 can reach Lanting Scenic Area Station. A taxi from central Shaoxing or Lu Xun Native Place takes about 30 minutes, with a reference fare of RMB 30-40. A taxi may be difficult to hail spontaneously from a remote stop, so plan the return trip in advance.
If driving, navigate to Lanting Scenic Area's parking lot. It is spacious, with a reference price of RMB 10 per day and charging points. For remote tombs or mountain paths nearby, driving or arranging for a driver to wait is more convenient.
Walking inside the scenic area
The internal route is mostly level, and the main sights are connected by footpaths. Stone paving may be slippery in rain, so watch the water, steps and bridge surfaces and do not step onto slippery edges for photographs.
Know before you go
Crowds, weather and surfaces
Educational groups and visitors increase after 10:00 on weekends and public holidays, making empty views at Goose Pond and other core sights harder to photograph. Enter at opening time, 8:00, when possible. Rain can bring out the layers of the bamboo and gardens, but makes stone paths more slippery; flat non-slip shoes and water are more useful than elaborate equipment.
Museum and same-day activities
Avoid the first Monday of the month if you want to visit the Lanting Calligraphy Museum. Period-style performances, the recitation challenge, rubbing and drone photography may change because of the date, weather or on-site arrangements, so specific times, places or finished photographs cannot be guaranteed in advance.
Food options inside the scenic area are limited. Bring water and simple snacks, and decide after the visit whether to eat in the city or at nearby businesses such as Lanting Culture Theme Hotel according to the direction of your return trip.
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