Home › Destinations › East Lake
East Lake, China - Things to Do in East Lake

Things to Do in East Lake

East Lake, China - Complete Travel Guide

East Lake stretches out like a polished jade plate beneath Wuhan's hazy sky, its surface rippling with fishing boats and the occasional wake from a passing ferry. You'll smell the sweet rot of lotus roots when the wind shifts, hear the clack of mah-jongg tiles from shaded pavilions, and feel the humid blanket of summer air press against your skin the moment you step off the bus. The lake is where the city exhales: retirees practice tai chi at dawn, office workers speed-walk the causeways at lunch, and at dusk whole families spread bamboo mats on the grass to eat cold sesame noodles while cicadas drill overhead. Even the skyscrapers on the far shore seem to slow down here, their glass facades catching peach-colored reflections that make East Lake feel like Wuhan's private breathing room.

Top Things to Do in East Lake

Ferry to Moshan Hill

The little green ferry coughs diesel as it pulls away from the pier, and within ten minutes you're gliding past floating gardens of water chestnuts while egrets lift off like white paper planes. From Moshan's summit you can see the lake twist into seven separate bays, each a slightly different shade of jade depending on depth and sky.

Booking Tip: Catch the 8 a.m. boat if you want the hill nearly to yourself - later ferries fill with tour groups who blast music from portable speakers.

Dawn cycle around Houshan Boulevard

Rent a shared bike near Guanggu Square and ride the 18-kilometer lakeside loop before sunrise; you'll pass fishermen ankle-deep in reeds, smell grilling millet cakes from street carts, and watch the water blush pink while the city still sleeps.

Booking Tip: Bring cash for the vendors - most won't scan your phone before 7 a.m.

Lotus-picking boat trip in July

Flat-bottom boats nudge between lotus leaves so wide you could use them as umbrellas. The petals brush your arms, leaving sweet sap that dries sticky in the heat, and the boatman hands you a freshly snapped stem to taste - the root snaps crisp and tastes of iced water.

Booking Tip: Go mid-week; locals crowd the boats on weekends and the experience turns into a photo scrum.

Tea in Tingtao Pavilion

The wooden pavilion sits on a stone spit that jabs 200 meters into the lake; inside, old men slam tea cards on the table and the kettle whistles like a tired bird. Order the cheap green tea - they refill the glass thermos all afternoon - and watch storm clouds pile up over the water.

Booking Tip: Avoid the upper deck marked 'scenic photos'; they charge tourist prices for the same view you get free downstairs.

Night squid-fight squid on Baima Road

After dark the lakefront strip turns into an open-air chuan'r market - grill smoke snakes between plastic tables, chilies pop in the flames, and you taste cumin so thick it coats your teeth while vendors shout prices over thumping bass.

Booking Tip: Pick stalls with the longest lines of students. They won't overcharge and the skewers turn fast enough to stay safe.

Getting There

Ride Metro Line 2 to Guanggu Station - exit C dumps you right onto Houshan Boulevard where the lake glints three blocks south. From Hankou Railway Station it's 35 minutes by subway. From Tianhe Airport grab the airport bus to Optics Valley and then Line 2, total trip about 90 minutes. Taxis quote a fixed lake-crossing surcharge after 9 p.m., so budget accordingly if you're staying out late.

Getting Around

Shared bikes dominate the lakefront - scan with Alipay or WeChat, first 30 minutes under two yuan. Local buses 401, 402 and 413 circle the east shore every 15 minutes. Swipe a transit card or use phone QR. For the western bays you'll need the ferry or a Didi car - drivers rarely use the meter, so agree on 20-30 yuan for intra-lake hops.

Where to Stay

Optics Valley near Guanggu Square - high-rise hotels above subway Line 2, ten-minute walk to lakeside bike paths

Moshan Scenic Area guesthouses - wood cabins in pine groves, frogs for night ambience, last ferry back at 10 p.m.

Baima Road hostels - cheap dorms above grilled-squid bars, bass thumps until 1 a.m.

Houshan student quarter - family-run B&Bs in leafy lanes, breakfast of hot-dry noodles on the patio

Donghu Luohan Resort - mid-range spa hotels with lake-view balconies and morning tai chi classes

Hankou side near Second Ring Road - business hotels, 20-minute subway ride but quieter nights

View Full Accommodation Guide →

Food & Dining

East Lake tastes like charcoal and sesame. On Baima Road night market you'll find Wuhan's famous reganmian - noodles dressed with sesame paste, pickled beans and chili oil - served from steel drums for under a subway fare. Student-favorite Xiaojiaodaola on Guanggu 5th Road stuffs lotus root with sticky rice, then drizzles osmanthus syrup so thick you smell flowers before the plate lands. For a splurge, the lakeside restaurant at Moshan charges mid-range prices but serves just-pulled water shields (a gelatinous local vegetable) stir-fried with garlic shoots. You eat on a terrace where carp sometimes jump clear out of the water. Morning tip: look for grandmothers selling paper cones of lotus-seed porridge near the ferry pier - creamy, faintly sweet, and you can sip while watching tai chi silhouettes.

When to Visit

April-May and late September give you East Lake at its most forgiving: lotus leaves unfurl like green umbrellas in spring, and the breeze carries magnolia scent instead of diesel. Summer (June-August) turns the lake into a humid kettle - lotus blooms photograph brilliantly but you'll sweat through clothes in minutes. That said, the night markets thrive and ferries run until 11 p.m. Winter is bleakly quiet. Yet the silver-gray water and bare willows have their own stark appeal, plus hotel rates drop to budget-friendly levels.

Insider Tips

Pack a lightweight rain jacket even on sunny days - lake micro-storms roll in fast and street vendors triple umbrella prices once drops start falling.
Download the Wuhan Transit App before arrival; English interface shows live bike availability and ferry timetables, saving you the guesswork at piers.
If you want the lotus-root picking boat experience but missed peak season (mid-July), boatmen will still take you out - the plants just won't be flowering. Yet the water-chestnut tasting is still on offer and half the crowds.

Explore Activities in East Lake

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in East Lake.

See All East Lake Tours on Viator

Continue Planning Your Trip

Itineraries

Sample trip routes and plans for East Lake

Getting Around

Transport options and tips for East Lake

Where to Stay

Accommodation guide for East Lake

Budget Guide

Trip costs and money tips for East Lake