Dajing Alley Hangzhou (大井巷): A Beautiful Walk to Drum Tower
If you're visiting Hefang Street (河坊街) in Hangzhou, don't just stay on the main tourist street.
Walk into Dajing Alley (大井巷).
This short historic alley connects the Hefang Street area towards Drum Tower (鼓楼), and personally, I think it's one of the prettier little streets to walk through in this part of Hangzhou.
We visited in April during spring, when many of the shops had flowers decorating their storefronts.
The whole street looked ridiculously pretty. 😂
And there's also a big “HANGZHOU / 杭州” wall that's perfect for a quick 打卡 photo.
Where Is Dajing Alley?
Dajing Alley sits just beside the busy Qinghefang / Hefang Street historic district.
The alley runs from the Hefang Street area south towards Drum Tower, making it a very natural walking route if you're already exploring the old city.
Hangzhou sources describe Dajing Alley as running from the area beside Drum Tower in the south to Hefang Street in the north.
So rather than thinking of it as a completely separate attraction, I would walk:
↓
↓
Dajing Alley 大井巷
↓
Drum Tower 鼓楼
That's basically the route we took.
Take a Photo at the Hangzhou Wall
One of the most recognisable photo spots in Dajing Alley is the large Hangzhou wall.
If you're collecting photos from each city you visit, this is an easy:
“Yep, we're in Hangzhou.” 😂
kind of photo.
It's a simple stop, but combined with the little cafés and old buildings around the alley, there are quite a few nice places to take photos.
Dajing Alley in Spring Is Beautiful
We happened to visit Hangzhou in April.
Perfect timing.
A lot of the shops around Dajing Alley had flowers outside, and with the warmer spring weather and greenery around the historic buildings, the whole street felt very different from the busier Hefang Street nearby.
This is probably what I remember most about Dajing Alley.
It wasn't necessarily one huge attraction.
It was just...
really pretty.
Small shops.
Flowers.
Old walls.
Cafés.
Traditional architecture.
And a slower atmosphere.
If you're visiting Hangzhou during spring, definitely walk through here.
It's Much Quieter Than Hefang Street
This is another reason I liked it.
Hefang Street can get pretty busy.
Dajing Alley feels much smaller and more relaxed.
Interestingly, local Hangzhou coverage describes it almost exactly this way: although Dajing Alley sits right beside the crowded Qinghefang district, it has developed into a quieter little street filled with cafés, tea spaces, creative shops and traditional businesses.
The alley itself is only around 275 metres long, but recent local reporting counted around 16 cafés alongside cultural, craft and food businesses.
Why Is It Called Dajing Alley 大井巷?
There's actually some real history behind the name.
大井巷 literally means “Big Well Alley.”
The street was named after an ancient well located here, believed to date back to the Wuyue period.
During the Southern Song period, the alley was known as 吴山井巷, before eventually becoming known as Dajing Alley.
You can still visit the historic:
钱塘第一井 — “First Well of Qiantang”
inside the alley today.
So even though Dajing Alley now has trendy cafés and photo spots, there's a much older layer of Hangzhou history underneath everything.
Continue Walking to Drum Tower 鼓楼
This is how I'd recommend doing it.
Don't visit Dajing Alley and then turn around.
Keep walking.
The southern end of the alley leads towards Hangzhou Drum Tower (鼓楼).
That means you can turn several nearby attractions into one continuous walk:
Nan Song Yu Jie 南宋御街
↓
Hefang Street 河坊街
↓
Dajing Alley 大井巷
↓
Drum Tower 鼓楼
No complicated transportation.
Just walk from one area into the next.
I'll share more about Hangzhou Drum Tower in a separate article.
How Long Do You Need at Dajing Alley?
Probably around:
30 minutes to 1 hour
unless you're planning to stop for coffee or food.
It's only a short alley.
But that's also why there's basically no downside to adding it if you're already at Hefang Street.
Is Dajing Alley Worth Visiting?
Yes — especially if you're already visiting Hefang Street.
I wouldn't travel across Hangzhou solely for Dajing Alley.
But combined with:
Hefang Street, Nan Song Yu Jie & Drum Tower
it becomes part of a really nice old-Hangzhou walking route.
And if you're there during spring like we were?
Even better.
The flowers outside the shops made the whole street so photogenic.
Definitely stop at the Hangzhou wall, take your 打卡 photo and continue walking towards Drum Tower.
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