Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang, is one of the old imperial Cities in China; the others are Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Beijing. Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most distinguished and beautiful city in the world. The widely--traveled Venetian was fascinated with the splendor of the huge buildings, the widely paved streets and the magnificent grounds along the shores of Xi Hu, West Lake. He admired the people's friendliness, hospitality and peaceful nature, their silken clothing and the valuable jewelry that the women wore. In those days, the city was a flourishing trade center and Hangzhou had an estimated population of 1.6 million. In fact, Hangzhou is still one of the most beautiful destinations of a trip through China; and, like Marco Polo, the visitor will be pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people of Hangzhou. It can be easily reached by train from Shanghai, but it is also possible to get there by plane from Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Hangzhou lies in northern Zhejiang at the southern end of the Grand Ganal. The city is linked to Central China by an extensive network of canals. Population: 5.28 million.
West Lake
Hangzhou's premier tourist attraction, West Lake (Xi Hu), is renowned for beautiful scenery that has inspired countless paintings and poems. Gardens and pagodas are scattered along its shores. Two willow-lined stone walkways and a long arched causeway go through the lake and boats for hire travel to the lake's two islands, Yingzhou and Gu Shan (Solitary Hill Island). Xi Hu is in the western section of the city. The lake covers an area of 566 km; its circumference is 15 km, its average depth 1.5m. Two dikes, Baidi and Sudi, divide the lake and make it possible to cross it. There are four small islands in West Lake: Gushan, Xiao Yingzhou, Hushan Tang and Ruangong Dun. There are 40 sights of interest in the Xihu vicinity. Three sides of the lake are surrounded by hills up to 400 m high, the fourth is bordered by the city. The famous poet Su Dongpo, who was prefect of Hangzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty, described the charming scenery of the Xihu in many of his poems. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the West Lake area was part of the imperial residence. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty took pleasure in the Xihu and its grounds. Replicas of buildings and garden complexes can be found in Yihe Yuan, the Summer Place, in Beijing and the part of the imperial Residence in Chengde.
Lingyin Temple
Lingyin Temple (Lingyin Si) has long been considered one of the most important Buddhist temples in China. Established in 326 AD, today it is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in the country, and its location on scenic the Feilai Feng ("The Peak That Flew Hither") makes it one of Hangzhou's most significant and popular attractions. The entire Feilai Feng area is sacred to the Chan sect of Buddhism—known in Japan and the west as Zen—and it is dotted with sculptures and smaller shrines, including the Ligong Pagoda, with the sprawling Lingyin Temple at its heart. Many of the sculptures, carved directly out of the peak's limestone are between 600 and 1,000 years old.
The temple was founded by a legendary Indian monk named Huili who reputedly recognized in Feilai Feng a sacred hill from his homeland, leading him to give Feilai Feng its peculiar name. He also gave Lingyin its name, which roughly translates as "where the divine rest in seclusion." In its heyday, the temple featured nine towers, 18 pavilions, 72 halls and housed some 3,000 monks. It is said to have been destroyed and rebuilt 16 times. Today's complex largely dates from the Qing Dynasty, though many statues and artifacts are much older. The temple last underwent major renovation in 1975 and today is an excellent example of a working Chan temple. Its entrance and primary structure, the Hall of the Heavenly King, contains an impressive array of Buddhas. Some are replicas dating from the 1930s, while others are over 800 years old.
Yue Fei’s Temple and Tomb
The Mausoleum of General Yue Fei is one of Hangzhou's most popular attractions among Chinese tourists, who view Yue as a patriotic hero. The historical Yue Fei lived in Southern Song Dynasty China during the 12th century AD, at a time when China was split between the ethnically Han Song and the rival Jin Dynasty, ruled by ethnic Jurchens from the north. The Jin had conquered the north of China, pushing the Song out of their capital Kaifeng and taking the Emperor Qinzong captive. Yue fought the Jin valiantly, but was betrayed by corrupt officials who had him imprisoned and executed as part of a plot to sign a peace treaty with the Jin that would prevent the return of the captured Qinzong, allowing the new Song emperor, Gaozong, to remain in power in the south.Yue Fei certainly had many virtues and talents, but the fantastic tales of feats and abilities bordering on the supernatural make it impossible to clearly separate fact from myth. We do know that he was a brave, loyal and brilliant military leader, much loved by his men. After his death, his life was commemorated in poems, paintings and novels, starting with a biography written by his grandson, Yue Ke. In 1163, his body was placed in the Hangzhou mausoleum, and ever since he has been adulated as the paragon of patriotism and self-sacrifice.
Six Harmonies Pagoda
Liuhe Ta (Six Harmonies Pagoda) stands south of West Lake, aside the Qiantang River. The sixty-meter (196 ft) tall pagoda was built during the Song Dynasty in part to gain the favor and assistance of Heaven in warding off floods and in moderating the Qiantang's unique tidal bore, when a massive wall of water rushes upstream under optimal lunar conditions. The Qiantang's is the world's largest, rising up to 9 meters (30 ft) and attaining speeds up to 40 km per hour (25 mph). If you happen to be in Hangzhou during the autumn equinox and Mid-Autumn Festival the temple is a popular spot from which to witness this rare phenomenon. Otherwise, the bore occurs twice monthly at the time of the highest tides. Divinely assisted flood control aside, the pagoda has traditionally served as a lighthouse for sailors. Destroyed during fighting in 1121 AD, it was rebuilt in subsequent years. Situated on the top of the modest rise known locally as Yuelun Mountain (Yuelun Shan), the octagonal structure appears to have 13 floors from the outside, thanks to multiple sets of false eaves, but inside only has seven stories connected by a spiral staircase. Interior walls and ceilings are decorated with images of landscape scenes and creatures, both natural and supernatural. The adjacent terraced park, dotted with small shrines and statues, makes for pleasurable strolling, and the pagoda itself affords excellent views on clear days, especially during periods of heavy rains when nearby waterfalls empty into the Qiantang.
Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society
The Xiling Seal Society is a charming institution dedicated to the study, preservation and creation of classical Chinese inscriptions, printmaking and painting. Located in West Lake (Xi Hu) on Gushan (Solitary Island) just opposite Zhongshan Park, the Society boasts a history of over 1,900 years.
The Society has produced numerous books on classical Chinese artforms. Today, you can see the writers and artists at work and visit a small shop selling examples of their efforts.
Located to the west of Zhongshan Garden, it is a famous academic society feature on seal engraving, painting and calligraphy. The society is also a nice garden. Situated along the Solitary Hill, it creates a serene, agreeable atmosphere that mingles scenery with art. With a mission of “to preserve seal engraving and research into art”, the society was founded in 1913. The society made a big achievement on preserving the historical and artificial relics and international culture exchanging. Its presidents including Wu Changshuo, Ma Heng, Zhang Zhongxiang, Sa Menhan and Zhao Puchu.
Guo’s Villa
The best existing traditional private garden in Hangzhou. It is one of the garden masterpieces of Jiangnan (the lower region of the Yangtze River) thanks to its incomparable surroundings and the smartly managed garden space. The garden develops as you enter further into it with regular switches between tight, closed spaces and sudden, open ones. The key feature, or spirit, is water. Cleverly juxtaposing shade and light, curved and straight, yin and yang, the garden of Guo Zhuang is a wonderful embodiment of the Chinese wisdom of Tao and the Way of Nature. The teahouse, Liang Yi Xuan (Belevedere of Both Good) sits in a prime viewing spot within the garden between two superb water "yards", one large and the other small. While there are plenty of "old villas" in China to visit-- and many are similar-- this one is also on the shore of the West Lake.
Dragon Well Tea
Ideally made with water straight from the Dragon Well (Longjing) and leaves picked from the terraces of the Longjing Plantation, a cup of this delicate green tea connects you with some two thousand years of history, going back to the second century AD when Dragon Well water was discovered and combined with green tea leaves lightly fried to stop the oxidation process and preserve the best of their flavor and nutrients. The spring water's mineral content and cold temperature make it heavier than rain water so that when rain falls, it sits on top of the spring water, creating swirling patterns reminiscent of the image of a traditional Chinese dragon. Hangzhou's Longjing tea was declared an imperial treasure by Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi. A visit to the Longjing Tea Plantation makes for a nice side trip from Hangzhou's main attractions. About 30 minutes by bicycle from downtown, situated just southwest of West Lake, the village of Longjing presents visitors with secluded paths running through a terraced landscape with tea growing on all sides.
Hangzhou Botanical Garden
Covering an area of about 230 hectares (approx. 568 acres), the Hangzhou Botanical Garden can be found at the foot of Jade Spring Hill in the northwest end of West Lake. It was originally built in 1965, and is not only a park in which to feast your eyes on beautiful plants, but also a research base where fields such as the cultivation of plants and protection of environment are studied. The garden has wonderful scenery and an excellent environment. It is beautiful, with decorative architecture including pavilions and kiosks. Verdant trees, colorful and lovely flowers, and extremely fresh air seem to bring people into a world full of the pleasure of natural beauty. The garden is divided into two main sections: the research section and the pleasure gardens. The research section is where the cultivation of plants and protection of the environment are being studied. The pleasure gardens are divided into gardens including the Botany Classification Garden, Botany Appreciation Garden, Bamboo Garden, Garden of Economic Plants, Plant Resources Museum, and the Medicinal Garden. In the Botany Appreciation Garden, the 'Lingfeng Tanmei' in the Botanical Garden is an excellent scene that really catches tourists' eyes: Over 5,000 plum trees are standing upright. When winter comes, the majestic and charming picture of plum trees stretching up, towards the cold wind and snowflakes falling onto plum blossoms is an amazing sight.
China National Silk Museum
Situated at the southern bank of the West Lake, in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, China National Silk Museum is the first state-level professional silk museum in China as well as the biggest silk museum throughout the world. It opened to the public in 1992 and since 2004 people can visit it for free.
The museum owns eight exhibition halls, including: the Preface Hall, Relics Hall, Folk-custom Hall, Dyeing and Weaving Hall and Modern Achievements Hall. The Preface Hall introduces the 5000-year-long history of Chinese silk culture. China is the earliest country that engaged in sericulture, filature and making clothes with silk. This hall provides strong evidence for this fact and shows the history of the Silk Road through which silk was spread abroad. Relics Hall presents several preserved relics, which cover almost every dynasty of ancient China, and a number of pictures to explain Chinese traditional silk culture. These relics are from various districts of China, including those excavated along the Silk Road, on the grassland of Northern China, and in the south of China. It should be mentioned that tourists can appreciate a piece of fragmentary brocade that dates back 5,630 years. That is the earliest silk that has ever been discovered.