Introducing Hángzhōu
Hángzhōu, capital of Zhèjiāng, is one of China’s most famous tourist sites. Located at the southern end of the Grand Canal and surrounded by fertile farmlands, the city has been a significant cultural centre for hundreds of years. Current-day Hángzhōu, with its characterless architecture, has little to differentiate it from other modern Chinese cities. The main reason for coming here is to visit the legendary West Lake (Xī Hú), a true beauty in the midst of a concrete jungle.
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Praised by emperors and revered by poets, the lake has figured large in the Chinese imagination for centuries. With its willow-lined banks, ancient pagodas and mist-covered hills, being here is like stepping into a classical Chinese watercolour. Despite huge numbers of tourists, West Lake is a delight to explore, either on foot or by bike.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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Re: How about Nanjing ?
by Tokheim 08 September 2011
Thank you Jiejie very much for your thoughts. Shanghai must surely feel "like home" to the locals,but I never felt warm there (unlike…
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RE: China itinerary
by fluffydragon 07 September 2011
2.5 days is incredibly short for Beijing. Considering it takes most people the better part of the day to visit the Great Wall (which I…
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Re: huangshan planning
by jiejie 07 September 2011
OK, so noted. I would avoid Huangshan on any Saturday and Sunday, last year I went up on Monday and it was still surprisingly crowded.…
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