Hangzhou

Brief Introduction

Hangzhou, capital of zhejiang province, is at the southern end of the grand canal and and one of china's seven ancient national capitals. when marco polo came to hangzhou in the 13th century he declared that "it is the most beautiful and elegant city in the world". there is a popular saying: "above there is heaven, below there are hangzhou and suzhou." hangzhou's "heavenly" beauty attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to its exquisite west lake (xi hu) area each year to enjoy the placid lake, beautiful gardens, reflecting pools, lavish temples and friendly lakeside teahouses.

First built over 2,200 years ago, hangzhou is one of the cradles of china's civilization. hangzhou used to the capital of wu and yue states in the 10th century during the five dynasties period. the city began to prosper and flourish in the tang dynasty. the city had its political heyday in the southern song dynasty when it served as the capital. hangzhou witnessed rapid commercial boom in the ming and qing dynasty.

In and around hangzhou, tourists find the well-known west lake which is surrounded by forested mountains and many more historical sites. hangzhou is also well-known for silk and tea. a trip to hangzhou is easily combined with a visit to a tea plantation in the hills near the west lake.

Transportation

Being a major tourist city in china, hangzhou has a good transportation and it can be easily accessible via flights, train travel and highway. public transportation within the city is also very convenient, with plentiful taxis and hundreds of public bus routes reaching each corner of the city proper.

Airplane: Hangzhou is served by the xianshan international airport, which is located some 27 kilometers from downtown hangzhou. there are daily flights to major cities and bigger tourist cities in china. the airport also offers flights to and from hongkong and singapore. aviation buses are available to pick up passengers from the city center to the airport for 20 yuan. travelers can also take a taxi there for around 100 yuan.

Bus: The city has four long distance bus stations, east, west, south and north bus stations. buses to the neighboring areas including nanjing and shanghai are plentiful.

Local Transportation: Extensive bus routes reach almost each corner of the city proper. each bus route has designated stops which is well maked for being easily found. fares are very cheap: 1 yuan if the bus is not air-conditioned and 2 yuan if it is. prices for special bus lines and buses running to the neighboring rural areas vary according to the bus condition and distance.

Taxi: Visitors can also take a taxi to loop around the city. taxis are plentiful and it's usaully very easy to stop one in street.

Accormodations

Hangzhou has a host of hotels to meet different needs. whether you are taking a break from a business trip or traveling for pleasure, there is a hotel in hangzhou china to suit your needs. hangzhou hotel accommodation is of a high standard, and shangri-la, holiday-inn or other well-know internationals each have a hangzhou hotel with excellent conference or forum facilities. whichever hangzhou hotel you select, you'll feel at home.

Tourist Attractions

Hailed for centuries" the paradise on earth", hangzhou offers visitors some sights either of the superlative natural beauty or rich cultural, historical significence or a combination of both. in and around hangzhou, travelers can find the west lake, symbol of the city for years, some historical heritages sites such as the lingyin temple, the largest and most resplendent buddhism temple in that region, tomb of general yuefei and other important architecture landmarks as the six harmonies pagoda and the leifeng pagoda. many other sights in the city are also well worth a trip.

Hangzhou is one of the best places to purchase souvenirs. local specialties including dragon well tea, hangzhou silk, hangzhou brocade and the elegant west lake parasol are good items to take home.