Hangzhou

Teaching English in Hangzhou China

Hangzhou has long been a famous tourist attraction of Chinese travelers attracted to the beauty of West Lake and is now becoming a favorite destinations as it is discovered by international travelers. The widely expressed Chinese proverb, "In heaven there is paradise and on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou" has been combined with the words of Marco Polo describing this area as, "the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world" have helped to make Hangzhou one of the biggest tourist attractions in the entire country.

Fortunately, while any city would struggle to live up to a reputation as "paradise", Hangzhou has retained its beauty in modern times. Despite the idyllic preconceptions one might have before arrival, it is hard not to like this city. Even the most seasoned traveler will appreciate West Lake for its space and beauty.

Hangzhou is a city with a rich history and culture spanning back more than 2000 years. The city first made a name for itself in the sixth century, when the Grand Canal opened up and linked the area to other centers of trade such as Suzhou. The Song dynasty helped to make Hangzhou famous when they moved the imperial family to this area in the 12th Century. With its inviting views and outstanding scenery, the West Lake soon became popular with numerous artists, poets and painters seeking inspiration in the solitude of this "paradise".

What is most evident amongst all this beauty is a distinct appreciation for the "greenness" of things. Hangzhou is considered the "greenest" city in China with pollution controls, active greenspace monitoring and the most aggressive efforts of any city in China to be environmentally friendly and conscious.

What also makes this city so liveable is the climate. With an average low temperate of 3.8C in January and a nice comfortable 28C in July and August and a cool breeze blowing off West Lake you can get pretty comfortable with the temperature and climate in Hangzhou.

Food in Hangzhou - the "in" thing

Hangzhou cuisine is currently one of the most popular and fashionable styles of cooking throughout China, especially in neighboring Shanghai where it has become a status conscious cuisine. Many "Hangzhou" inspired restaurants have been opening up throughout the country and the cuisine from this city is considered to be of a superior status.

Hangzhou cooking is closely related to the local culture and characterized by natural flavor, beautiful presentation and a light and palatable taste. Dishes and pastries which would have once been served on pleasure boats sailing up and down the lake remain the main staple of the Hangzhou diet and recipes here usually contain a great deal of seafood including fish, shrimp, crab and oyster. Any dining experience in Hangzhou should include at least a few of the following local specialties: Beggar's chicken (an entire chicken wrapped and slowly cooked in a ball of mud), West Lake fish (vinegar coated fish from the lake), braised pork and stewed shelled shrimp cooked in Longjing tea.

There are a few elite restaurants in Hangzhou serving up this cuisine in pleasant settings and with style for atmosphere. Perhaps the best place is the Louwailou restaurant on Solitary Island but there are other places dotted around the city. Late at night (after 10pm) the area around Hangzhou's Fish Market comes to life. This market is tucked just behind the lake on Yan'an Lu. It is a fun area bursting with life and good food. The fish is displayed in the nets at the front of restaurants and diners can select their favorite fish to eat. It is very fresh, always tasty and there is an authentic local and lively atmosphere about this place. Many of the larger hotels have elaborate seafood dinner buffets that offer a wide variety of choices.

Places to See and Things to Do In Hangzhou

Qiantang River: Tide Watching
- The extraordinary surging tide of the Qiantang River is a world-renowned natural wonder caused by a combination of the gravitation of the celestial body, the centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the earth and by the peculiar bottleneck geography of Hangzhou Bay.
  A tidal wave is sometimes created by the bores surging into the river with the momentum of an avalanche as a magnificent and breath-taking scene. One time the tidal wave reached 8 meters high.
- An annual ritual takes place on August 18 of the lunar calendar year, which is the traditional tide-watching day when people throng to the Qiantang River to watch this amazing natural wonder. Watching the bores at the Qiantang River has been taking place each year for over 2,000 years. The observation area is at Yanguan Town where spectators can also have a glimpse into the traditional Chinese culture by visiting many other historical structures, such as the Sea-Pacifying Pagoda, the Temple of the Ocean God and Zhongshan Pavilion.
Lake under the Autumn Moon (West Lake)
- The "Lake Under the Autumn Moon" lies on both sides of the Bai Causeway on the West Lake. The interesting name stems from the fact that (according to an ancient poet) under the bright autumn moon the lake looks smooth and resembles a mirror. In the 38th year of the Qing dynasty a picturesque pavilion was constructed near the lake. Today landscaped gardens, verandas and more pavilions have been built around this small lake, which is part of Hangzhou's West Lake.
  Note that the most popular eveing past time is walking around the shore of West Lake with your partner in the moonlight. Note also that you really should do your best to IGNORE the kids selling red roses or you will be pestered until you purchase one and another and another and another.
West Lake
- Hangzhou's fame rests mainly with the picturesque West Lake, so named because it is located on the town's western fringe. The 6.03-square-kilometer West Lake, with water surface totaling 5.66 square kilometers, has five sections: the Outer Lake, the Inner Lake, the Yuhu Lake, the Xili Lake and the Lesser Nanhu Lake. The Outer Lake, the main body of West lake, has three small islands--- Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Mid-Lake Pavilion, and Master Yuan's Mound which--- which are reminiscent of the sacred Penglai Island in the Bohai Sea. The scenic zone with the West Lake as the center is home to forty or so major tourist attractions and thirty sites of historical interest but no tourist should leave Hangzhou without seeing what is called " Ten Sights of the West Lake". As a result of generations of hard labor, the ancient buildings, sculptures, temples and gardens have been skillfully weaved every nook and corner to complement the natural landscape of water, wooded hills, caves and springs to make this famous resort into a magical mosaic setting.
Bai Causeway (West Lake)
- The Bai Causeway is the shorter of the two causeways that cross the lake and measures about one mile long. This causeway travels northward and starts at the "broken bridge", traveling through the "golden ribbon bridge" and ends at the "autumn moon on a calm lake" to make it a very interesting journey.
Solitary Island (West Lake)
- Solitary Island (Gu Shan) sits in the northwest corner of West Lake. This is the largest island on the lake and an ideal place to wander and explore. Views over the lake from its banks are spectacular and there are a few places of historical interest scattered about the island itself.
  On the north side of the island is Wenlan Pavilion, the pristine and peaceful Zhongshan Park and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, which is actually part of the original imperial palace. To the west of the island and at the top of the small hill is the Xiling Seal Society. The tomb of Qiu Jin, a female revolutionary, is at the foot of the hill. Qiu Jin was an early pro-democracy campaigner and part of Dr. Sun Yatsen's team of fighters in the 1900s. The pavilion known as "Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake Pavilion" was built on the northeast part of the mountain, in memory of the reclusive poet from the Song Dynasty, Lin Hejin. Legend has it that the poet believed the blossom on the trees was his wife and the crane was his son!
Temple of Soul's Retreat
- Towering over the West Lake at the northwestern side of the Lingyin Mountain in Hangzhou, the Lingyinshi, or Temple of Soul's Retreat, was first built in 326 AD, the first year of the Xianhe Reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The 33.6-meter-high Mahavira Hall, the centerpiece of the temple, is the tallest of all the buildings with a single-layered roof and double eaves. Enshrined in the hall is a 19.6-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni sitting cross-legged on a five-meter-tall lotus pedestal. The statue is formed with 24 pieces of camphor-wood and the pedestal is fashioned out of a single trunk of camphor-wood. As a sanctuary of 330-odd stone carvings and sculptures wrought during the Five Dynasties and the Song and Tang dynasties, the Feilai Peak (Peak that Flew Here) in front of the Lingyingshi figures prominently in ancient Chinese synthetic artwork.
Su Causeway (West Lake)
- The Su Causeway is the longest series of bridges crossing over Hangzhou's West Lake. The causeway is named after the Song Dynasty poet, Su Dong Po, who was then the governor of Hangzhou. The causeway runs across the lake from Nanping Road, to the "lotus in the Breeze Quyuan Garden". The causeway consists of six simple yet beautiful bridges and the embankments along the way are all landscaped with trees and flowers. In the evenings, the causeway is illuminated by green lights and this is a favorite place for Chinese couples to walk along the promenade. It is a fine example of typical Chinese design and the style is delicate and refined.
Huagang Fish Pool (West Lake)
- Huagang Fish Pond is situated on Solitary Island between the Su Causeway, Yinbo Bridge and Solan Bridge. It is in Lu garden at the foot of Huajia hill and was originally used for fishing. Now it is a huge pond filled with brightly colored fish. The pond is inside the Zhongshan Park as a lovely place to rest under the shade of the trees. The park is immaculately well maintained by skilled gardeners.
Xiaoying Island and the Three Pools (West Lake)
- The most pleasant way to travel to this outlying island is by boat. Xiaoying Island was built in 1607 using silt from the West Lake. Once you are on the island, you will discover that there are smaller lakes inside the big West Lake and smaller islands located on Xiaoying Island.
  The entire island is dotted with pavilions and platforms but the small islands are linked by bridges and railings. At the southern-most tip of the island is the pavilion of "Mutual Affinity", which affords great views over Santayinyue Lake. The name of this lake means "Three Flags reflecting the Moon". The name is derived from the fact that the three flags (actually pagodas) are said to reflect the evil spirits that may be hiding in the lake.
Feilaifeng Peak
- The Lingyin Temple is situated on Feilai Peak ("The Hill That Flew here"). Legend has it that an Indian Buddhist monk arrived in this area in ancient times. Believing that he recognized the hill from his native town in India, the monk is said to have asked, "How did the hill fly here?" The Temple and the area around it are lovely and cool in the summer, secluded by large trees and situated at the top of the hill with pleasant trails for hiking in the woods. There is also a good vegetarian restaurant on Feilai Peak.
Thousand-Island Lake
- The Xin'anjiang Reservoir, also known as the Lake of a Thousand Islands, came into being with the completion of the Xin'anjiang Hydroelectric Power Station in southwest Chun'an County in 1960. With a storage capacity of 17.8 billion cubic meters, the lake covers an area of 575 square kilometers and is studded with a total of 1,078 islands of varying sizes. The rate of vegetation cover on the shore has reached upwards of 90 percent and for this reason the place is nicknamed "Green Lake of a Thousand Islands". The water is crystal clear, the mountains that skirt the lake are richly wooded and the islands are clustered together to form a labyrinth of canals. The lake is divided into three zones. The South Lake Zone is centered on Mishan Island which provides ready access to the flower gardens and orchards at Waishejia Island and Qingcaowu Port with bamboo groves and hunting grounds on Liaoshan Island.
Pagoda of Six Harmonies
- The Liuheta, or Pagoda of Six Harmonies, which was first built in 970 AD or the third year of the Kaibao Reign of the Northern Song Dynasty, is famed in the region south of the Yangtze River for its sheer size as a brick-and-wood structure. Standing aloft stop the Yuelun Mountain on the shore of the Qiantang River in south Hangzhou, it is a representative masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture. This 59.89-meter-tall octagonal structure has seven stories, although it has the appearance of a thirteen-floor building. The top floor of the pagoda provides a panoramic view of the rapids in the rushing Qiantang River.
Tiger Running Spring
- The park known as "Tiger Running Dream Spring" (Hupaomeng Quan) is one of the nicest parks in Hangzhou, filled with quaint tea houses, lush vegetation and pavilions.
  Legend has it that when the Great Master, Xing Kong visited Hangzhou he bemoaned the lack of fresh water available and quickly made plans to leave the area. Suddenly a god appeared before him and told him not to worry about the water as two tigers had been dispatched to deliver some fresh water. The next day, two tigers appeared as promised and the spring water flowed. The tigers were running, hence the descriptive name.
- The running spring still flows (although the tigers are long gone) and this is now one of the most famous springs in Hangzhou. The locally grown Dragon Well tea made with the fresh spring water from here is said to be very therapeutic for good health and uniquely refreshing.
General Yue Fei's Tomb
- The General Yue Fei's Tomb lies on the northern side of the Qixialing Hill at the northern shore of the West Lake. Yue Fei (1103-1142), a patriotic general of the Southern Song Dynasty, led his celebrated Yue Family Army in repeated invasions of the Juchen troops to recover large tracks of territory. He was framed by Qin Hui, a treacherous minister and put to death by Zhao Gou, the emperor. His name was exonerated in 1162, or thirty-second year of the Shaoxing Reign of the Southern Song Dynasty, and his remains were moved to the present site in appreciation of his heroism. In 1221, the fourteenth year of the Jiading Reign of the Southern Song Dynasty, a temple was erected beside the tomb in Yue Fei's memory. A stone monument in front of the tomb is inscribed with five Chinese characters reading, "Tomb of Yue, Duke of Song".
China Silk Museum
- Hangzhou silk is considered one of the most prized fabrics in the world due to its tight weave and sheen. The China Silk Museum, a national institution of a rather high professional stature, sits by the West Lake with a floor-space of 10,000 square meters. The museum consists of the Pavilion of Introduction, Pavilion of Sericulture and Pavilion of Miscellaneous Topics, which combine to tell an authentic story about the stages of the Chinese silk industry evolving over the last 5,000 years. The museum is also complete with a department store, trade negotiation rooms for overseas buyers and a fashion show center.
Longjing Tea Plantation
- A nice break from the lake is the Longjing tea plantation area. Hidden away in the southwest corner of the lake are some secluded walks and the quaint village of Longjing. Longjing actually means "Dragon Well" in English and according to legend, the Dragon Well was discovered about 230AD. This fresh spring water encouraged the people of Hangzhou to develop their own distinct premium quality tea and thus Longjing tea was born as the finest quality tea now sought after worldwide.
  Tea is dominant here and this special type is an antioxidant with therapeutic qualities. There is no cancer among local people and they say the most beautiful women in China hail from Hangzhou. The young women dry the tea leaves and mix them with egg whites, applying it to the face as a moisturizer in their beauty regime. The Japanese also believe they get a better night sleep using a pillow stuffed with dry green tea leaves. Whether it be drinking, picking, smelling or buying, green tea is usually featured. A trip to the village of Longjing is a 30 minute cycle ride and most of the hotels in Hangzhou have bikes for hire. Tea terraces rise up on either side of the village and it's an interesting area to walk around and watch the locals at work handpicking the tea leaves. So many places here have tea for sale and it is difficult to recommend which type or flavor is best. Prices for the tea range from USD65 for one kilo to USD275 per kilo for top grade. The best thing to do is to sample as many as you can (some of the locals may invite you in to their home) and then make your decision your decision based on personal preference. The important thing to remember when returning home is not to use boiling water to brew the tea, wait a few minutes until the water cools or it may burn the tea leaves and make it bitter.
Hu Qingyu's Hall
- It is only appropriate for China's only museum of traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) herbs to be housed in the ancient buildings of a venerated pharmacy, Hu Qingyu's Hall. The museum introduces visitors to the history of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs---their origin, formation, development, application, effect, and their position in Chinese and world medical history. Samples are on display and herbs are prepared for medical use in a workshop. The reception is aptly named "Xingqutang" translated to Hall for Those Who Are Interested.
Chinese Tea Museum
- The Chinese Tea Museum is situated in Longjinhua Township. Established in 1986, the museum occupies a space of 3,100 square meters and is composed of four groups of structures built in the typical style of a tea plantation south of the Yangtze River. The entire Chinese tea history is presented in a visual format through the museum's five pavilions, which display the tea-related history, varieties of tea, tea sets, drinking services and tea-related customs and rituals.