Hangzhou

INTRO
In the late 13th century, the Italian explorer, Marco Polo, called this city "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world." Whether that is true today or not is not a matter of importance. What is truly worth emphasising is that Hangzhou is beyond dispute the prettiest and one of the most historically significant cities in China, with temples, pagodas, tea, Buddhist rock carvings to name a few of Hangzhou's attractions.

City Profile
City: Hangzhou
Country: China
Area: 16,847 km²
Population: 6,400,000
Districts:8
Major:Cai Qi
Language: Mandarin, Wu dialect

LOCATION
Situated on the most poetically praised lake in China, the West Lake, Hangzhou is widely known for its beautiful natural scenery. Built on the Yangtze River in the northern part of Zhejiang province, the city is on the end of the Grand Canal of China, only 180 km southwest of Shanghai. Thanks to this favouring position Hangzhou is one of the most prosperous cities in the country, a transportation hub in southeast China.

TIME TO VISIT
As Hangzhou is located in the subtropics, four distinctive seasons characterise its climate. The winters are relatively cold and dry with average temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius. In contrast, summers are extremely hot and because of the humidity, the perceived outside temperatures is higher than the actual one, which is usually around 33 degrees Celsius. During the middle of the summer, the city occasionally suffers typhoon storms but unlike other cities in this part of China, it rarely gets struck by typhoons. The best time to visit Hangzhou is at late summer and early autumn. September offers pleasant weather, deprived of extreme temperatures and typhoon threat.

POPULATION
Overall, the number of people living in Hangzhou, as estimated in 2004, is 6.5168 million. The urban resident population is over 4 million, of which around 2 million are illegal. The natives speak a specific dialect, called the Wu dialect. This might cause some difficulties in communication but Mandarin, the official language in the country, is also spoken. Few Chinese understand English apart from the personnel in the major hotels.

DISTRICTS
Hangzhou is administratively divided into eight districts, of which six are urban and two are suburban: Shangcheng, Xiacheng, Jianggan, Gongshu, Xihu, Binjiang, Xiaoshan district is where the Hangzhou international airport is located, Yuhang.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Chinese culture is known for its incomparability and charm. Hangzhou is one of those unique cities in the country, where you can experience Chinese historical heritage and natural beauty. Several places are emblematic for Hangzhou and should certainly be a part of your sightseeing list.

West Lake - this picturesque lake was originally a sea bay to convert into a large shallow lake crossed by three causeways. Surrounded by a traditional Chinese garden, with some natural landscapes as well, West Lake is a great tourist attraction, pleasing eyes of visitors with its serene beauty.
Lingyin Temple is a temple complex that consists of seven temples symbolising the ascent into enlightenment. Lingyin temple used to be the biggest Buddhist temple in China and housed a community of around 3000 monks. Some of the temples date back to 300 AD during the Jin Dynasty. Today, it is a major tourist attraction in Hangzhou located in a lush mountain area. It is famous for the rock carvings of the Laughing Buddha and other Buddhist deities.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/zhejiang/hangzhou/lingyin.htm
Meijiawu Tea Plantation is probably a perfect place to visit if you are interested in the dominant tea culture in Hangzhou. The city is famous for the dragon well tea (Long Jing Cha), which can be tasted in Meijiawu tea house overlooking a beautiful tea tree planted hill. It provides a wonderful rural scenery and peaceful atmosphere. It is possible to climb the hill and merge with the dense tea trees on the terrace.
Song Dynasty Village is a recreated town in Hangzhou that offers one of the best entertainment night shows in the city. Treat yourself with an evening experience that will bring you back to the Song Dynasty. The Song Cheng show is a typical Chinese show that tells the story of four legends of the Song Dynasty. Each scene has a surprise for the audience so if you like surprises, you might consider spending an evening here.
Chenghuang pavilion and temple are located on top of the Wu hill and enjoy a view of both the West Lake and the Qiantang River. Built during the Ming Dynasty, the pavilion houses a museum that displays artefacts and documentation of what life in Hangzhou used to be like in the ancient times. A small temple and a Buddhist prayer bell are also situated there.

AIRPORT
Hangzhou has one international airport in close proximity to the city centre.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is located about 30 kilometres from the centre of the city, which takes around 30 minutes by taxi. The price of the cab ride is Y90 but cheaper options are available such as the shuttle service for Y15 per person. Make sure to buy the ticket for the shuttle bus in advance from the booth right before the exit of the terminal.
More info at: www.hzairport.com/

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
As a tourist city Hangzhou has a very well developed public transportation system.

Buses in Hangzhou are marked with Y in front of their number, which indicates that they are tourist buses and will certainly drop you at a tourist destination. The price for those buses is Y3-5.
Taxis in Hangzhou are very reliable and run by the meter. The initial price is 10 Yuan and additional 2.4 Yuan beyond eight kilometres. Two Yuan per five minutes waiting is charged. Generally, the city is small and taxi prices rarely exceed 30 Yuan.
Electric tram along the waterfront of the West Lake is available for Y10 per ride or Y40 for a round trip, which takes about an hour and a half.
Boats along the West Lake are available and the fares vary depending on the size of the boat from Y25 for a small boat to Y160 if you hire one for yourself with a driver to paddle you around the lake for an hour.

HISTORY
Hangzhou region has been inhabited for more than 5000 years, resulting in its wealthy historical heritage and cultural development. The first people living in the area gave birth to the so called Dawn of Civilization i.e. Liangzhu Culture. Later, during the Qin Dynasty, Hangzhou was officially established as a county. The city takes proud in being one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China as it was the capital of Wu state, of Yue State of the Five Dynasties and the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. In 1927, Hangzhou became a part of the Republic of China and its status changed into being a city. Thanks to its strategic location on the Yangtze River, Hangzhou managed to maintain gradually develop and become one of the most prosperous cities in China.

CITY LINKS

Hangzhou News: A Daily Online Newspaper in English: www.hangzhou.com.cn/english/
Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Hangzhou
Hangzhou Official Website: http://english.hangzhou.gov.cn/english/index.htm

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Zhejiang University: http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/
China Academy of Art: http://www.caa.edu.cn/
Hangzhou Dianzi University: http://www.hdu.edu.cn/english/
Hangzhou Teachers College (in Chinese): http://www.hztc.edu.cn/