Hangzhou
The very definition of classical beauty in China, West Lake is utterly mesmerising: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift…
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Hangzhou
One of China’s most enduringly popular holiday spots, Hángzhōu’s (杭州) dreamy West Lake panoramas and fabulously green hills can easily tempt you into long sojourns. Eulogised by poets and applauded by emperors, the lake has intoxicated the Chinese imagination for aeons. Kept spotlessly clean by armies of street sweepers and litter collectors, its scenic vistas draw you into a classical Chinese watercolor of willow-lined banks, mist-covered hills and the occasional shíkùmén (stone-gate house) and old lǐlòng (residential lane).
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Hangzhou
Hangzhou’s most famous Buddhist temple, Lingyin Temple was originally built in AD 326, but has been destroyed and rebuilt no fewer than 16 times. During…
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Hangzhou
The lush, green scenery around this tea village up in the hills southwest of West Lake makes for a wonderful break from the bustle of Hangzhou. Visitors…
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Hangzhou
The serene yet monastically active Chan (Zen) Jingci Temple was built in AD 954 and has been fully restored. The splendid first hall contains the massive,…
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Hangzhou
The 60m-high octagonal Six Harmonies Pagoda, dating from AD 1165 in its current form but first built in AD 960, is a stout pagoda that once served as a…
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Hangzhou
At the southern end of Zhongshan Zhonglu is this touristy, crowded and bustling pedestrian street, with makeshift puppet theatres, teahouses, and gift and…
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Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum
Hangzhou
The Huqing Yutang Chinese Medicine Museum has a dispensary and clinic adjoined to the museum. Established by the Qing dynasty merchant Hu Xueyan in 1874,…
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Hangzhou
Wooden cruise boats shuttle visitors from a number of points on the banks of West Lake to the Mid-Lake Pavilion and Xiaoying Island, which has a fine…
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