Hangzhou is famed for its lake, but the lake was once only a (glorious) appendage to a flourishing and magnificent city. The historic city of Hangzhou – directly east of West Lake – has vanished, its monumental city wall long gone. This modest exhibition hall within the reconstructed gate of Qingchun Men celebrates the vanished bastion. For anyone keen to understand what Hangzhou looked like until the early 20th century, there are photos and testaments to the old city (but no English translations).
The names of the city gates only survive in place names (such as Qingbo Men and Yongjin Men), but the old city of Hangzhou (and its temples) has been buried beneath department stores and malls, leaving virtually nothing behind. This exhibition hall puts that disappearance in context. You may need to bang on the door to be let in.