Hangzhou Travel Guide
Hangzhou Brief
Hangzhou is one of the important tourism cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province. It is the political, economic and cultural center of the province as well. It is one of the 15 vice-provincial level cities in China.
Hangzhou is located on the low reaches of Qiantang river in southeast China, with a distance of 180 kilometers to Shanghai. It is one of the key cities in the Yangzi Delta area.
Hangzhou History
Hangzhou is extremely rich in tourism resources. Its unique environment endowed by nature and the culture accumulation of several thousand years, have formed many world famous natural, historical and cultural sights. There are two State-level scenic areas within the city area: West Lake scenery area and Fuchun river-Xin'an river - A-Thousand-Islet Lake scenery area. There is one State-level nature preservation area: Tianmu natural preservation area, two State-level forest parks: A-Thousand-Islet forest park and Daqishan forest park. These places are a galaxy of famous sightseeing tourism areas on the southeast China. West Lake, which is described as "Oriental Pearl ", is located on the east of the city proper, surrounded on three sides by hills and one side facing the city. Hangzhou, with its surrounding hills and numerous beautiful sightseeing places and the famous West Lake, ranking as one of the ten best famous scenic places in china...
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Hangzhou Climate
In terms of beauty, Hangzhou is picturesque all year round. In spring and summer, the trees turn green and the air is sweet. In winter, the snow falls on the lake creating a picture- postcard atmosphere about the city and in autumn, the temperature is pleasant and balmy and the sky a delightful color of amber.
In terms of comfort however, the heat can be unbearably intense during the summer. Fortunately, the many trees around the lake and in the hills do provide cover from the worst of the sun. The average temperature in the summer months is about 29 degrees centigrade.
Hangzhou's winters are never absolutely freezing and even in January, which is the coldest month, the average temperature is about 3 degrees centigrade...
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Hangzhou Silk
Sericulture (the culture of the silkworm) and the weaving of silk have been practiced in China from a remote period. Legend dates this back to 2640 B.C., to Empress Si Ling-chi, who not only encouraged the culture of the silkworm but also developed the process of reeling from the cocoon. This was a closely guarded secret for some 3,000 years. Silk seems to have been woven very early on the island of Kós, which Aristotle mentions, in a vague description of the silkworm, as the place where silk was “first spun,” In the 1st and 2d cent. A.D. silk fabrics imported to Greece and Rome were sold for fabulous prices.
Up to the 6th cent. raw silk was brought from China, but death was the penalty for exporting silkworm eggs. About A.D. 550 two former missionaries to China, incited by Emperor Justinian, succeeded (says Procopius) in smuggling to Constantinople, in a hollow staff, both the eggs of the silkworm and the seeds of the mulberry tree. Byzantium became famous for splendid silken textiles and embroideries, used throughout medieval Europe for royal and ecclesiastical costumes and furnishings. In the 8th cent. the Moors began to carry the arts of silk culture and weaving across the northern coast of Africa and to Spain and Sicily, and in the 12th cent. Spain and Sicily were weaving silks of exquisite texture and design...
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Hangzhou Transportation
As a capital of Zhejiang province and one of China's premier tourism cities, Hangzhou has regular flights linking flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guilin, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Xi'an, Dalian and other major domestic Chinese cities. Also there are flights to and from Hong Kong and Singapore. The citys airport is situated on twenty-seven kilometers from the town. A public bus costs RMB20 to the center of town, but most major hotels have free shuttle buses to the airport for their guests.
Hangzhou is the starting place for several routes like Zhejiang-Jiangxi, Hangzhou-Ningbo, and the Zhejiang-Changsha lines and the end point for the Shanghai-Hangzhou line. As a large traffic terminal in eastern China, the city is connected with more than thirty large to medium sized cities by direct rail lines. It takes about 10 minutes from the center to the station...
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Hangzhou Food
Hangzhou food is representative of the southern style.
Reminiscent of the romantic scenery around Hangzhou, these dishes are delicate, tender, refreshing and crisp. All ingredients used in the cooking come from the fertile land around the city, known as a land of plenty.
The strict cooking and its exquisite style more than satisfy Shanghai people's demands.
Restaurants of Hangzhou dishes have thrived in Shanghai, mostly for the food, but also for the low prices...
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Hangzhou Tea
Longjing Tea is one of China's best teas and is one reason for Hangzhou's international fame. The tea is grown in the Longjing mountain area of Hangzhou, southwest of the West Lake. The flat and smooth tea leaves (resembling pine needles with a yellow to dark green color) brew a tea with light to dark green color, a fragrant scent, and a refreshing taste.
Longjing Tea can be bought throughout Hangzhou, but the best place to buy Longjing Tea is the Longjing ("Dragon Well") area of Hangzhou. The tea there is said to be the best Longjing available. Alternatively, the tea can be purchased around other Hangzhou attractions, but the quality of the tea might not be as good...
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- Beijing Travel Guide
- Chengdu Travel Guide
- Chongqing Travel Guide
- Guangzhou Travel Guide
- Guilin Travel Guide
- Hangzhou Travel Guide
- Hong Kong Travel Guide
- Kunming Travel Guide
- Lhasa Travel Guide
- Nanjing Travel Guide
- Sanya Travel Guide
- Shanghai Travel Guide
- Urumqi Travel Guide
- Xi'an Travel Guide