- Hangzhou parks, gardens and islands
- Religious buildings
- Hangzhou landmarks
- Shopping on the shores of Sihu
- Delicious points on the map
- Hangzhou show
Hangzhou stands out among other provincial cities of the Celestial Empire. Being the capital of the Southern Song dynasty in the pre-Mongol era, it preserved its historical past especially carefully, thanks to which it serves today as a favorite vacation spot for both local residents and foreign tourists. In Hangzhou, you will see architectural masterpieces dating back to the 10th century, natural attractions and parks that provide fresh air and coolness to the metropolis, which has become a major industrial center. The Chinese compare the city with heaven on earth and when asked where to go to Hangzhou to get acquainted with its beauty, they are ready to answer in detail and in detail. During the tour, be sure to plan a walk along the shores of Lake Xihu, visit national hero Yue Fei in his mausoleum, and learn how to brew tea properly at one of the world's best tea museums.
Hangzhou parks, gardens and islands
A huge green area stretches in Hangzhou around Xihu. In translation, the name of the reservoir sounds like "western lake", but in ancient times the inhabitants of these places called it Ulingshui - "Water from Mount Ulin". The lake is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges, and a system of dams divides it into several parts. In 2011, Xihu, along with the adjacent gardens, parks and bridges crossing it, was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage of Humanity.
What to see on the banks of Xihu in Hangzhou and where to go in the surrounding park? The places with the best views are marked with steles with hieroglyphs:
- In spring, you will see a very beautiful landscape from the Su Dongpo Dam.
- In summer, perfect photos are taken from the shore of the Lotus Pool.
- The Chinese prefer to meditate at sunset at the Leifeng Pagoda and near the bell on Nanping Hill.
- In the flower pond, you will enjoy a colorful round dance of fancy colored fish.
- Old engravings often depicted the Lingyin Xi Temple with its surrounding gardens.
In addition to ideal places for photo shoots and meditation in the park, you can find species of plants traditional for the Middle Kingdom. For example, lotuses bloom on the lake throughout the summer, meihua plums and peaches from late winter to mid-April, and the Hangzhou osmanthus symbol pleases park visitors with blooming fragrant panicles throughout the fall. The entrance to the park area on the banks of Sihu is free.
Another wonderful garden in the city is located behind the Pagoda of the Six Harmonies. It contains copies of the country's famous religious buildings. The garden seems somewhat neglected, but that makes finding mini-pagodas and comparing them to the pictures of the originals prudently saved on the smartphone screen is especially entertaining.
Religious buildings
Most of the Chinese profess Buddhism, a religion based on the concept of six harmonies. In honor of important aspects of their own faith, the builders named the pagoda in Hangzhou. It was first erected at the end of the 10th century, when the Song dynasty ruled the country. In 1121, the building was destroyed and rebuilt in their own way by representatives of the next empire. The Six Harmonies Pagoda reached 60 meters in height and served as a beacon for sailors looking for their way home. It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, and from the height of the observation deck on the 13th tier, a panoramic view of the Qiantangjiang River and the bridge over it opens. The interiors of the tower are decorated with tiles and murals in the form of dragons and typical Chinese ornaments. The tiers are connected by a wooden spiral staircase. The last reconstruction of the architectural masterpiece was undertaken in 1900.
A no less famous cult building in Hangzhou, the Soul Refuge Monastery appeared in the 4th century. You can go there for an excursion if you believe in the signs and the secret power of the Buddha. Next to the temple is a statue of the Laughing Buddha, bringing good luck to anyone who touches it. The Buddhist monastery of the Refuge of the Soul is considered one of the oldest in the Celestial Empire.
Hangzhou landmarks
The list of famous architectural structures of the city includes another pagoda, located in a park on the shores of Lake Sihu. It was erected by architects in the Era of five dynasties and ten kingdoms, that is, in the 10th century. The place where the 45-meter-high building is located is called Gem Hill. The reason for the appearance of the pagoda was the return from a long trip of Prince Chu, who ruled the local principality of Wu-Yue in the 10th century. The pagoda is a rather narrow tower of several tiers with a decorative lantern at the top.
The mausoleum of the national hero Yue Fei, who participated in the fight against invaders in the XII century. hordes of Jurchen are also called the most important historical landmark of the city. The inhabitants of the Manchurian taiga caused a lot of trouble for the Chinese army, until the commander Yue Fei, in the company of his comrades-in-arms, stopped the offensive and defeated the hordes of robbers. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire also associate the revival of martial arts with his name, and near the burial place on the shores of Lake Sihu, kneeling statues of the enemy are installed, which passers-by traditionally shower with abuse.
The Chinese National Tea Museum was opened at the end of the last century. It was decided to devote the exposition to tea culture - various aspects of the emergence, development and existence of the art of growing and consuming an ancient Chinese drink. The exposition occupies a huge area: exhibition halls and tea houses occupy about 4 hectares. They are surrounded by tea plantations where various varieties of the popular plant are harvested. During the tour you can visit:
- Hall of history, where the visitor is introduced to the stages of cultivation and the peculiarities of cultivation of crops at different stages of the country's existence.
- The tea-ware room, where the items necessary for the correct brewing and drinking of the drink are presented. Some of the exhibits in this part of the museum were created 1000 or more years ago.
- A section dedicated to customs, in which guests will learn about the various features of tea culture in the provinces of the Middle Kingdom and how tea was brewed and drunk in antiquity.
- Hall of tea growing. It will certainly appeal to those interested in the agricultural aspect of tea culture.
- Hall of Kaleidoscopes. It presents several hundred varieties of drinks in special glass containers.
The exposition is interactive and any visitor can get a variety of additional information using touch terminals.
An interesting collection of exhibits awaits guests of the Silk Museum, which demonstrates the history of the emergence and stages of development of the production of precious fabrics. The museum traces all the milestones in the creation and existence of the Great Silk Road, along which fabrics were delivered to European markets. Visitors can learn about silk thread spinning technology and the latest trends in the textile fashion market.
Shopping on the shores of Sihu
In Hangzhou, as elsewhere in the PRC, you can buy a wide variety of goods - from groceries to sophisticated household appliances. Going to any shopping center in the city means finding a huge assortment of leather accessories, clothes, shoes, jewelry and souvenirs for gifts to friends.
The most popular items offered to tourists in Hangzhou are Longjing tea, natural silk products and lotus root starch. The latter is not for everybody's taste, but it is quite suitable as a gift for fans of the special taste of oriental dishes.
The finest silks can be found at Hangzhou Silk City. The Xinhua Road Fair offers products from a local variety of silk called Dujingsheng, which is known far beyond the Celestial Empire. Longjing tea is sold in Meijiawu Village in the Xihu Lake area. It is in this shopping town that you will find a wide selection and varied packaging - from luxurious gift boxes to ordinary ones for every day. As a souvenir, it is best to buy Xiaoshan handmade lace or a Wangxinj hand-painted fan made of black paper and sandalwood. These things will be offered to the buyer on the historic Qinghefang Street. Dozens of boutiques of the world's leading brands are open on Wulin Road, and you should go to the famous Sijiqing market in Hangzhou for inexpensive but high-quality clothing.
Delicious points on the map
Chinese cuisine is controversial. She can either become love from the first spoon, or not like it once and for all, if you go to lunch or dinner in the wrong place. There are several addresses in Hangzhou where they cook in such a way that each guest automatically goes to the squad of fans of Chinese food:
- Louwailou is the oldest well-known and decent restaurant in the city. It was opened in 1840, and since then, local chefs have invariably fed noble and influential persons and demanding foreign tourists. The institution is located on the Lonely Island in the center of Lake Sihu and is also famous for the landscapes that open from the windows.
- At Zhuang Yuan Guan, you can taste the noodles in a wide variety of variations. The local chef's imagination seems limitless - the menu contains hundreds of names of dishes with the most popular ingredient in the Celestial Empire.
- For over a hundred years, the Tianwaitian restaurant near the Lin Yin Temple on st. Tianzhu. On the menu, you will find traditional Chinese dishes of rice, noodles, seafood, vegetables and everything else that people eat with pleasure in China.
If you do not feel the strength to make friends with oriental culinary traditions, you will be able to find European food in any hotel of world chains. For example, Italian cuisine is especially great at a place called Valentino in Radisson located at Tiyuchang, 333.
Hangzhou show
Theatrical performances in the open air are a nice "feature" that becomes the cherry on the cake in the evenings for tired and full of excursions tourists.
On the banks of the Sihu, in the evenings, they tell a touching story of two unfortunate lovers. The stage for the performance "Night on the West Lake" is the surface of the reservoir, the scenery is illumination, and the soloists of the traditional Chinese opera act as musical accompaniment. The performance is attended by about 300 people, and the director is Zhang Yimou, who staged the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
"Romance of the Song Dynasty" and its role in the history of the Middle Kingdom is performed in the evenings in the theme park of the same name.
