Beside the notable lower levels of air pollution and always-clean streets, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province is revealing its luminescence. Even Venetian merchant Marco Polo called it “greater than any in the world” in the late 13th century and recently they did also host the G20 summit. If you’re working why you’re recognizing the word Hangzhou from recent news - yes it’s also where people thought a bear at the zoo was in fact a human in a bear costume. It is also one of the host city’s for the Asian Games 2023 this week- oh delicious, rowing
Hangzhou, formerly Romanized as Hangchow by the Imperial Post Office, is the southern terminus of China’s UNESCO World Heritage Grand Canal that is the longest canal in the world starting 1,115 miles north in Beijing. And it is at this southern point where the canal finds itself with easy ocean access just east of the city of Hangzhou. But it’s not just water around here; it’s also a contemporary city amidst mist-covered hills and the Wulin Mountains loved for the endless hiking possibilities and, of course, ancient temples.
And the native residents of Hangzhou, including those of Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu, speak the Hangzhou dialect, a Wu dialect unique to the area. If you have an ear for these kinds of things, enjoy.
The center city, with over 8 million people and counting, is one of the seven ancient capitals of China and officially opened up in 1992 for serious modernization including booming textile and agriculture industries, a latest speed train that takes just 38 minutes from Shanghai and a constant stream of tourism that just isn’t that overwhelming – on foot or by bike.
The willow kissed banks of West Lake, having influenced painters and poets for centuries, continues to be an absolute highlight here with its bridges, islands, perfect gardens and idyllic pagodas tempting restful reflections by rowboat. But that’s if the terraced tea plantations around the city don’t seize you first, with teahouses offering the famed Longjing dragon well tea ceremonies in infinite silence.
For more meditative inspiration the 328 AD Lingyin Temple, literally translated, as “Temple of the Soul’s Retreat,” is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China with countless pagodas, and grottos that hold religious and spiritual rock carvings like the Laughing Buddha. It’s with a similar sensibility that the Aman resort group divulged Amanfayun (aman.com/resorts/amanfayun) a few years back as a 42 rooms, suites, villas sanctuary in a former tea-planting village surrounded by bamboo groves.
Back in the inner city the ancient silk trading street Hefang, albeit a little commercial, offers the buzz of a metropolis but with various Chinese crafts from hand-blown sugar candy, dough figurines to bonsai stores and lively fable tellers. Hidden cobbled streets and stone gate houses also whisper for discovery around the city. Eat at Grandma’s Kitchen, a few of them around town, where West Lake vinegar fish and lotus root pudding are never in short supply. Nightlife is vibrant but it really is Nanshan Lu and Shuguang Lu (streets) that hold the jazz and live music prospects.
Now that China is ready for visitors again, this is the perfect alternative to the other greats.