Discover the Fascinating City of Hangzhou

Relatively undiscovered by the West, Hangzhou offers a multitude of cultural attractions which other cities, like Shanghai, don’t, plus has a very rich heritage:

• Hangzhou cuisine; from ‘snack street’ to tea-infused dishes – it is one of the eight major schools of cuisine in China, but it has a very low profile - if you ask a Westerner to name a typical Chinese dish the chances are they will come up with something Cantonese - but this barely scratches the surface of the variety of Chinese food on offer. Likewise, tea has a huge influence on the city’s cuisine – traditional dishes include longjing crème brulee, fish which is cooked in green tea on one side and the other in white tea, eggs marinated in black tea, etc.

• Going on tea safari in China’s ‘Capital of Tea’: Whilst tea is one of the world’s favorite drinks, its origins and traditions are best explored in China – and Hangzhou in particular. It is rightly called “The Capital of Tea” – not only is it the home of the ancient Longjing tea, it boasts the China National Tea Museum and is home to the West Lake International Tea Expo - so its tea culture is everywhere. From tea houses to tea feasts and ceremonies to tea pots, there’s a lot to explore, and tea pouring is a fascinating thing to watch – and frankly could equally be dubbed ‘tea acrobatics’ as it is looks very much a traditional form of cocktail flaring. Hangzhou is the ideal place for a “tea safari” and a crash course in this historic brew.



China’s hidden gems and visions of traditional China in Hangzhou: For most people in the west, a trip to China might take in the Great Wall or one of the modern mega-cities such as Beijing or Shanghai - but a mere 50 minute high-speed train journey from Shanghai, Hangzhou boats two unmissable features - West Lake and The Grand Canal, both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city very much offers snippets of the China most westerners have always imagined, with beautiful temples, tea houses, tea plantations, people practicing Chinese opera and tai chi by the Western gems, etc.

• Hangzhou by bike, via the world’s largest bike hire network: As the rest of China battles pollution generated by growing populations, millions of cars and rapid industrialization, Hangzhou is a cyclist’s paradise that is increasingly ahead of the game when it comes to environmentally-friendly transport. The city’s bike hire scheme is the biggest in the world, with over 66,000 bikes available from 2,700 stations. What’s more, some of the city’s key attractions, including West Lake, are best explored by bike. Other sustainable forms of transport in the city include what is to become the world’s largest order of all-electric buses and taxis, plus electric car hire.



IF YOU GO...

Location: The city of Hangzhou is located in South East China. It is the capital and, with a population of 6.24 million, the largest city of Zhejiang Province.

Transport: The city has its own international airport but the easiest way to travel from the UK or the USA is to take a direct flight to Shanghai or Beijing. From the UK, Virgin and BA offer direct flights from the UK to both, while Air China flies to Beijing. From the USA, Air China, United Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Airlines offer direct flights to Beijing. Meanwhile, China Eastern, American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines fly direct to Shanghai. Direct flights to Hangzhou from the Los Angeles are to be launched by the end of 2014.

For information on the “Be the Modern Marco Polo Experience Program”, please visit Hangzhou’s official Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Hangzhou.China