Hangzhou aka: 杭州

west lake,haha

Hangzhou people are so lucky to have the west lake!

有山,有河,有桥,有湖
夜晚在杭州城内骑车是很惬意的事,西湖刚过了秋,等着下雪

i RIDE AROUND THE WESTLAKE AT NIGHT ,THAT’S SO COOL!

very beautiful west lake!

A pretty place

There’s a Chinese saying to the effect of “heaven above, Hangzhou on earth”, and there’s some justification for that boast. This is a most attractive, laid-back city. The West Lake area is very popular, for good reason, and you will find lots of folks strolling along the numerous paths surrounding the lake area.

The Buddhist temple on the hills above the lake is among the most amazing I’ve ever seen: an enormous smiling Buddha statue on one side of the soaring temple, and on the other, an amazing tall stone wall carved with dozens and dozens of figures. Fantastic spot and well worth a visit.

Stroll along the tree-lined boulevards, take a boat ride on the lake, visit the stone carvings near the temple – it’s all mellow, all beautiful, all good.

I am currently teaching english in a university in Hangzhou and I would recommend this place to anyone coming to China. I found Beijing to be such a hassle, people walking all over each other but this place is the total opposite. A big city where people on the street are actually really friendly and helpful, but then thats the general tone of the place. I think having the west lake in the middle of the city just calms everyone down because this is nothing like most other big Chinese cities. I highly reccomend Hangzhou to everyone. Lots of history, lots of culture and a really relaxed attitude in general make this a city you really have to take the time to see in my book.

Oh, but as with everywhere in China. Watch out for the traffic!

Originally, when I first came to Shanghai, I wanted to visit Suzhou. Then, I read more about Hangzhou and went with three classmates. We went for a weekend and it was perfection. I can’t remember for sure, but I think it is a little further from SH than Suzhou, but the whole experience was beautiful. We stayed in a hostel on West Lake, spent a day exploring the lake and a night in the street markets and then went to Moganshan the next day. I’m sure more time could be spent here, but for me, it was wonderful to make a short, exciting trip in the midst of my Chinese studies. I can’t say it was better than Suzhou because I never went, but in talks with friends, I’d say Hangzhou is the place to go if you have to choose between the two.

This is a beautiful spot.

This is a weekend spot for the Shanghaiese. Lots of people walking/biking around. Though 3/4 of the lake is serene, with nice hidden hotels and restaurants. The other 1/4 is the City, with skyscrapers. A total contrast. A yin and a yang.

There is a great levee/dike to walk through the lake, about 2km, worth walking through and then around.

There are a lot of high-end hotels, but a 2 star is still very expensive. There are several smaller hotels, but they will not take foreigners.

Reminds me of a larger Bled.