General info

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and it's a political, economic and cultural center. With its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of the most important tourist venues in China. As one of the seven ancient capitals and the key scenic tourism and historical culture cities in China, Hangzhou once was applauded as the most splendid and luxurious city in the world by Marco Polo, the Italian traveler in the 13th century.   

After the founding of the Sui Dynasty, in 589, changed county into state, the name of "Hangzhou" appeared for the first time. It means just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth. In Hangzhou, there are too many things to introduce. So we choose the most famous and beautiful one for you.

Lying on the west edge of Hangzhou city, West Lake is the symbol of Hangzhou as well as one of the most beautiful sights in China. West Lake has all along been praised as a sparkling pearl. Legend has it that the lake used to be an auspicious pearl hewn into its sparkling shape by the Jade Dragon and the Golden Phoenix, but it was later stolen by the Mother Queen of the West. When Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix scrambled with the Mother Queen, this pearl accidentally fell onto a land that was known as Hangzhou. Even on the Back of One Yuan Bill of RMB, we can see the scenery of West Lake. West Lake is said to be the incarnation of Xi Zi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Since ancient times, West Lake was associated with a large number of romantic poets, profound philosophers, national heroes and heroines.

In Tang Dynasty, poet Bai Juyi came to Hangzhou as governor. He ordered the construction of a causeway connecting the Broken Bridge with the Solitary Hill, to facilitate walking on foot, instead of depending on boat.  This causeway was later named Bai Causeway in Bai Juyi's honor. In Song Dynasty, poet-governor Su Shi dredged the lake and built up the Su Causeway, and made it into another beautiful landmark of West Lake. In ancient times, this place had been an shallow sea gulf before it evolved into a residual lake. The Bai and Su causeways provide access to many parts of the lake. Most of the best known tourist sites lie around and within the lake. With a circumference of 15 kilometers, the lake area itself is easy for the visitor to go through. Once a local told me if you want to enjoy the whole west lake, there are three kinds of sight you need to see. The sunny one, the rainy one and the night view of it. There is a saying that the sunny West Lake is not equal to the rainy West Lake, and the rainy West Lake is not equal to the West Lake at night.

We believe you'll fall in love with West Lake and Hangzhou, if you go there.