Holidays in Hangzhou, Eastern China’s subtropical ‘Heaven on Earth’
Situated southwest of Shanghai, the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou enfolds around the historic centrepiece of Xi Hu (or West Lake). Your Hangzhou holiday will inevitably centre on the serene waters of this lake.
Xi Hu has long been celebrated for its perfection and beauty. Today it is only enhanced by its old causeways, pavilions, pagodas and fishing boats that are perfectly framed within a romantic vista of trees.
Yet, the lake is just one of the natural wonders you will want to visit on your Hangzhou tour. The city is known in China as Heaven on Earth, and it more than lives up to its name. It is popular all year round thanks to its inviting subtropical climate. Superb summers and warm winters help to make the Botanical Gardens a colourful, must-see feature of any Hangzhou holiday. Covering a vast, picturesque 231 hectares, there are an incredible 4,000 plant species here, making it the biggest botanical sanctuary in China.
The city showcases Chinese history and culture to incredible effect in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. Displays of over 100,000 artefacts include ancient silk costumes, pottery relics and priceless jade and bronze works of art dating back over 2,000 years.
And, as the refreshing breezes murmur over the mirrored surface of Xi Hu, you can palpably feel the history of Hangzhou whistling gently through you.