West Lake

West Lake is large freshwater lake, bordered on three sides by hills. Its banks and islands are blanketed with small gardens and temples. As an old Chinese saying declares, ¡In heaven there is paradise, on earth Suzhou and Hangzhou¡. The famous western traveler Marco Polo considered it as the most enchanting city in the world at his time.

West Lake is the symbol of Hangzhou, which is like a shining pearl inlaid on the vast territory of China. It was originally a lagoon adjoining the Qiantang River. As early as Tang dynasty, work was taking place to control waters of the lake with dykes and locks. The two causeways, the Baidi and the Sudi, split the lake into sections.

Xiaoyingzhou, an islet at the lake's center, is a wonderful spot to savor its scenic expanse. Amidst this island's intricately designed gardens, ponds and pavilions are the famed "Three Towers Mirroring the Moon". Erected some seven hundred years ago, a string of three small towers are placed in the water at a slight distance from the island. Rumored to control the evil spirits lurking in the water's depths, in mid-autumn they contain within their hollow structures a reflection of the full moon.

The islets and temples, pavilions and gardens, causeways and arched bridges of this jade-like lake have constituted the supreme example of lakeside beauty in China ever since Hangzhou served as China"s capital during the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1127-1279), which have inspired numerous poets and painters for centuries.

Lingying Temple is one of the most prestigious Buddhist monasteries in China. It was built in 326 A.D. at the foot of Lingyin Mountain. Due to war and calamity, it has been destroyed and rebuilt no fewer than 16 times. The Great Hall, 33.6 meters high, is one of China"s tallest one-story buildings, further distinguished by double eaves. A statue of Sakyamuni, carved out of 24 blocks of camphor wood, stands 19.6 meters high in the main hall. The foremost temple houses a laughing Buddha carved in camphor wood and covered in gold; there is a carved gilt figure standing behind as a guard. Both figures are set under a double-eave wooden canopy decorated in red and gold. Ornate lamps hang on either side. In front of the hall are two stone pagodas built during the Five Dynasties (907-960).

In the caves on the Feilai Hill, there are some 300 Buddhist stone carvings dating back to the Five Dynasties, the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). These elegant carvings are of high artistic value. With magnificent mountains and high trees surrounding the monastery, the Lingyin Temple is a beautiful scenic spot with numerous cultural relics to see.

Mausoleum of General Yue Fei

It is one of Hangzhou's big draws. The twelfth-century Song general, Yuefei is considered a hero in modern China thanks to his unquestioning patriotism. Having emerged victorious from a war against nomadic invaders from the north, he was falsely charged with treachery by a jealous prime minister, found guilty and executed at the age of 39. However, twenty years after his death, the next emperor annulled all charges against him and had him reburied here with full honors. People often come to show respects to this heroic martyr. In the two side halls of the temple are 120 tablets; the tablets are engraved with Yue Fei"s poems as well as eulogies to him by noted figures.

Liuhe Pagoda (Six Harmony Pagoda)

Built in the year of 970 A.D., Liuhe Pagoda stands majestically on the Yuelun Mountain overlooking the Qiantang River. A 60m, impressive octagonal structure of wood and brick, hung with 104 large iron bells on its flying eaves, the tower was originally built to ward off the spirit responsible for the heavy tides which caused so much flooding before the dykes were constructed.

China Silk Museum and China Tea Museum

Opened in 1992, the China Silk Museum is located near the West Lake and includes exhibits that explain the 5,000-year-old history of silk production in China. This is the first national museum of its kind to be dedicated to the craft of silk production and weaving, skills that have been developed over thousands of years. The museum consists of eight exhibition halls for different themes. Many visitors are sure to enjoy its shopping arcade.

The China Tea Museum was built in 1986 and occupies an area of 3,500 square meters in the Dragon Well Village south of the West Lake. It is composed of five buildings featuring tea-growing areas south of the Yangtze River and includes five halls of exhibits related to tea history--that is, the best tea varieties, tea utensils, tea affairs, and tea customs. Tourists may have fun tea picking here and enjoy various arts of tea making. The museum has also been working as a fine host to a number of cultural activities on tea, including a series of international seminars on tea culture and exchange.

Hupao Spring

Hupao Spring is located six kilometers from Hangzhou city, at the foot of Daci (Great Compassion) Hill that stretches between the West Lake and the Qiantang River. The Hupao Spring (Tiger-Running Spring) takes its name from a legend. The story tells a dream about two tigers who ran to the apparently near desert area and dug a hole which caused the spring to gush forth. The Long Jing tea and the Hupao spring water are reputed to be the "two wonders of the West Lake."

Qiandao Lake (A-thousand-islet Lake)

The Qiandao Lake is a huge reservoir covering an area of 570 square kilometers on the upper reaches of the Xin'an River, 160 kilometers from Hangzhou and Huangshan Mountain. There are 1,078 islets in the lake, which is why it is also known as the A-thousand-islet Lake. The lake is embraced by hills with green trees and scores of scenic spots include Dragon Hill, Xianshan Hill, Fengping Hill, Bijia Hill, and the Lesser Stone Forest.