There is a Chinese proverb: ”上有天堂，下有苏杭“, "Up there is heaven, down here are Suzhou and Hangzhou".
Hangzhou is one of the most popular destinations in China. Year after year, when it comes to number of tourists per year it beats The Great Wall, Shanghai Bund or Terracotta warriors in Xi'an. Even the greatest traveler of all times, Marco Polo, described it as "the finest and most splendid city in the world". And you have to admit, he saw a lot of cities.
In my opinion, a visit to this city is a privilege. The number of places worth visiting is almost unlimited. Hangzhou offers traditional architecture, modern architectural wonders, rivers, lakes, tea plantations, Buddhist temples, mosques, churches, remains of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, numerous UNESCO heritage sites..., and the list goes on and on.
When it comes to shopping, food, entertainment, again, the options are almost unlimited. You can fly with a parachute, ski indoors, see a performance (the only resident Cirque du Soleil in the world is in Hangzhou), shop for in Prada or Louis Vuitton, find special editions of snacks (like KitKat, Lay's) unavailable in other markets, have a coffee with orange juice or beer... You get my point.
It is really difficult to narrow down a list of places you can squeeze in a couple of days. Therefore, I categorized them in 2 main articles:
1. destinations most popular with majority of tourists (this article)
2. other popular destinations (Hangzhou Popular Destinations).
This doesn't mean they above listed destinations are the best choice for everyone. So, check the map and compare distances, browse through the photos, read other articles (such as Hangzhou Museums) and then make your choice.
Here we go - Hangzhou "Top of the Top" Destinations are:
1. West Lake (西湖) (read more)
2. Hefang Street (河坊街) (read more)
3. Temple of Soul’s Retreat (灵隐寺) (read more)
4. Tea Villages (read more)
5. Grand Canal (大运河) (read more)
6. City Balcony (城市阳台) (read more)
Explanation:
Dark blue numbered circles mark the "Top of the Top" destinations listed above.
I also added places where you can try local Hangzhou food and snacks to the map, in case you get hungry. This way you have it all in one place.
Purple circle with a bowl and chopsticks mark restaurants specialized in Hangzhou flavors.
Pink circle with a snack and a drink mark places where you can find local snacks.
In case you find this confusing, open the drop-down by clicking the symbol in the top left corner and uncheck what you do not want to see.
Comments