Posted 2016/9/23
Consider China as a house. If Beijing is the decorated living room, where the family politely greets guests, then Hangzhou is the backyard garden where a family can really show off their home's true beauty and where visitors can sit back and relax.
Heavenly Hangzhou's slow life tempo and beautiful natural surroundings for many centuries has made it the tourist toast of the nation.
In a new BBC documentary, Hangzhou was dubbed the "world of smiles, and the city of happiness".
Hangzhou is the capital city of East China's Zheijiang province, only 180 km southwest from Shanghai. As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou has been one of the most prosperous cities in China for more than 1,000 years.
Marco Polo, the famous Italian traveler and merchant of the 13th century, described Hangzhou as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world".
Once the capital of Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Hangzhou is now a modern and vibrant leisure center of China.
Luxury hotels, along with exquisite restaurants and exciting nightclubs can all be accessed in this city.
Hangzhou also has a perfect combination of natural beauty and cultural relics.
The famous West Lake and the surrounding mountains are located near downtown of Hangzhou, very conveniently reached.
Although Hangzhou has been through many phases of urbanization, the historical and cultural heritage remain. The ancient pagodas, temples and churches provide wonderful destinations for visitors who favor a journey of history discovery.
