Situated in Zhejiang province, Hangzhou is a large city with a reputation as one of the most prosperous cities in the country. Benefiting from a wealth of beautiful natural scenery and picturesque surroundings, the city is perhaps most famous for the West Lake, but it also gets its name firmly on the map for being a major producer of both tea and silk.

Hangzhou is teeming with attractions and a plethora of eye-catching sights. From places of major cultural and historic significance to sites of striking natural beauty, this is a destination sure to please anyone with an eye for aesthetics. Modern facilities and amenities contribute to making this one of China’s up and coming visitor destinations.

The West Lake is central to the city’s identity and local life, and many other famous attractions are located within close proximity. This large and scenic stretch of water can be enjoyed by boat or on foot via a leisurely walk around its perimeter; either way gives you the opportunity to see at least a couple of the famed ‘Ten Sights of the West Lake’.

Tea is another integral aspect of the city’s character and the Long Jin variety is what you’ll find the locals drinking morning, noon and night. This aromatic green tea with hints of chestnut is grown and produced locally and can be enjoyed at a variety of locations. However, a trip to the source is a must for anyone wanting to sample it in its freshest condition.

The city has an awesome dining scene with countless restaurants cooking up the Hangzhou interpretation of the culinary traditions of Zhejiang province. With names like West Lake water shield soup, beggar's chicken and dongpo pork, you can be sure that there’s no lack of creativity in Hangzhou kitchens and consequently eating out is rarely a disappointing experience.

Hangzhou is a fairly accessible city, with some Asian visitors able to take advantage of direct flights to its international airport. Other visitors are obliged to fly into Beijing and take a connecting flight to Hangzhou or Shanghai and then transfer by bus or train. Once in the city, visitors will find a fairly efficient bus service with special routes laid on for tourists.

There are some excellent options for accommodation in Hangzhou, with some big name hotel chains such as Hyatt Regency, Shangri-La and Holiday Inn amid a large selection of other hotel establishments. Room prices are affordable on the whole and there’s something available to suit all budgets and tastes.

Settlers from the Hemdu tribes are known to have settled 60 miles (100kms) east of what is now known as Hangzhou during the Neolithic period. Historians believe that these were the first tribes to establish permanent settlements anywhere close to Hangzhou. It wasn’t until the Qin dynasty (221 to 206 BC) however that more permanent settlements emerged, with Emperor Qin Shi Huang claiming the Hangzhou area as part of his empire following his first visit.

City walls were erected during the Sui dynasty (581 to 618 AD) and the Grand Canal, which began at Beijing, was extended to Hangzhou. By connecting the city with Beijing, Hangzhou rapidly benefited from increased trading opportunities and consequently saw significant progression in both its financial and political status. Later, in the Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD), the population of the city swelled and its status was further elevated with it becoming the capital of the Wuyue kingdom in the latter part of the 10^th century.

Hangzhou's golden years were during the Southern Song dynasty (1127 to 1279), during which it experienced great prosperity and enjoyed status as the capital of the Southern Song Empire. Industry flourished in the city and religion was introduced, with Taoism and Buddhism being the favoured philosophies. Some temples still present in the city today have survived from the Southern Song dynasty.

During the Yuan dynasty (1206 to 1368), Hangzhou was under the control of the Mongols, along with the rest of China, with its capture taking place in 1276 at the hands of the armies of Kublai Khan. Towards the end of the 13^th century, the intrepid Marco Polo arrived in Hangzhou and was inspired by what he saw, describing it as: “beyond dispute the finest and the noblest (city) in the world”. Polo wrote of the enormity of Hangzhou, and while his writings were subject to some exaggerations, historians believe that the city was in fact the largest in the world in the periods from 1180 to 1315 and 1348 to 1358.

In the early part of the 20^th century, Hangzhou was overtaken by Shanghai in terms of trading and commerce. The Kuomintang ruled the city from 1928 to 1949 until the status quo was shaken up by the People's Liberation Army on 3^rd May 1949. In the 20^th century Hangzhou once again began to see prosperity, this time by the injection of foreign capital and by many of the country’s most successful big business choosing the city as their base of operations.

A subtropical climate presides in Hangzhou, with the city subject to four distinct seasons. Temperatures can be hot and steamy in the summer months and quite cold in the winter, while rainfall is frequent and distributed fairly evenly across the seasons.

June is the wettest month of the year and perhaps best avoided if you plan on pursuing sightseeing and outdoor activities. Winter brings some chilly weather but temperatures seldom drop to freezing and averages usually hover in the 2 to 4°C range. Snow falls occasionally, usually towards the end of December.