Being the silk capital of China, Hangzhou has been “Shopping Heaven” since ancient time. Hangzhou is well known for producing excellent silks, including satins. Throughout its long history, a variety of Hangzhou silks and satins have been sold throughout the world. Hangzhou is also the home of the world famous green tea of Dragon Well. Dragon Well tea is not only famous for its unique green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, and flat appearance, but is also regarded as a health elixir. Nowadays, Hangzhou offers both the well-made traditional handicrafts and modern goods. The silk umbrella, tea and elegant fans are traditional handicrafts, which you should have a look on your shopping route, especially the elegant fan. The production of elegant fans in Hangzhou has a long history and has been enjoying a widespread renown since the ancient times. Modern goods with high qualities can also be found when you are shopping in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou Dujinsheng Brocade

Brocade is a kind of silk product with a raised pattern, gorgeous and resplendent. Du Jinsheng Silk Factory, established in 1922, is a well-known brocade producer in China. In 1926, its product, sick pictures of scenery, won a gold medal at a world fair in Philadelphia, USA. Today, it produce more than a thousand varieties of woven silk portraits, e.g. West Lake scenery.

Dragon Well (Longjing) Tea

Longjing is a famous green tea in China and it has a history of over 1200 years till now. According to the places of production, Longjing tea is divided into three types: Xihu Longjing Tea, Qiantang Longjing Tea and Yuezhou Longjing Tea. Longjin Green Tea is well-known for its four special features: green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, smooth and even appearance.

West Lake Silk Parasols

West Lake Silk Parasols, also called as “West Lake Scenery Parasol”, is a unique product of Hangzhou. It is light, attractive, easy to carry and useful. Silk parasols are made of bamboo and silk. It looks very elegant and unsophisticated. The first silk parasol was made by a worker named Zhu Zhenpei in 1930s.

Hangzhou Silk City

Started in November, 1987, Hangzhou Silk City is located by the beautiful West Lake, Hangzhou, which is a tourist city and has been long regarded as “home of silk”. Covering an area of 25,000 square meters, Hangzhou Silk City is the only silk wholesale and retail market in China for more than 600 silk enterprises, dealing in a wide variety of pure silk fabric.

Hangzhou is located in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta, at the western end of Hangzhou Bay, in the lower reaches of theQiantang River, and at the southern end of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is an important and central city in the Yangtze River Delta and a traffic hub in southeast China. Xiaoshan Airport offers lines to large or middle cities in China everyday. Besides, it also has regular international lines to Japan, Korea and so on. The land transportation system here is also well developed, which greatly improves the transportation conditions in or around Hangzhou.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is considered a Garden Airport due to its verdant setting and floral gardens and is one of the most important territorial airports in China. Covering an area of about 180 acres, the airport has a 3,600-meter (about 3,937 yards) airstrip.

Hangzhou Railway Station

There are two railway stations in Hangzhou responsible for passenger transportation: Hangzhou Railway Station (Chengzhan Station) and the East Railway Station. Both of the two stations are quite close to Hangzhou city proper. Usually, the Chengzhan Station is the departing station and the East Station is a stop station.

Getting around Hangzhou by City Bus

As a famous tourist city, Hangzhou has been equipped with excellent public transit system. Till now, Hangzhou has almost 300 bus lines in or around the urban area. The operation hours are from 5 am to 10 pm in urban district and from 6 am to 6 pm in the suburb.

Getting around Hangzhou by Taxi

Taking a taxi is a fast way to travel around the city or get to you destination. Usually, it is hard to call a taxi at 5 or 6 in the afternoon when the drivers will change shifts. According to a certain rules, the taxi drivers have the right to refuse customers at that time. Consequently, visitors are suggested to take buses to avoid this risk then.

Hangzhou is located in the southern part of the Yangtze River Delta, at the western end of Hangzhou Bay, in the lower reaches of theQiantang River, and at the southern end of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is an important and central city in the Yangtze River Delta and a traffic hub in southeast China. The geographic coordinates of the center of Hangzhou proper are 30°16' north and 120°12' east. The northwest and southwest of Hangzhou fall under the West andCentral Zhejiang hilly region, while the northeast and southeast fall under the North Zhejiang Plain with dense river networks, making it a part of the famous land of fish and rice. The hilly land of the city accounts for 65.6% of the total area, the plain 26.4%, rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, etc. 8%. Under the subtropical and monsoon conditions, Hangzhou has four distinct seasons with a mild and humid climate and plentiful sunshine and rainfall. The average temperature is 16.2℃ around the year, 28.6℃ in summer and3.8℃ in winter. The number of frost-free days is between 230 and 260. The average annual rainfall is 1,435 mm and the average relative humidity 76%.

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province with the sub-provincial administrative level, is the center of provincial politics, economy, culture, science and education. It covers an area of 16596 Square Kilometers with a population of 7.731 million. The economic development level of Hangzhou is very high, its economic strength is continuously ranked second among all provincial capitals and its economic general strength is listed in the top ten among all the big-middle cities in China. Hangzhou is not only one of the safest tourist-city, but also one of the best cities of internal security. Hangzhou is located close to China east coast, in the lower reaches of theQiantang River and at the southern end of the Grand Canal (Beijing -Hangzhou). The distance between Hangzhou and Shanghai is 200 kilometers, which is connected by the railway and highway. It only takes less than 2 hours to reach Shanghai; the trip is quite comfortable and efficient. The city tree is Camphor Tree and the city flower is Osmanthus.

As a famous scenic city in China, Hangzhou attracts more than 20 million domestic and foreign tourists every year.Hangzhou is known for its natural beauty of West Lake worldwide. “Above is paradise, below is Suzhou andHangzhou” expresses people’s indeed praise to Hangzhou. In the Yuan Dynasty, the famous Italian traveler Marco Polo described this city as “the finest and most splendid city in the world.”

Introducing Shamian Island, Shamian Island Guide, Shamian Island Travel Guide, Shamian Island Information.
Article from Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Tourism

Shamian Island was originally called Shicui Island ("Shicui" literally means "picking up green jade"). Shamian Island was a key ferry for domestic and foreign trade and a scenic spot in the Song Dynasty (960 AD – 1127 AD), the Yuan Dynasty (1206 AD – 1368 AD), the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD – 1644 AD) and the Qing Dynasty (1616 AD – 1911 AD). In the wake of the Opium War, Shamian Island became British and French concessions.

In the old days, Shamian Island was a historical scar of Guangzhou and also the first street populated by foreigners. For Chinese people, it is fair to say that Shamian Island has a sad and inglorious episode in its history. Nonetheless, washed by the stream of time, the traces of that sad history have gradually blurred and faded. A multitude of European-style buildings left over from history have made Shamian a showcase of European architecture. Pay a visit to Shamian Island, and you will see dating couples immersed in romance, senior citizens taking a stroll and newly-weds shooting their wedding photos. In a word, Shamian Island is a travel card of Guangzhou.

For everyone who has visited Shamian Island, the first impression is, more often than not, romance. Wherever you go, you can see pairs of newly-weds shooting their wedding photos. As some photographers say, line upon line of western-style buildings, coupled with the tranquil surroundings, make Shamian Island a perfect destination for photo shooting. The combination of Western-style buildings with Western-style wedding gowns can produce photos that forever linger on the minds of the newly-weds. In recent years, some newly-weds have chosen to wear traditional Chinese wedding costumes for photo shooting in Shamian Island. 

Shamian Island is not only a prime location for photographing, but also a main destination for business travel. Populated by a number of foreigners, Shamian Island is frequently visited by foreign tourists. As a tour guide says, Shamian Island is a must-go place for tourists. Tourists from France must be feeling a sense of familiarity when taking a stroll around Shamian Island, which is home to a variety of French-style buildings. As with Shanghai, Shamian Island boasts a vast array of foreign buildings left over from China's colonial periods, which makes Shamian Island a main attraction to foreign tourists.

The 16th Asian Games represents a new journey of Guangzhou. It has provided an opportunity for Guangzhou to reflect on its history. Culture received top priority in Guangzhou's Asian-Games program. Culture is the soul of a city, communicating its unique character and temperament. Cultural and historic heritages in Shamian Island have been well restored before and during the Games. One can get a glimpse of the historic beauty of Shamian Island from these well-preserved cultural and historic heritages.

Quick Facts on Shamian Island

• Name: Shamian Island
• Location: Downtown Guangzhou
• Phone: +86-20-81078200
• Dates: Qing Dynasty (1616-1911)
• Best Time to Visit: September to November
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 Hours
• Opening Hours: All Day
• Admission Fee: Free

Introducing Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King Guide.

Article from Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Tourism

The Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King is built over the archaeological site of the Nanyue Kingdom Palace, which is listed into the Cultural Relics under State Protection. Located at the heart of the inner city of Guangzhou, the site of the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King testifies to the fact that Guangzhou has been the political, economic and cultural center of the Lingnan region over a period of thousands of years.

Since the year 1995, in the excavated area of the site have been discovered palaces, a royal garden and palace walls of the Nanyue period (203 B.C. - 111 B.C.), which prove that Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King used to be the location of the Nanyue Kingdom Palace and the heart of the Kingdom's capital. The royal garden is the earliest example of its kind discovered to date in China.

Also discovered here are the remains of the palaces and a royal garden of the Nanhan Kingdom which existed in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (917 - 971), demonstrating that the site was the location of the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, too.

The Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King has been found that the site was also the seat of government offices in various historical periods following the unification of the Lingnan region by the Qin Empire. The cultural strata discovered here start upwards from the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. - 206 B.C.) through the Western Han, the Eastern Han, the Western Jin, the Eastern Jin, the Southern, the Tang, the Song, the Yuan, the Ming and the Qing Dynasties up to the Republic of China (1911 - 1949), storing the cultural relics of twelve historical periods. They are like unwritten chronicles that record over two thousand years of urban development of Guangzhou.

The cultural strata discovered from this site storing the cultural relics of twelve historical periods. They are like unwritten chronicles that record over two thousand years of urban development of Guangzhou.

In addition, more than five hundred wells have been found within the area. Built with different materials and in different styles, they constitute a museum of wells.

With a protection area of 53,000 square meters, the site of the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King has been twice listed as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries of the year1995 and 1997 in China. In 1996, it was declared as one of the Major Historical Monuments and Cultural Relics under State Protection by the State Council. In 2005, Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King was made a receiver of the special fund for the protection of major national relics in "the 11th-Five-Year-Plan". In 2006, " Relics of the Nanyue Kingdom" consisting of the site of the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, the remains of the wooden water gate and the mausoleum of the second king of the Nanyue Kingdom was included in the list of China's candidates for world cultural heritage status.

Quick Facts on Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

• Name: Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
• Location: Downtown Guangzhou
• Phone: +86-20-81078200
• Dates: Established in 1988AD
• Best Time to Visit: April to December
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 Hours
• Opening Hours: 09:00-17:30 
• Admission Fee: CNY 12

Introducing Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, Temple of the Six Banyan Trees Travel Guide.
Article from Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Tourism

Having a long history of about 1,400 years, the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees has a rich collection of cultural-relics and is renowned both at home and abroad.

Originally built in 537, Temple of the Six Banyan Trees has been rebuilt several times, and the name has also been changed several times from Changshou Temple (meaning Longevity Temple) to Jinghui Temple and finally the current name. Temple of the Six Banyan Trees is a name given by the great liiterateur Su Dongpo in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). It is said that he visited there while returning to the north. During the visit, he found six banyan trees there particularly striking. The vitality of the trees put him in a good mood and cheered him up. When the abbot of the monastery invited him to suggest a name, Su Dongpo wrote down its present name. Finally, its former name (Jinghui Temple) was changed to the present one, Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. A pagoda inside is known variously as Six Banyan Pagoda or Flowery Pagoda.

After entering by the mountain gate, the Tianwang Hall is the first hall you will see. The Laughing Buddha is there with smile all over his face to welcome visitors. Behind it is the Weituo Hall. According to legend, Weituo was a general who recaptured the Buddhist relics which had been stolen. He keeps a straight face, looking very serious and frightful, in distinct contrast with the Laughing Buddha.

The architecture that catches the visitors' eyes most is the Six Banyan Pagoda. It is a pagoda where Buddhist relics are placed. Its roofs curve upwards and look like dark red flower petals. The tip of the pagoda is like stamens, while the whole construction looks like a huge stigma high in the air. Therefore, people like to call it the Flowery Pagoda. The pagoda not only has a nice appearance, but also provides visitors a good place to overlook enchanting scenery around.

Quick Facts on Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

• Name: Temple of the Six Banyan Trees
• Location: Downtown Guangzhou
• Phone: +86-20-81078200
• Dates: Built in 2010AD
• Best Time to Visit: April to December
• Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hour
• Opening Hours: 09:00 to 17:20 (ticketing ends at 17:00)
• Admission Fee: CNY 5 (the temple), CNY 10 (Six Banyan Pagoda)