Hangzhou

Built beside Hangzhou Bay, on the northern bank of the Qiantang River estuary, Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province. Because of the picturesque West Lake (or Xi Zi Lake) on its western fringe, Hangzhou is likened to a garden cit of a paradise on earth.

Su Dongpo or Su Shi, a celebrated poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), wrote:

"Rippling water shimmering on a sunny day, Misty mountains wonderful in the rain. Like the beauty Xi Shi, plain or gaily decked out, West Lake is always alluring."

When he came to Hangzhou in the 13th century, Marco Polo, an Italian traveler, alleged that it was the most enchanting city in the world.

The land where the city of Hangzhou stands was a stretch o shallows 2,000 years ago. Sea tides often made inroads into it. In 210 B.C., the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (Qinshihuang) inspected the area and ordered the construction there of the Qiantang County seat - predecessor of today's Hangzhou. During Han times (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.), dikes were put up to check the sea water and turn the shallows into land. With the digging of the 800-li (400-kilometer) section of the Grand Canal between Hangzhou and Zhenjiang in the Sui Dynasty (581-618), Hangzhou made rapid development and became an important city economically and in cultural exchanges between the North and South.

Central China was plagued by war during the Five Dynasties (907- 960). People thronged to the comparatively peaceful southeast. The State of Wuyue (907-978) chose Hangzhou as its capital and expanded the city wall to 70 li in circumference. Palace buildings, gardens, embankments, and other water conservancy projects were constructed. Rapid progress was recorded in farming, industry, and commerce. Shipbuilding also appeared to meet the needs as sea transportation flourished.

In 1138, the Northern Song Dynasty moved its capital from Bianzhou (Kaifeng) to Hangzhou. The city was further expanded while the population swelled to 1 million.

"Houses adjoin on rolling hills, Songs and dances are performed day and night. The aroma of meat and wine from t he feast table drifts with the breeze. Hangzhou is mistaken for Bianzhou."

These lines just describe the prosperity of Hangzhou at that time.

West Lake derived its name, according to some, from its location on the western edge of the city proper. Legend has it that West Lake was originally a jewel fallen from heaven. Actually it is a lagoon formed as a result of natural changes and human efforts. Ten thousand years ago, the lake was much larger than its present surface of 5.6 square kilometers. Later, as silt accumulated and weeds overgrew, the lake shrank in size. During their tenure of office in Hangzhou, both Bai Juyi (772-846), a Tang poet, and Su Dongpo (1031-1101) organized the dredging of West Lake.

Geographically, West Lake is favorably positioned. It is bordered by hills on three sides. Beyond the hills flows the Qiantang River, which joins the sea at hangzhou Bay. To the east is the city area. Traditional Chinese landscaped gardens built over the centuries turn West Lake into a combination of natural beauty and artificial decorations. People named 10 sights at West Lake as the most beautiful. Of course, there are a lot more.

Misty Dawn at the Su Causeway in Spring tops the list. The Su Causeway was built with silt in 1089 when Su Dongpo supervised the dredging of the lake. The embankment extends 2.8 kilometers with grass and peach and willow trees planted along its entire length. The bell rings at dawn as the moon is sinking in the west, weeping willows along the embankment sway in the morning haze, the lake blends in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape like a roll of ink-and-water painting.

The Two Peak Piercing of Cloud consist of the Northern and Southern peaks towering in the west and southwest of West Lake. Their tops, when enveloped in mist, look like a fairyland.

Observing Fish at Huagang Pond is to the west of the 5th and 6th bridges on the Su Causeway. Buildings erected in Song times surround a pond in which golden carp are raised. Here visitors can watch fish swimming in the water and lowers in blossom on land.

The remaining seven points of scenic beauty are Orioles Singing in the Willows, Three Pools Reflecting the Moon, Lotus Flowers at the Zigzag Garden, Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake, Echoes of the Evening Bell on Nanping Hill, Sunset Over Leifeng Tower, and Snow on the Broken Bridge. Each offers something of its own. The surrounding area features the Tomb of General Yuefei, Nine Streams, Eighteen Dales, Solitary Hill, and many other places of historical interest and natural beauty.

Hangzhou has been a long-standing tea grower, Canon of tea, probably the first work in the world on tea production, by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty, gives a detailed description of tea cultivation in Hangzhou. Longjing Tea, including such fine strains as Lion, Dragon, Cloud, and Tiger was once reserved as tribute to the emperors. It is pure and clear with lingering fragrance.

Hangzhou is also known for its silk. The area enjoys a humid climate with four distinct seasons, ideal for mulberry tree growth and silk worm raising. Sericulture once reached a high level. The fine silks manufactured in Hangzhou come in several thousand varieties of more than a dozen kinds, including satin, damask, gauze, and spun silk. Hangzhou brocade is surprisingly bright and lustrous and exquisitely made. It is suitable for making clothes and decorations.

Hangzhou produces delicacies from land and water. Cooks of successive generations since the Southern Song Dynasty have fostered a unique cuisine based on quick frying, stir frying, braising, and deep frying. A dish thus prepared is appraised by its color, aroma, taste, and form. Dongpo Pork, a dish which is believed to have been invented by the poet Su Dongpo, still tops the list of the local recipes. Other sought-after dishes include West Lake Sour Fish and Longjing Shrimp Meat.

West Lake becomes all the more beautiful in summer when young girls, clad in colorful silk skirts and carrying silk parasols, stroll leisurely along the lakeshore, chatting and laughing.

"There is a paradise in heaven and Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth." So said the ancient Chinese in describing the beauty of the two cities. Hangzhou is easily accessible by land, water, and air. The Grand Canal which flows past the city has been dredged and environment improved. Now visitors can sail up the canal to Suzhou and admire the enchanting scenery of land and water south of the Changjian River.

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