Hangzhou

Hangzhou has long been a famous tourist attraction. The widely expressed Chinese saying-In Heaven there is Paradise and on Earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou-and the words of Marco Polo who described this place as "the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world" have both helped to make Hangzhou one of the most visited cities in the entire country.

The history of Hangzhou spanned back over 2000 years. It played an important role as the southern end of the Grand Canal, which originally went all the way across the mighty land to Beijing and linked up the major trading centers alongside. Hangzhou became one of the capitals of the Song Dynasty when the imperial family moved here in the 12th century. It's now the capital of Zhejiang Province with a population of 6.1 million.

The West Lake is a huge circular fresh water lake covering 3 km north-south and 3 km east-west and is surrounded by hills on three sides with the city on the fourth. Two causeways cross the lake and three islands in stay in the middle. There are numerous historical relics and sights around the lake, including the famous Buddhist Lingyin Temple.