Less than 24 hours in Hangzhou: arrive at the hotel at 9pm. Enjoy the view from the hotel. Take a late night walk along a tree lined canal; walk through Hangzhou’s brand of urban character. Wake up early, head to the scenic West Lake for a few hours. Listen to the odd choir of locals singing out of tune along the lakefront. Enjoy the well kept gardens, have some tea.
That’s about the extent of my time in Hangzhou, an accelerated dose of this affluent Chinese city. It’s known throughout China for its scenic beauty. They say in Beijing, that you need to wash your shirt every day to keep it clean, and in Shanghai every other day. In Hangzhou, however, after a week your shirt will still be clean. Life is more relaxed and the environment clean, the proverb suggests.
I didn’t have much time to relax here in Hangzhou, but I managed a few captures, nonetheless. Here’s my quick take.