Hangzhou & West Lake

185km (115 miles) SW of Shanghai

Seven centuries ago, Marco Polo pronounced Hangzhou "the finest, most splendid city in the world . . . where so many pleasures may be found that one fancies oneself to be in Paradise." Hangzhou's claim to paradise has always been centered on its famous West Lake (Xi Hu), surrounded on three sides by verdant hills. The islets and temples, pavilions and gardens, causeways and arched bridges of this small lake (about 5km/3 miles across and 14km/8 3/4 miles around) have constituted the supreme example of lakeside beauty in China ever since the Tang Dynasty, when Hangzhou came into its own with the completion of the Grand Canal (Da Yunhe) in A.D. 609. Hangzhou reached its zenith during the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1127-1279), when it served as China's capital.

In 2003, much to the horror of purists, Xi Hu was enlarged in the western section with an additional causeway along its new western shoreline. New sights, shops, and restaurants were added to the eastern and southern shores. But the news is not all bad. Away from the commercial eastern edges of the lake, and especially in the surrounding hills and countryside, it's still possible to find pockets of peace and quiet. In the last few years, the Hangzhou government has also been positioning the city as a resort destination worthy of a visit in its own right. While this has meant more hotels being built and inevitably more traffic jams, there are also a few more worthwhile attractions for visitors, including a National Wetland Park. An overnight visit will allow you to appreciate more fully Hangzhou's fabled beauty.

Essentials

Like Suzhou, Hangzhou is perfectly tourist-friendly and is possible to see on your own. There have been on-again, off-again plans for the building of a magnetic levitation train from Shanghai to Hangzhou, which, if ever completed (at press time, plans were on again, with the line to be built between 2010 and 2014), will reduce the train traveling time from 1 1/2 hours to around 40 minutes. In the meantime, however, you can book a taxi for the day through your Shanghai hotel (Hangzhou is a 2-3 hr. ride via the Hu Hang Expwy.) or better yet, and faster, venture there completely on your own by train (1 1/2 hr.).

The majority of Hangzhou-bound trains leave throughout the day from the Shanghai South Railway Station (Shanghai Nan Zhan) (tel. 021/6317-9090) in the southern part of town (reachable by Metro Lines 1 and 3). There are a few Hangzhou-bound trains that leave from Shanghai Railway Station, but the times are less convenient and the journey takes longer than from South Station. The D5685, D3105, D5551, and D5689 bullet trains all depart the South Station between 7am and 8am and arrive in Hangzhou around 90 minutes later. If you plan to stay overnight, the D5557 leaves Shanghai at 6:35pm and arrives at 8:04pm while the D5681 departs at 7:03pm and arrives at 8:21pm. Return train D5680 leaves Hangzhou at 6:24pm and arrives at South Station at 7:42pm, and the D5672 leaves at 8:50pm and arrives at 10:12pm. Soft-seat train tickets range from ¥54 to ¥75, plus a typical ¥20 service charge if purchased from hotel tour desks. A daily express direct train D310 also leaves Hangzhou at 8:15pm and arrives in Beijing at 7:44am.

For the most up-to-date information on Hangzhou train schedules, check the website travelchinaguide.com (www.travelchinaguide.com). The Hangzhou Railway Station (Hangzhou Huoche Zhan) (tel. 0571/5672-0222 or 0571/8782-9983) is in the eastern part of town. The no. 7 or no. K7 bus connects the station to downtown and the Shangri-La Hotel for ¥2, while a taxi should cost around ¥12 to West Lake.

There are also buses traveling between Shanghai and Hangzhou, but they are a lot less convenient than trains. A direct bus (¥100) to Hangzhou leaves from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (tel. 021/6834-5743 or 021/6834-6467) and runs between 9:30am and 7pm.

Hangzhou also has an airport (tel. 0571/8666-1234 or 0571/8666-2999; www.hzairport.com; airport code HGH) with a newly built international terminal (Terminal A) about a 30-minute drive from downtown, with international connections to Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, and to Beijing and other major Chinese cities, but not Shanghai. A taxi into town costs around ¥130 while an air-conditioned airport bus (tel. 0571/8666-2539; ¥20) runs to the railway station, the Merchant Marco Hotel (nearest stop to the Shangri-La Hotel), and the Wulinmen CAAC ticket office in town.

If you want to see Hangzhou on a group tour, the Jin Jiang Optional Tours Center, Changle Lu 191 (tel. 021/5466-7936), in Shanghai offers a convenient, if expensive, 1-day group bus tour with an English-speaking guide and lunch, departing Shanghai around 8am every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and returning in the late afternoon. The price is ¥850 for adults. The same tour operator can also arrange a private 1- or 2-day tour (on any day) with a guide, air-conditioned car, lunch, and door-to-door service for significantly more. The top Hangzhou hotels recommended in this guide can also organize half- or full-day city tours.

Getting Around -- The city surrounds the shores of West Lake, with modern Hangzhou spread to the north and east. The lake is best explored on foot and by boat, while sights farther afield will require a taxi or bus. Taxis cost ¥10 for 3km (1 3/4 miles), then ¥2 per kilometer until 10km (6 1/4 miles) and ¥3 per kilometer after that. There is a ¥1 gas surcharge on all trips. Air-conditioned buses cost ¥2, while tour buses with a Y prefix (youke) cost ¥3 to ¥5. Bus no. K7 runs from the railway station to Lingyin Si via the northern shore of the lake (Beishan Lu) and the Shangri-La Hotel, while bus no. 27 runs along Beishan Lu to Longjing Cun (Dragon Well Village), and bus no. Y1 makes a loop of the lake starting from Lingyin Si. Bicycles are available for rental at public leasing points around the city, but it's a bit of a hassle as you have to first purchase a stored value card at Longxiang Qiao 20 (tel. 0571/8533-1122), with proof of ID and a ¥300 deposit. Water taxis (tel. 0571/8802-4368; ¥3) also ply a small section of the Grand Canal in the northern part of town from Wuling Men (Wuling Gate/Westlake Cultural Square) north to Gongchen Qiao and Canal Cultural Square around Xiaohe Lu, stopping at Xinyifang along the way. Hangzhou has a tourist information hot line (tel. 0571/96123).

Where to Stay & Dine

If you're spending the night, and don't mind splurging, a number of luxury resorts have opened in Hangzhou in the last few years. The loveliest is Amanfayun (Anmanfayun), Fayun Nong 22, Xihujiedao, in the redeveloped Tang dynasty village Fayun Cun in the hills just west of Lingyin Temple (tel. 0571/8732-9999; fax 0571/8732-9900; www.amanresorts.com). Aspiring to the simplicity of village life (Fayun Cun's villagers used to tend the neighboring tea fields), the hotel has 42 rooms, suites, and villas scattered among the original, but now refurbished (and unmarked) village houses. There's under-floor heating, free Wi-Fi, daybeds, but no bathtubs (except in the Aman spa), and TVs are available only on request. Lighting is on the dim side, but service is discreet and first-rate, making for a private pampering retreat. Rooms start from ¥3,944. To the west, nestled within the XiXi National Wetland Park is the Banyan Tree Hangzhou (Hangzhou Xixi Yuerongzhuang), Zijingang Lu 21 (tel. 0571/8586-0000; fax 0571/8586-2222; www.banyantree.com). Highlights here include the resort's tranquil, traditional Chinese-garden setting with arched bridges and flowing streams, its 72 rooms and villas (all newly built), fully furnished with all the expected luxury amenities (including bathtubs), and the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa. Rooms start from around ¥2,500 to ¥2,700.

Closer to West Lake, the most atmospheric hotel is still the five-star, 382-unit Shangri-La Hotel Hangzhou (Hangzhou Xianggelila Fandian), Beishan Lu 78, on the north shore of West Lake (tel. 800/942-5050 or 0571/8797-7951; fax 0571/8799-6637; www.shangri-la.com). Standard rooms, spacious and comfortable, cost ¥1,650 to ¥2,250, depending on whether they have garden or lake views. Expect around 35% discounts off the rack rate. Another top choice is the classy Hyatt Regency Hangzhou (Kaiyue Dajiudian), Hebin Lu 28, on the northeastern shore of West Lake (tel. 0571/8779-1234; fax 0571/8779-1818; www.hangzhou.regency.hyatt.com). Rooms are plush and modern, with standard doubles ranging from ¥1,600 to ¥2,050 (30%-50% discount). Request a nonsmoking room if so desired.

A little farther south on the eastern shore of the lake is the slightly faded, 200-unit Sofitel Westlake Hangzhou (Hangzhou Suofeite Xihu Dajiudian), Xihu Da Dao 333 (tel. 800/221-4542 or 0571/8707-5858; fax 0571/8707-8383; www.sofitel.com). Standard rooms start at ¥1,200, while lake-view rooms cost ¥1,736 before the average 40% discounts. The trade-off at the new 283-unit Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale West Lake Hotel (Hangzhou Xihu Wendemu Zhidun Haoting Dajiudian), at Fengqi Lu 555 (tel. 0571/8761-6888; www.wyndham.com), is that it's still a short walk northeast of the lake, but the facilities are still new, and the staff very helpful. Fully appointed rooms start from around ¥1,100. For a cheaper alternative, the 60-unit Jiexin Century Hotel (Jiexin Shiji Jiudian), also known as the Yiyuan Binguan, Nanshan Lu 220 (tel. 0571/8707-0100; fax 0571/8708-7010), on the eastern edges of the lake, is affiliated with the China Academy of Fine Arts and offers clean doubles from ¥680 (discounted to around ¥300 in low season).

For dining, the Hangzhou institution Lou Wai Lou, Gushan Lu 30 (tel. 0571/8796-9023), on Solitary Hill Island, between the Xiling Seal Engraving Society and the Zhejiang Library, is a tourist favorite. Hours are daily from 11:30am to 2pm and from 5 to 8pm; local specialties, such as Beggar's Chicken (jiaohua ji), the excellent local dongpo pork, and Longjing shrimp can all be tried here. Or avoid the whole tourist trap (and prices) and head to where locals go for their Hangzhou food fix: the perennially crowded Wai Po Jia (Grandma's Kitchen), with branches all over the city, including at Hubin Lu 3, second floor (tel. 0571/8510-1939; www.waipojia.com; daily 10:30am-2pm and 4:40-9pm). There's a picture menu with all kinds of delicious local dishes you will not find at home; dinner for two ranges from ¥100 to ¥200. The international restaurants at Xi Hu Tiandi (West Lake Heaven and Earth), on the southeastern shore of the lake, should provide plenty of comfort food. Or dine in style at Amanfayun's the Restaurant (Fayun Nong 22, Xihujiedao; tel. 0571/8732-9999), which serves tasty international fare with a varied wine list.