Discover China

West Lake is the most famous feature of Hangzhou, capital city of eastern China’s Zhejiang Province. I had the pleasure of a very brief visit in 2009 and hope to return again to experience more of this delightful city. James Baquet introduces another of the city’s features in his Shenzhen Daily article Jingci Temple, Hangzhou.

Hangzhou’s famous West Lake gained World Heritage listing at a UNESCO meeting in Paris. Find out more in the CNTV News story West Lake Cultural Landscape inscribed on World Heritage List.

China offers a fascinating array of museums showcasing aspects of Chinese culture and history. Coinciding with International Museum Day, CNTV has been presenting a great series of stories about an interesting selection of these museums:

• Tang Dynasty Arts Museum
• Suzhou Embroidery Museum
• Tianjin Theater Museum
• China Numismatic Museum
• Sichuan Cuisine Museum
• “China House” tells extraordinary story
• China Calligraphy Museum
• Traditional Medicine Museum in Hangzhou
• Costume Museum
• China Printing Museum
• China National Tea Museum
• Bazhou China Bicycle Museum
• Camel Xiangzi Museum in Qingdao

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China, has been dubbed the “world of smiles, and the city of happiness” in a new BBC documentary. Heavenly Hangzhou’s slow life tempo and beautiful natural surroundings for many centuries has made it the tourist toast of the nation. Find out more about Hangzhou and it’s five must-see attractions – West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Xixi Wetland, Hefang Street and Thousand Island Lake – in the China Daily Hangzhou article City dubbed the ‘world of smiles’.

A weekend trip to Liangzhu, in suburban Hangzhou’s Yuhang district, will not only take you to blooming orchids and green countryside, but also 5,000 years back to China’s primitive civilization. On 8 March the Liangzhu National Heritage Park officially opened to the public. Visitors can see ancient stone walls, archeological sites and the Liangzhu Museum, where scenes of daily life have been reconstructed. Read more in the China Daily article 50 Centuries Later.