Less than an hour away from frenetic Shanghai by train, Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty during the 13th century. Today, it's a flourishing metropolis, rich in temples, tea, and  natural beauty. Over the past few years, Hangzhou has spiffed up its tourist areas and is in the middle of a boom in resorts and high-end hotels.

Hangzhou is an important cultural center and particularly known for the spectacular scenery it offers its visitors. Tourists can stroll the nine miles of pagoda-dotted paths and humpbacked bridges within the city's main attraction, West Lake. This is where the real-life Chinese versions of Romeo and Juliet-immortalized in a popular local opera, The Butterfly Lovers, studied together during the Tang Dynasty. Dawn is an especially evocative time of day, when elders practice tai chi and walk their birds in the early morning mist. The evening sound-and-light show, Impressions of West Lake, features almost 300 performers who seem to walk on water but are actually supported by a platform just beneath the water's surface. The extravaganza is produced by movie director Zhang Yimou, who also directed the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

Back on land, tourists can explore Hangzhou by hopping one of the 20,000 red bikes available from the public bike network at 800 rental points around the city.
Hangzhou's many monasteries and temples, mostly grouped in a protected area to the west of the lake, welcome pilgrims from across the country. Tourists can join the monks for daily afternoon prayers at Lingyin (Soul's Retreat) Temple, founded in the fourth century.

Dragon Well (Longjing) green tea, one of the most famous of Chinese teas, has been cultivated in the hills around Hangzhou for hundreds of years. The China National Tea Museum, set among tea plantations at the base of these hills, offers a clear overview of the country's national brew: from origins and history to production and preparation. Not far from the museum, in the tea-producing . hamlets of Longjing Village and Meijiawu Vil­lage, locals still process tea the traditional way, by drying the freshly plucked leaves in huge pans, before selling it to tourists.
Another museum in Hangzhou, devoted to the region's products, is the National Silk Museum.

Like Marco Polo has stated centuries ago, Hangzhou is one of the most beautiful places in the world.