Culture of Hangzhou. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

For decades, remarkable West Lake has been the most frequently visited landmark in Hangzhou. The lake is also famous under one more name - Xi Hu. Many years ago, it was located in the heart of the city, but Hangzhou was growing and its geographical center shifted due to the expansion of industrial and business districts. Currently, West Lake is located in the western part of the city. This part of Hangzhou is particularly beautiful and is perfectly suitable for walking. The lake has three manmade islands, one of which has a beautiful pagoda.

Here tourists can make an excursion to the islands, walk on the beautiful arched bridge and picturesque park areas that surround the major natural landmark of Hangzhou. The vibrant district of Xi Hu Tyandi is on the southern shore of the lake. This part of the city is particularly popular with fans of shopping and Chinese food. Here, on picturesque streets, tourists will find many interesting shopping pavilions, charming cafes, and restaurants that serve guests till late at night.

There is one more interesting nature landmark that is a must-visit place in Hangzhou - Feilai Feng Mount. The 209-meter tall mountain is an exceptionally interesting place not only from the natural but also from the historical point of view. There are caves with interesting rock drawings in the mountain. These drawings were made hundreds of years ago. In total, there are more than 500 images of Buddha and even stone statuettes in the caves. According to scientists, some of these drawings were made yet at the beginning of the 10th century, and this fact makes Feilai Feng Mount a landmark of the country level. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fans of excursions will find it exciting to visit numerous cultural centers in Hangzhou, with Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine being one of the most famous and widely visited. This museum is open in the building of an ancient former pharmacy. The architecture complex was expanded significantly, so nowadays there’s enough space to exhibit the large and incredibly interesting collection of precious artifacts. There is also an old workshop in the museum. Several centuries ago, local doctors used it to make medicines. Don’t forget to visit the restaurant that is open at the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine as it has an interesting peculiarity – the restaurant offers only “healthy” dishes, many of which indeed have a healing effect.

China National Tea Museum is a no less interesting place to explore. This museum is open in a picturesque place and is surrounded by tea plantations. Among the items exhibited there, visitors will find gorgeous tableware used for tea ceremonies more than a thousand years ago. There is also the so-called “hall of traditions”, in which visitors can see how elegant and multifaceted the tea ceremony is. After an exciting excursion, all visitors head to the beautiful tea hall where they can try the best sorts of the popular drink. By the way, it’s possible to buy premium tea in the shop nearby.

Silk manufacturing is also one of the most authentic and interesting traditions in Hangzhou. In order to learn more about it, don’t forget to visit the National Museum of silk . The museum opened relatively not long ago, in 1992. Magnificent silk outfits make up the biggest share of the museum’s exhibition. There is also a large collection of photographs that illustrate the development of the industry. The hall of the mulberry silkworm is definitely one of the most exciting parts of the museum. The National Museum of Silk regularly hosts various interesting events, master classes, and performances in some way or another connected with silk. This Hangzhou museum is the largest cultural center dedicated to silk in the world.