Insights
- How to visit Daciyan Scenic Area and its giant BuddhaMost visitors meet Hangzhou through West Lake’s causeways, pagodas and waterside gardens. Daciyan Scenic Area offers a different experience: a mountainside…
- The best places to see fireflies in Hangzhou's countrysideAfter sunset, Hangzhou's tea hills and wooded valleys can reveal a small, living constellation. Fireflies produce their own light to communicate, and the…
- A guide to Xihu Tiandi outdoor dining plazaThe Xihu Tiandi Outdoor Dining Plaza sits within the Xihu Tiandi pedestrian precinct on the northern side of West Lake. It brings together open-air seating,…
- How to spend a morning at Hangzhou Civic Center ParkA morning at Hangzhou Civic Center Park (杭州市民中心公园) offers a calm, modern counterpoint to West Lake. Set in Qianjiang New City, the park combines broad lawns,…
- The most unique souvenir shops in the Hefang Street areaThe most unique souvenir shops in the Hefang Street area sit within a compact historic quarter where Hangzhou’s old commercial lanes meet restored courtyards,…
- A guide to Meijiawu Tea Cultural Village workshopsMeijiawu Tea Cultural Village sits in Hangzhou’s western hills, where tea terraces, stone lanes and family workshops reveal the craft behind Longjing green…
- How to take a language exchange class with local Hangzhou residentsJoining a conversation exchange with Hangzhou residents turns Mandarin study into a social routine rather than a run of textbook exercises. In a typical…
- Stargazing near West Lake: the best dark-sky escapesWest Lake is celebrated for its hills, pagodas and lantern-lit causeways, but those same lights limit what can be seen after sunset. The brightest central…
- A Guide to the Guangji Bridge and Its Historic Canal DistrictGuangji Bridge, known to many Chaozhou residents as Xiangzi Bridge, crosses the Han River in eastern Guangdong. Stone piers, roofed pavilions and eighteen…
- How to rent a bamboo raft on the Fuchun RiverRenting a bamboo raft on the Fuchun River is usually simpler than the wording suggests. Visitors buy passage on an operator-run bamboo drifting trip between…