Hangzhou, China

Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejiang province, is one of the most visited cities in China.

Hangzhou is home to China's famously beautiful West Lake, a lake well know for its mysterious fog, tranquil surface, and mountain enclosure. West Lake is also the location of many famous Chinese fairy tales, told to children when they are young. Taking the 45 minute peaceful trip around the lake in a Chinese covered boat is an experience you can't miss.







The lake is also home to Leifeng Pagoda, a several story pagoda which has a beautiful view of the lake. If you want, you can climb several flights of stairs to the top of the large pagoda.




The outskirts of Hangzhou are home to some of the most famous tea fields in China. China from these fields are renowned for their flavor and potency. The tea fields stretch as far as the eye can see, running from mountain to mountain. The average temperature in this region in July is over 91 degrees Fahrenheit, and can average around 100 degrees in the middle of the day. It felt much hotter than that - almost unbearable to be out side. The last thing anyone would think of doing in this weather is hike all the way up the tea fields to the top of a mountain, unless you're more than slightly masochistic - which I am, so of course I had to do it. The view was unbelievable. I could have stood up there for hours, regardless of the heat.






After eventually hiking down from the mountain, we had to try the tea. In fact, a large part of the day was spent tea tasting at different tea fields in the area. You could definitely taste the difference in the quality of the tea. The tea picked in the earlier months (March & April) was the freshest, tastiest, and of course, most expensive. All though the early tea is top crop, the mid-level teas weren't too bad. These teas were usually picked in May and June. Tea picked later than June is the least expensive, and to me, the least tasty. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between the low quality tea and a cup of hot water. The richest tea, on the other hand, was delicious and quite refreshing, even though it was hot and the day felt even hotter.







Hangzhou is also home to the legendary Longjing, or Dragon Well. I forget why this well is special. Still the water from the well is cold and fresh - a definitely welcome drink anytime during the months of April and September.




So if you're traveling around central China near Shanghai, be sure to stop in Hangzhou for a night and experience the culture around West Lake.