Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below. These two cities represent the Jiangnan water towns.
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang is a world-famous ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River. The South Lake to the south of the ancient town is open and beautiful. At night, Zhouzhuang is lit up, and there is another artistic conception. Zhouzhuang’s architecture is mainly composed of Jiangnan dwellings, among which there are nearly 100 ancient houses, most of which are from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ancient town is surrounded by water, which makes it a river town. Various waterways form a “well” shape embedded in the ancient town, making Zhouzhuang a unique pattern of streets formed by water and streets as markets. The ancient bridges, water lanes and ancient houses are truly “small bridges, flowing water and people’s homes”.
Humble Administrator’s Garden
This is one of “China’s Four Gardens” and a world cultural heritage site. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is known for its water landscape that highlights the ambiance of the Southern Chinese villages built on bodies of water. It is elegant and delicately designed. In the garden, different kinds of ancient architecture were built on water. They are scattered strategically and not one is the same as another.
West Lake
Located in western area of Hangzhou’s downtown, West Lake tops as one of the first announced national level key scenic spots by the State Council, and it is appraised as the first 5A grade national tourism destination. The year 2011 witnessed its approval by UNESCO as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in China. Divided by Gu Shan, Bai, Su and Yang gong Causeways, west lake consists of into five areas. Surrounded by mountains by three sides, it is blessed with abundant enchanting sceneries, among them the most renowned ones are. the Ten Scenes of West Lake appraised in the Southern Song Dynasty. West Lake not only boasts picturesque landscape, but also a profusion of cultural relics and beautiful legends.
Lingyin Temple
Lingyin Temple is a famous ancient Buddhist temple in Hangzhou. It has existed for 1700 years, hidden in the hills and surrounded by a tranquil environment. Due to its huge popularity, there is a constant stream of believers visiting the temple, especially in the early morning of the Lunar New Year’s Day. It is said that Lingyin Temple is very auspicious, and Feilai Peak is famous for its relation to folk hero and famous Buddhist monk Jigong.
Longjing Village
Longjing Village, affiliated to Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, is located in the southwest of the West Lake Scenic Area, surrounded by mountains on all sides, showing a trend of high in the north and low in the south. The village has a permanent population of more than 800 people and has nearly 800 acres of alpine tea gardens. To the south is Jiuxi, with a deep and wide valley, which leads directly to the Qiantang River. The southeast wind in spring and summer easily enters the valley. The ventilated geographical conditions provide unique advantages for the growth of Longjing tea.