Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
commerce.
Ming
rulers repaired the city walls and deepened the Grand Canal
so that large ships could go all the way from Hangzhou to Beijing, and two
great
Qing
emperors, Kangxi and Qianlong, built villas, temples and gardens by
the lake. Although largely destroyed in the Taiping Rebellion (see p.177), i it
recovered quickly, and the
foreign concessions
that were established towards
the end of the century - followed by the building of rail lines from Shanghai
and Ningbo - stimulated the growth of new industries alongside traditional silk
and brocade manufacturing.
Arrival, information and city transport
Hangzhou has two halves; to the east and north of the lake is
downtown
, with
its shops and tourist facilities, while to the west and south you'll find greenery
and scenic spots. The commercial centre of town is the area around the Jiefang
Lu/Yan'an Lu intersection, where you'll find accommodation, restaurants and
shops; buses around the lake also leave from here. Hangzhou's gateway to the
sea, the
Qiantang River
, flows well to the south and west, on the outskirts of
the city.
Hangzhou's main
train station
is 2km east of Xi Hu. Reaching the lake from
here on foot takes about forty minutes; otherwise, take bus #7 direct to the lake
or #151 as far as Yan'an Lu. Buses from Shanghai pull in at the
North Bus
Station
, 9km north of the city (bus #155 plies the route), though private buses
on this route use the train station square, as do services from Suzhou. Boats from
Suzhou arrive in the early morning at
Wulin Pier
on the Grand Canal, north
of the city centre and also accessible on bus #155.
The
Hangzhou Tourist Centre
(
0571/96123) has a booth in front of the
train station, between the public bus stops; they run one-day
tours
of Hangzhou
and surrounding canal towns and cities, as well as shuttles to Shanghai's Pudong
airport. Their main office is at 3 Huanglong Lu, northwest of the lake.
CITS
is
on the north shore of the lake, on a hillock above the junction of Beishan Lu
and Baoshu Lu. Walk through the main gate and you'll find the office a couple
of minutes' walk ahead to the left (
T
0571/85059033; daily 8.30am-5pm).
Nearly all Hangzhou's hotels have their own travel agencies, usually more
helpful than CITS.
As for transport, a ¥10
taxi
ride should cover any destination in central
Hangzhou. Alternatively,
cycling
is a great way to get around the city.
Hangzhou's Freedom Network Bike Rental is one of the best operations of
its kind in China, with locations around the lake and the option to return
your bike to any of their outlets. One convenient outlet is the small corner
office at 175 Nanshan Lu (
T
0571/87131718), in a freestanding grey building
200m south of Jiefang Lu. Rentals cost ¥10/hr or ¥50/day, with a ¥400
deposit.
T
Accommodation
There are some excellent
hotels
in Hangzhou, particularly on the lakefront, and
a handful of
hostels
have opened in recent years. Rooms fill fast in season, so
you may want to book in advance.
Dahua
171 Nanshan Lu
0571/87181888.
On the lakeside, several blocks south of
Jiefang Lu. Spacious grounds with comfort-
able rooms and attentive service justify the
prices - this is actually better value than
T
many of its competitors. Mao Zedong and
Zhou Enlai stayed here whenever they
visited Hangzhou.
7
Dongpo
52 Renhe Lu
T
161
0571/87069769. Smart rooms,
