Why your next trip to China should include Hangzhou

Only the tower blocks in the distance from the West Lake remind you that you are not in the Lake District. The rolling hills and peaceful lakes of Hangzhou, China may bring you back to strolling around the likes of Keswick or Windermere.

The West Lake is a quiet spot that has been celebrated in artwork and literature since the Ting dynasty (AD 618-907).

 The vast lake is surrounded by hills on three sides, with the busy centre of Hangzhou looming on the other side. It is a popular spot for Chinese locals trying to escape the bustle of nearby Shanghai or for a weekend break away from the charming, albeit smog-filled, capital of Beijing. But the spot in central China seems to have been overlooked by many tourists, instead choosing to enjoy the sights in the capital’s major cities.

Hangzhou is a short trip on the train from Shanghai, with some bullet trains taking less than an hour to arrive. The train ticket will cost you 73RMB (around £9.00). The train station includes a security check and the train doors shut 3 minutes before departure, so do not rush to get the train.

It takes approximately five hours to walk around the entire lake, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, at a brisk pace. The must-see spots within the Lake include the Broken Bridge, famous in Chinese folklore for being the first meeting spot of a young couple. Other sites include the Temple of King Qian, built to enshrine Qian Liu and other kings from the tenth century AD. Most of all, the  Lake is well worth a walk around at a leisurely pace to enjoy the quiet. Stop at one of the local teahouses if your legs get overtired.

The newly built Shangri-La Midtown is a well-designed, modern hotel in the centre of the city. It is a short ten minute walk away from the West Lake and a 40 minute taxi ride from the airport. 

The hotel opened in March this year and it as spotless as you would expect for a hotel so brand new. There are 417 rooms in the hotel, but it never feels overly busy. On two occasions visiting the brand new gym, swimming pool and spa it was completely empty. This makes the hotel the perfect escape from the busy city centre of Shanghai.

Other than its location, one of the hotel’s best features is the in-house craft brewery. Serving a range of lagers and ales (I recommend the Pils), the hotel’s bar is packed full with locals enjoying the live music (they are big fans of Lana del Rey).

Other than the lakes, Hangzhou is famous for its green tea. Longjing tea, translated as Dragon Well tea, was created in Hangzhou. It is a light, green tea from Longjing village. The area is surrounded by green, vast tea fields and plantations. A visit to these tea plantations is recommended in preference to a stroll around Hangzhou’s city centre, which seems very much half-finished.