Hangzhou, China, April 6-8, 2008
Hangzhou is the capital
of Zhejiang province and its political, economic and cultural center. With
its famous natural beauty and cultural heritages, Hangzhou is one of China's
most important tourist venues.
The City, the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, is located on the lower
reaches of the Qiantang River in southeast China, a superior position in
the Yangtze Delta and only 180 kilometers from Shanghai. Hangzhou has a subtropical
monsoon type climate with four quite distinct seasons. However, it is neither
too hot in summer nor too cold in winter making it a year round destination.
The West Lake is undoubtedly the most renowned feature of Hangzhou, noted
for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and
cultural sites. In this scenic area, Solitary Hill, the Mausoleum of General
Yue Fei, the Six Harmonies Pagoda and the Ling Yin Temple are probably the
most frequently visited attractions. The "Ten West Lake Prospects" have
been specially selected to give the visitor outstanding views of the lake,
mountains and monuments.
Attractions:
West Lake
 West Lake is symbol of Hangzhou as well as one of
the most beautiful sights in China. It consists of Outer Lake, North
inner lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake. With
an area of 6 square kilometers and a circumference of 15km, West
Lake is surrounded on three sides by undulating hills including Wu
Hill, Phoenix Hill, Ziyang Hill, Baoahu Hill and Yuhuang Hill.
According to the scientific explanation, the site of modern Hangzhou
used to be an expanse of sea and the West Lake was no more than a
small bay just near the river mouth. Later, sediment gradually
blocked the mouth of the bay to form a lagoon. The beauty of the
West Lake lies in the lingering charm that survives the change of
season in a year, of hours in a day, and of different weathers. In
order to display the most beautiful aspects of the West Lake, there
are top ten sights selected by local people as the most beautiful,
which include the Melting Snow at Broken Bridge, The Three Pools
Mirroring the Moon, The Autumn Moon on Calm Lake, Nanping Bell at
Dusk, etc.
The Three Pools Mirroring the
Moon
 The Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is one of the Ten
Scenes of the West Lake. There are three stone pagodas protruding
from the surface of the lake. They were first built 800 years ago on
the bank of the lake. Each is 2 meters in height and spherical in
shape. Holes have been bored into each pagoda and sealed with thin
paper, so that when lanterns placed in these holes are lit, their
light mingles with the moonlight and the reflections on the water to
conjure up the most charming and beautiful scenes and
sights.
The Autumn Moon on Calm
Lake
 As one of the Ten Scenes of the West Lake, the
Autumn Moon on Calm Lake is located at the western end of the Bai
Causeway. Surrounded by water on its three sides and against the
Solitary Hill on its back, this site is one of the traditional
places to view the West Lake, especially on an autumn night when the
moon is full. This spot covers 6,000 square meters. Originally, a
pavilion was built here during the Tang Dynasty. In 1699 during the
reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it was rebuilt and
since then the scenery was recorded in the historical
book.
Bai Causeway
 The Bai Causeway is a memorial to Bai Juyi who was
the great poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907A.D). He once supervised
over some constructions of the West Lake (Bai Causeway included)
after serving as the local governor of Hangzhou from 822 to 824A.D.
The Bai Causeway is a 0.62 mile long embankment with plum trees and
weeping willows planted on both sides, which makes it especially
nice scenery in the spring.
Broken Bridge
 The Broken Bridge lies at the eastern end of the
White Causeway. According to the historical records in the Ming
Dynasty, the place was so named because the White Causeway from the
Solitary Hill was cut off here. Another explanation is that winter
snow melts first on the hump of the bridge, creating the illusion of
a gap.
The Xiling Seal Engraver's
Society
 The Xiling Seal Engraver's Society is located on the
Solitary Hill by West Lake. It's a famous academic group of
epigraphy and seal cutting study in China. It was first established
in 1904 and became a formal organization in 1913, with Wu Changshuo,
the famous painter being the first director. Today this tiny park
encloses a pavilion, carved stone tablets, shrubbery, and nearby a
Buddhist stupa. There exhibits a "Stele for the Anniversary of the
Death of Three Elders in Translation" which can date back to the
Eastern Han Dynasty, and was viewed as a treasure by archaeologists
both at home and abroad. Strolling here in the summer time, you can
often see the engravers at work.
The Crane Pavilion
 Standing on the northern slope of Solitary Hill by
the West Lake, the Crane Pavilion stands in memory of Lin Hejing
(967-1028A.D), a poet from the Northern Song Dynasty. He lived as a
recluse on the hill with a crane as a companion after he refused to
serve the imperial court. It is said that the poet planted 365 plum
trees on the hill, and each day sold the seeds from one tree to make
a living. The pavilion was first built in the Yuan Dynasty
(1271-1368A.D), and later was reconstructed in 1915.
The Six Harmonies
Pagoda
 Located on the north bank of the Qiantang River to
the south of the city, the Six Harmonies Pagoda was first built in
the year of 970A.D, with a purpose of keeping down the Qiantang
River's tide. It was destroyed during a war and was rebuilt in
1152A.D. The present pagoda is a pavilion-style structure of brick
and timber, with 8 facets and 7 stories and stands 59.89 meters in
height. Ascending to the top of the pagoda and looking down, you
will have a panoramic view of the beauty of the Qiantang River,
feeling as if "standing above the highest level of the
sky".
The Baoshu Pagoda
 Located on the Baoshu Hill, the Baoshu Pagoda was
first built by a minister of the Wuyue Kingdom in the period of the
Northern Song Dynasty to protect Qian Chu, the last ruler of the
Wuyue Kingdom, so that he could return safely from a trip north.
This pagoda was ruined and rebuilt many times later. The present one
was built in 1933 according to the design of the Ming Dynasty. It is
a seven storied solid hexagonal pagoda with a height of 45.3 meters.
The body of the pagoda looks straight and slight, which makes it
look like a fair lady over viewing the West Lake. It is one of the
symbols of the West Lake.
Lingyin Temple (Soul's Retreat
Temple)
 The temple was built in the year of 326 AD when an
Indian monk named Huili arrived at the FeilI Peak (Peak Flown From
Afar) and found that the Peak was so outstanding and beautiful that
he thought it was a retreat of supernatural beings. So he built the
temple and gave it the name of Lingyin (Soul's Retreat). The Lingyin
Temple is nestled in the woods across from a rocky formation in the
hills with over 300 rock carvings dated back between the 10th and
14th centuries. It is the most influential temple in South China,
and is regarded as one of the 10 famous Buddhist temples in China.
The gilded Sakyamuni statue in the Chamber of Sakyamuni Buddha is
24.8 meters high, and is the biggest wooden sitting Buddha in China.
The present main building dated from the Qing Dynasty, but many
parts were restored in 1956 and after the Cultural Revolution. The
temple saw the peak in the Qing Dynasty when tens of thousands of
pilgrims came here to do service every day. It is still very crowded
today especially in the festivals.
Carved Stone Statues on Feilai
Peak (Peak Flown From Afar)
 The Carved Stone Statues are located on the Peak
Flown From Afar in front of the Lingyin Temple .There are 388
ancient statues in total, from the period of Five Dynasties to Song
and Yuan Dynasties. They represent the highest level of stone
carving grottoes in South of China. Now making use of the woods in
the Peak Flown From Afar, the park has collected and condensed
famous grotto classics of China.
The Jingci
Temple
 Located at the foot of the Nanping Huiri Peak, the
Jingci Temple (Temple of Pure Mercy) was built in 954A.D in the
period of Five Dynasties to accommodate Monk Yongming, one of the
greatest monks in Chinese history. The temple was first named "Huiri
Yongming Temple" and was renamed Jingci Temple in the Southern Song
Dynasty, known as the "Four Temples of the West Lake" along with the
Lingyin Temple, Zhaoqing Temple and Duiyin Temple. The
"Wood-Carrying Well" is a special attraction of the temple. There is
a large piece of wood floating on the surface of the water in the
well. It was allegedly left by Master Monk Ji when he used his
superhuman power to carry wood through the well to build the temple.
Another famous attraction of the temple is the Nanping Bell at Dusk.
Because of the bell's resonant sound and the numerous hollow caves
of the Nanping Hill behind the temple, when the bell rings at dusk,
the sound reverberates in the valley and can be heard in Hangzhou,
hence the attraction of "Nanping Bell at Dusk". Today the Nanping
Bell, with a weight of 10 tons and a height of 3 meters, was cast in
December 1986. It echoes with the Leifeng Pagoda in a distance, the
pagoda silhouette and the ringing of the bell constitute the most
charming evening scenes of the Ten Scenes of the West
Lake.
Yue Fei Temple
 Located on the bank of the Yue Lake northwest of the
West Lake, the Yue Fei Temple was first built in 1221AD, and
consists of the Loyalty Enlightenment Hall and the Yue Fei Tomb. It
was built to honor the Song general, Yue Fei (1103-1142), who led an
army north against the Jin invaders when Hangzhou was the capital of
the Southern Song Dynasty. Despite his success, a jealous courtier,
Qin Hui, convinced the emperor to withdraw his troops. He was then
framed, arrested and killed on the charge of some "probable" crimes.
Twenty years later Yue Fei's reputation was restored due to the
pressures of public opinion, and he was buried with due ceremony.
For generations, he has been considered as a national hero and his
tomb has become a place for people to show their
respects.
Su Dongpo Memorial
Hall
 Su Dongpo was one of the most distinguished poets in
Chinese history. He served as the governor in Hangzhou for a period
in Song Dynasty. Located at the south end of Su causeway by the West
Lake, the memorial hall was constructed in recent years to show Su's
great achievement in literature as well as his devotion to Hangzhou.
It makes a nice garden to stroll and relax.
The China Silk Museum
 The China Silk Museum is a specialized state museum,
exhibiting the history, culture, relics and products of silk. The
museum is mainly divided into five sections: the halls of
introduction; silkworm & silk processing; silk weaving; dying
& printing and general service. Besides there are interesting
displays of the silk production process, an operation performance
and a fashion show. Tourists have the opportunity to make silk
souvenirs for themselves.
The China Tea Museum
 The China Tea Museum is a specialized state museum,
exhibiting the invention, civilization and culture of tea in China.
It's located at West Lake Dragon Well tea village. The museum is
divided into three sections: the exhibition building; tea
demonstration area and a hall for academic
exchanges.
Southern Song Official Kiln
Museum
 As the best out of the five kinds of porcelain in
the Southern Song (1127-1279 A.D), the Official Porcelain has left
an amazing mark in the development of Chinese porcelain. Built on
the ruins of the original official kiln, the Southern Song Official
Kiln Museum puts on a comprehensive display of porcelain, with the
Southern Song Official Porcelain as its subject, and the porcelain
kiln ruins and unearthed relics as its major items on display, along
with porcelain relics from other periods and modem masterpieces
imitating ancient porcelain. The museum has three sections: the
ancient kiln protection, a relic display and an ancient imitation
workshop. In the workshop, tourists are allowed to make souvenirs by
themselves.
Yuhang Liangzhu Culture
Museum
The Yuhang Liangzhu Culture Museum is located in
the suburb of Hangzhou, near the "Liangzhu Culture" site. Being
praised as the "dawn of civilization" of mankind, the "Liangzhu
Culture" is an important ancient culture at the lower reaches of the
Yangtze River in the late Neolithic Period about 4,000 to 5,300
years ago. The items on display in the museum show the brilliant
material civilization and cultural civilization created by Liangzhu
ancestors.
Hangzhou Botanical
Garden
 As one of the best Botanical Gardens in China, the
Hangzhou Botanical Garden covers an area of 200 hectare with 120
kinds of bamboo growing in its bamboo section and some 1,200
medicinal herbs in its Garden of A Hundred Herbs (Baicao Yuan). It
features hundreds of varieties of trees and plants from home and
abroad. The trees here include the feather maple, the Japanese
cherry and pine, the magnolia, the camphor, the pointy cypress, the
dragon cypress etc.
Tiger Spring
 As one of the three best-known West Lake springs,
Tiger Spring is located about six kilometers from Hangzhou city, at
the foot of the Daci Hill that stretches between West Lake and the
Qiantang River. "Tea leaves from Dragon Well plus water from Tiger
Spring" is considered to be the best by the local people as far as
the brewing of tea is concerned. According to the legend, there was
not always water at Tiger Spring. Some 1,300 years ago, Xingkong,
the founder of the site, had almost given up due to the lack of
drinking water. However, one night he was told in the dream that
soon two tigers would come to help him. Next day when he woke up, he
saw two tigers clawing the ground, and soon after that, the spring
suddenly gushed out. Tiger Spring is now actually a relaxing
teahouse converted from a Buddhist temple. The water here is pure,
clear, sweet and cold. It's so special with two levels of springs
feeding it. When the water is disturbed, instead of concentric
circles, a line appears on the surface like a hairspring.
Hangzhou Zoo
Lying
just south of the West Lake, Hangzhou Zoo is a worthy place to
visit. The aquarium displays some of the most unusual and rare
goldfish in China---Red Bubble, Purple Crown, Silver Lion Head,
Black Dragon Eyes. It is recorded that Hangzhou is one of the places
where the art of raising goldfish originated.
Wuzhen
Watertown
 Wuzhen Town, in Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province,
has a history of more than 1,000 years. Of the ancient residential
houses, workshops, and stores still standing on the banks of the
rivers, 169,600 square meters, accounting for 81.54 percent of the
town's total floor area, have remained unchanged, lending an
atmosphere of antiquity. Wuzhen Town is embraced by the
Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal with rivers and canals crisscrossing
the while town. Unique folk custom, Hua Gu Opera with local
character, Shadow Play, and Gathering Pilgrim show the rich
tradition of the locality. Wuzhen has many sites of historical and
cultural interest. From the Song (960-1279) through the Qing
(1644-1911) Dynasties, Wuzhen had more successful candidates in the
highest imperial examinations than any other town south of the lower
reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. Bearing witness to the
town's emphasis on education is the Lizhi (Aspiration) Academy of
Classical Learning of the Qing Dynasty, which still retains its
original appearance. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties
(420-581), Crown Prince Liang Zhaoming once studied at Wuzhen.
The prince is famous for his Literary Selections by Zhaoming, a
milestone in the history of Chinese literature, and the town of
Wuzhen built a memorial archway to commemorate his stay there and
has kept it well preserved. Other historical and cultural sites
include the Wenchang Pavilion, the Xiuzhen Taoist Temple, the
ancient stage, the mansion of a member of the Imperial Academy, and
the former residence of Mao Dun, a great master of contemporary
Chinese literature. Tradition is still very much alive in Wuzhen. In
addition to flower-drum opera, shadow-puppet shows, and temple
fairs, Wuzhen also attracts visitors with its time-honored art of
making indigo-dyed printed calico. In ancient times, indigo-dyed
printed calico was used for curtains, scarves, and tablecloths in
every household in the countryside of Zhejiang Province. Today, it
is still common to see old women in indigo-blue gowns leisurely
operating spinning wheels or looms at weaving workshops in the old
lanes of Wuzhen, while the squeaks of the looms resound throughout
the lanes. Carrying on this tradition has become a part of the lives
of the old women. The raw material for dye printing is Eupatorium
fortunei, which is an herb that turns into indigo after being
fermented and precipitated. For convenience in transporting the
cloth, the weaving workshops and dyeing workshops are usually on the
same street, only a few doors from each other. At the dyeing
workshop, the cloth is soaked and air-dried again and again to
produce white flowers on a blue background. Setting out candle
lanterns on the river for a special occasion. Wuzhen is at its best
on rainy days. Strolling with an umbrella along an old lane past the
centuries-old wooden houses and seeing the rain flow off the
engraved eaves that cover the doorways is  an amazing experience. The falling raindrops bring
ripples on the river surfaces, while boats travel to and fro. The
waterside pavilions and corridors and the arched bridges, all
shrouded in drizzle, make up a charming scene. Wuzhen has been
listed by UNESCO in the reserve list of world cultural
heritages.
ADDITIONAL LINKS ABOUT ABOUT
HANGZHOU AND CHINA
China Highlights
Travel China Guide
CNhomestay
Academic Links
HOW TO GET TO HANGZHOU
Air Transport:
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
has domestic flight connections with major Chinese cities, including
Beijing (RMB1150), Chengdu (RMB1600), Chongqing (RMB1360), Xi'an (RMB1130),
and Guangzhou (RMB1050), and international connections with Hong Kong,
Macau, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, and Osaka.
Train Transport:
National arterial railways connect Hangzhou
with cities all around China. Trains from New Train Station or East
Train Station reach more than 20 cities directly, including Beijing
(1650 km), Shanghai (200 km), and Xi'an (1550 km). Tens of thousands
of passengers are carried every day. Many travel agencies and hotels
will book train tickets. Tourists are encouraged to book soft sleeper
tickets for long distance trips and soft seat tickets for travel to
nearby cities such as Ningbo (170 km), and Shanghai.
Bus
Transport:
There are
four big shuttle bus stations in Hangzhou including East Bus Station,
South Bus Station, West Bus Station, and North Bus Station. The convenient
highway network can lead to Qingdao in Shandong Province to the north,
Shenzhen in Guangdong Province to the south, Yichang in Hubei Province
to the West, and Zhoushan to the East.
The conference will be held at the World
Trade Center Grand Hotel (No.122 ShuGuang Road, Hangzhou), which
is located 35kms away from the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
and 8kms away from the Railway Station. You can access the hotel by
either bus or taxi.
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