Hangzhou

Some of the most picturesque places to see in Hangzhou are:

- The Linyin Temple, a monastery built in the year 326 and kept almost intact to date. Do not miss the underground caves decorated with Buddha sculptures.

- The West Lake. This is a dream like place surrounded by mountains and Hangzhou village. Once there you'll feel transported to those Chinese landscape paintings that you often see for sale. Take your time to notice the luxurious flowers around the lake, the mountains and trees, the gardens built into small islands. Notice the stone pagodas, the temples and tea salons, look for the caves, take your time to discover the natural beauty of the West Lake; you won't be disappointed. Try to visit during the week as access can be hectic on the weekends.

- The Dragon stadium, built recently with a capacity for 52 672 people.

- If you are looking for modernity, you will be amazed at what you can find in Hangzhou. Since 2007 there has been under construction Tiande Cheng which means the "village from heaven". Basically, Tiande Cheng is a copy of the main Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tour. The full project is expected to be finished by 2015.

- The Qiantang River a place to go to see the world's largest tidal bore -12m in height.

- If you have the time to wander outside Hangzhou, take a day out at Shaoxing, a village 60km away, famous for its lakes. Some places to see in Shaoxing are the Lan building, the Dayu grave and the LuXun museum. But if you prefer just to relax and soak in the atmosphere of a Chinese village then take a ride in one of the covered boats that travel along the river all day long and enjoy the views.

As in many other Chinese villages and cities, you will find lots of interesting features just walking along the streets, discovering little paths, hidden gardens and secret temples and shrines. The prettiest part of Hangzhou, however, continues to be its natural setting. As the Chinese proverb says: "On earth there is paradise, and the paradise in earth is Hangzhou"