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China Tourist Cities

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is famous historical and cultural city in China, reputed as one of the 7 major ancient capitals in the Chinese history. Hangzhou has a long history and it has been found that fifty thousand years ago the "Jiande people", one of the ancient homo sapiens, lived in this area. In the late Neolithic Period more than five thousand years ago, ancestors of Hangzhou people inhabited the area around the Liangzhu, the northern suburb of the city, and were engaged in primitive agriculture, livestock raising, fishing and hunting. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period, the area was occupied as the territory of Wu, Yue and Chu successively. When Emperor Qin Shihuang defeated all the princes and unified China, this area was established as Qiantang County. The name was changed to Hangzhou during the reign of Emperor Sui Kaihuang and lasted to this day. Established as capital in the periods of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty, and lasting for more than 200 years, Hangzhou saw its height of power and splendor in its history, and was called the "first city in the Southeast China". During the period of Yuan Dynasty, Hangzhou was established as a town of strategic importance, with flourishing economy and beautiful scenery, being, in the words of the Italian traveler Marco Polo, the "most beautiful and luxurious city in the world". In the period of Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hangzhou was still leading the way in economic, social and cultural development in China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Hangzhou became the capital of Zhejiang Province, functioning as the political, economic and cultural center, as well as a transportation hub in the province. With the renowned sight-seeing spot, West Lake, being trimmed and harnessed on an unprecedented scale, Hangzhou has become a famous city for scenery tourism in the world.

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Transportation

• Access to the City
  With excellent traffic and transportation conditions for Hangzhou's tourism, visitors can choose from various safe and convenient means of transportation to enter or leave the city. The Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport is both a main-line domestic airport and a regular international airport. There are now 41 flight lines in operation, including that of Hangzhou-Hong Kong, while the international passenger flight line from Hangzhou to Singapore and the passenger/freight chartered line from Hangzhou to Japan are under construction. In 1997 the airport had a passenger load of 1.1294 million person-times. The project of the Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport has formally begun construction with the approval of the State Council and the Central Military Committee. In the railway sector Hangzhou's New Passenger Railway Station is now under construction and is expected to complete in the year of 2000. The Hangzhou Eastern Railway Station is being used for the transition, with 6 pairs of special tourist trains in operation and 2 pairs of tourist trains making stopover in the station. Hangzhou has also built passenger wharfs on the canal, with pleasure boats to Suzhou, Wuxi and other places in operation. The "Paradise" luxurious passenger liner is here to welcome and take passengers. In January 1996 Hangzhou put the Hangzhou-Ningbo highway into operation, with the Shanghai-Hangzhou highway be expected to be in operation by the end of 1999 thus making Hangzhou a main hub for highways across the province. There are 101 bus and trolley bus lines in the urban area of Hangzhou, with 7 tourist lines leading to scenic spots, facilitating visitors' sight-seeing. There are more than 5,000 taxicabs in total in the city, providing regular services for both local residents and visitors. The city's Head Corporation of Public Traffic has made an investment of 3.2 million RMB in purchase of 8 luxurious buses, manned by tourist guides and waitresses, and put the Around the West Lake sight-seeing bus line into operation.
   

• Domestic and International Flight Lines and Airports
  Hangzhou has one airport, the Jianqiao Airport, with 36 domestic flight lines and 2 international flight lines. Flight Schedule (Telephone: 5148875, 5148876)

• Railway Stations and Special tourist Trains
  Schedule for Main Passenger Trains Departing from the Eastern Railway Station (Telephone: 6450514, 6461624)

There are 2 passenger railway stations, the City Railway Station and the Eastern Railway Station, with the City Railway Station now under re-construction. There are 15 railway lines departing from Hangzhou, with 6 tourist special railway lines going to Mei Mount, Shanghai and Wuxi and 2 stopover tourist special railway lines.

Passenger Wharf on Rivers, Lakes and Sea
Hangzhou has one passenger wharf, the Wulin Gate Passenger Wharf, for the 2 passenger lines from Hangzhou to Suzhou and from Hangzhou to Wuxi. The "Paradise" of the Hangzhou Habor Passenger Travel Company is an inter-provincial, high-class luxurious cruise boat from Hangzhou so Suzhou, with 2 double rooms and 16 4-person room, 68 beds in total. It is air-conditioned, with a multi-functional hall, providing coffee, beverages, wines, Karaoke, and other services. In addition, there are more than 10 painted boats on the water of the West Lake, including the "Gem", a luxurious double-tier modern pleasure boat, and the "Lanyi", the biggest luxurious boat in imitation of the Song Dynasty boat for the emperor.

• Urban Traffic
  Hangzhou has now 104 bus and trolley bus lines, including 16 mini-bus lines, with 1524.8 standard operational vehicles, 15 traffic lines leading to major tourist attractions, including one sight-seeing bus line (507) and 7 special tourist lines. The extensive public traffic system of the city provides good conditions for the tourist operation. In addition, the city has manned the sight-seeing bus line (507) with tourist guides, made investment of 3.20 million RMB in the purchase of 8 sight-seeing buses with special waitresses with work certificates after their training, and put into operation 7 tourist lines, 7, 27, 308, 324, 505, 508 and 538. Terminals of City and Suburb Bus Lines
   

• Trolley Buses

• Night Bus Line

• Urban Buses(Table1)

• Suburb Medium-sized Buses
  If you are going to have a tour in the suburb area of the city, you can choose one medium-sized bus in the following places in addition to the suburb buses :
  - The Donghai Hotel on the Tianmushan Road to Lin'an, Yuhangzhen, and so on.
  - By the Wulinmen Long-distance Bus Station to Liangzhu, Pingyao, and so on.
  - Opposite to the Science Hall on the North Ring Road to Linping, Tongxiang, Haining and so on.
  - South end of Yan'an South Road to Xiaoshan, Fuyang and so on.
   

• Suburb Buses(Table2)

• Taxicabs
  There are now more than 5,100 taxicabs and more than 11,000 concerned employees in the city, with a 24-hour business hour to serve both Chinese and foreign visitors.

Telephone of Major Taxi Companies

Hangzhou City Travel Vehicle Companies

Nonstop Special lines

• Road Passenger Transportation

A. Eastern Long-distance Station

B. Southern Long-distance Station

C. Western Long-Distance Station

D. Northern Long-distance Station :

Telephone of information Desks or Ticket Offices :

• Tourist Traffic
  If you are going to visit Suzhou and Wuxi after having a wonderful time at the West Lake, there are pleasure steamers, including luxurious steamers, going to Suzhou and Wuxi from the Wulin Gate Wharf Anight journey on the ancient canal will leave you with numerous nice memories. Information desk telephone: 5153050.
  
  Both the West Lake in Hangzhou and Huangshan Mountains in Anhui Province are among the top 10 scenic spots in China, a distance of more than 200km away from each other, joined by traffic by air, water and highway. It is only a 25-minute flight from Hangzhou to the city of Huangshan and then a 70-km drive will lead you to the Huangshan Mountain. It is about 7-hour hus drive from Hangzhou to the Huangshan Mountain. If you take alternative land road and water way, along the Fuchun River, Xin'an River and the Thousand-Island Lake though a longer distance, you will enjoy the beautiful natural and man-made scenery in the area. Because of the beautiful landscapes along the short traffic distance, Hangzhou has become the transfer station for visitors going to Huangshan Mountain. Truly enough, visitors can enter Huangshan Mountain area by airway or railway form Hefei, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Guilin and other places, and then make their transfer or leave in Hangzhou. Hangzhou-Huangshan is the golden tourist route in East China.
  
  A tour of Hangzhou-Huangshan Mountains takes 5 to 7 days, with basic routes as follows :
  A. Arrive in Hangzhou-visit the West Lake-flight to the city of Huangshan-drive to Huangshan Mountain spots-cable car riding up to the Beihai scenic spot and visit the Huangshan Moutains-cable car riding down the Huangshan Mountain-flight back to Hangzhou or directly to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other places.
  
  B. Arrive in Hangzhou-visit the West Lake-drive to the Thousand Island Lake and visit-steamer to the Shendu Ferry and then drive to the Huangshan Mountains-cable car riding up to the Beihia Scenic spot-cable car riding down the mountains and then drive back to Hangzhou or other places.
  
  C. Arrive in the city of Huangshan-sightseeing by bus in the Huangshan scenic spots-drive back to the city of Huangshan and visit the Old Street of Street of Tunxi-flight to Hangzhou and sightseeing at the West Lake-flight to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, or other places.
  
  D. Arrive in the city of Huangshan-drive to the Huangshan scenic spots, sightseeing-drive back to the city of Huangshan and sightseeing in the Old Advertising Street of Tunxi-flight or railway to Hangzhou, or directly to Beijing, Guangzhou; Shanghai or other places.
  
  Major Attractions for Hangzhou Tour: Six Harmonies Pagoda, Lingyin Temple, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Running Tiger Spring, Yue Fei Temple, Fish Wonder at Flower Harbor, Jade Spring, Song City, Future World, Tea Museum, Silk Museum and so on.
  Major Attractions for Huangshan Mountains Tour: Heaven Capital Peak, Cloudy Pavilion, Rock Flown From Afar, Shixin Peak, Dawn Pavilion, Monkey Watching Sea, Lion Mountaintop, Horizontal Cloud Peak, Dream Writing, Jade Screen Pavilion and so on.

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  Information provided by China National Tourism Administration.

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