Besides enjoying beautiful natural scenery in Hangzhou, we  tasted Hangzhou cuisine.Hangzhou food is representative of the southern style.Reminiscent of the romantic scenery around Hangzhou, these dishes are delicate, tender, refreshing and crisp. All ingredients used in the cooking come from the fertile land around the city, known as a land of plenty.Here I will introduce you some famous cuisine.

West Lake Fish
This dish chooses Kun fish in the West Lake as its raw material. When cooking it, fire and time is very strict. Within 3 to 4 minutes, the fish should be cooked well, and then, water some sweet and sour on the fish. It is very tasteful.

Dongpo Pork
It is very delicious. The soup is dense and the taste is great. The pork is fat but not greasy. It could arouse your appetite as soon as you see it. It is said that Dongpo pork is made by a famous poet Su Dongpo in northern Song Dynasty. In the year 1089, he was in Hangzhou to be in charge of dam-construction work. When the work was done successfully, he used pork and wine to cook the braised pork. Later, people call the dish Dongpo Pork.

You Zha Gui
The traditional snack ” You Zha Gui” has a legend that when the famous general Yuefei of Song Dynasty was persecuted and executed by wicked Qin’gui and his wife, an owner of a small shop who sold fried noodles and cakes saw Qin passed by the shop in his royal sedan everyday. He hated him so much. One day, he used wheat flour to knead into a shape of human figure which looked like Qin’gui, and put it into a cauldron of heat cooking oil. He shouted aloud: “You Zha Qin’gui (Oil Fried Qin Gui)!” So this is how the famed snack got its name.

Hangzhou enjoys a variety of local-flavor dishes, of which 26 are renowned local dishes such as Dongpo Pork, West Lake Carp in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Shelled Shrimps with Dragon Well Green Tea, Beggar’s Chicken, Jingle Bell, Honey Ham, All Birds Paying Homage to Phoenix and Quick-Fried Prawns. Later, some new-style Hangzhou dish has been appeared. They are distinguished for new tastes, new raw materials and new cooking methods.

Xixi Wetland Park is less famous than the West Lake. But After a movie called If you are the One(非诚勿扰)， more and more people got it, and travel to Xixi.We went there in the second day.

Situated in the western part of Hangzhou, less than 5km from West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park is a rare urban wetland. With rich ecological resources, simple natural landscape and profound culture, Xixi is known as one of the Three “Xi’s” along with Xihu (West Lake) and Xiling (the Seal Engravers’ Society). It is the first and only wetland park in China combining urban life, farming and culture. Xixi has not only broad open views, but also a variety of water views. Warm and humid, the area enjoys a comfortable climate featuring abundant precipitaThis place is peaceful and I can’t believe my eyes when a road and massive complexes appear around the corner. As I turn my head the other side of the river shows a whole other panorama. White wooden houses with dark decorations in traditional Chinese style are spread out in harmony with the most beautiful of trees. The pink flowers covering the treetops make this scenery look just like those typical Chinese paintings my grandmother used to have on her wall. Put a warrior and his lover in the center and the scene is complete.

Reed, trees and bushes are what clean the water in this area, just like the massive mangrove further south. I imagine one of the trees as being part of The Lion King, with birds nest waiting for vultures to return, something I soon convince myself is not going to happen anytime soon. This place truly gets my fantasy going.

Last week, I went to Hangzhou with several of my friends for 2 days tour.It was a wonderful experience.As one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, Hangzhou is also well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, with the West Lake (Xī Hú, 西湖) as the most well-known location.

We went to travel the West Lake  as soon as we got to Hangzhou.In Hangzhou, the term “West Lake” represents an elegant beauty, a lieu of romance and a place of leisure for people who are living here and tourists outside the city. As Hangzhou becomes a big tourism city in the Yangtze Delta, the West Lake is also a brand name besides Shanghai’s Bund and the Suzhou classical gardens in China tours.

Lei Feng Pagoda

The Leifeng Pagoda is an octagonal, five-storeyed brick and wood structure that was originally constructed in 975. The Pagoda was built by the King of Wuyue Kingdom, Qian Hongchu, to commemorate the birth of his son by Huangfei, his favorite concubine.

The Leifeng Pagoda was a national icon for the Chinese. In 1999, reconstruction efforts began. The Pagoda was completed in October, 2002, and provides a picturesque backdrop for West Lake and the surrounding hills.

Bai Causeway

Due to the foresight of Hangzhou’s governor (and resident poet) Bai Juyi, a new dam was constructed, and West Lake returned to its glory.

Su Causeway

Due to its shallow depth, the lake once again suffered a silting up. In about 1090 AD Hangzhou governor Su Shi (aka Su Dongpo) oversaw the dredging of West Lake, with the waste being used to construct a new causeway. Much longer than the Bai Causeway at 2.6 kilometers, the “Su Causeway” is also lined with weeping willow, hibiscus and magnolia trees, and is interconnected by six stone bridges.

Lesser Yingzhou Island

The islet of Lesser Yingzhou or “Fairy Island,” is one of the three main artificial islands on West Lake, and is situated at the southern end of the lake. Lesser Yingzhou is known as one of the “best scenic spots on West Lake,” and is commemorated on the back side of the 1 Yuan note.