I've now been in Hangzhou for 2 months and I can't believe it. When I first eyed an internship in China, I really hoped to land one in Shanghai. When I was offered a position in Hangzhou I gladly accepted, but, having never heard of Hangzhou, I still wished I was heading to Shanghai. I did find comfort in Hangzhou's close proximity to Shanghai (roughly 1.5 hours by the new bullet train).
Looking back, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to spend my internship than Hangzhou. The city, a well-kept secret from most westerners, but the most popular tourist destination among Chinese is truly magical. The former Chinese capital is today a booming city of 6 million people. Catering both to a huge and lively working class and to Asia’s most wealthy (30% of whom have a second home in Hangzhou), you will find dumpling houses and night markets within 5 minutes of Bentley and Porche dealerships and Dolce and Gabana. It offers the natural—most notably, the West Lake (Xi Hu)—and a decent city life. Although its foreign food options shy in comparison to its international super star neighbor Shanghai, it does have just enough to get you by when you just need a break from its famous Hangzhou style Chinese cuisine.
I’ve met wonderful people and have taken many magical walks through the city, around the lake, along the river, and up the mountains. I love the bars and restaurants on Nanshan Lu and Beishan Lu that are so pleasant tucked on the edge of the lake instead of crammed into the downtown high rises.
Hangzhou Highlights
West Lake - one of the biggest tourist attractions in China, the west lake is absolutely beautiful. If you can get past the hordes of tourists (head away from town and towards the mountains), you can really appreciate the stillness and natural beauty that stands in stark contrast to eastern Chinese cities. Arched stone bridges; lotus flowers; mountains; temples and pagodas; bicycles; wooden boats. Everything adds up for Xi Hu.
Nanshan Lu, Beishan Lu, Xi Hu Tian Di – all the restaurants, bars, and tea houses along the lake. Highly cosmopolitan, yet quaint and secluded.
Subway and Hooters – Self explanatory life savers
Night Market – Nothing like Shanghai markets, but a good place to pick up bootleg DVD’s
Peak Flying From Afar – Incredible stone mountain at Lingyin Temple with Buddhist carvings dating back 500-1000 years. (I hiked up the mountain and when I reached the top—sweaty and exhausted—a group of young Chinese tourists lined up to take their picture with me).
Wai Po Jia (Grandmother's Kitchen) – My first introduction into authentic Chinese cuisine. Good stuff.
Crazy Friday nights at In Club – strangely, all the foreigners in Hangzhou find each other on Friday nights at In Club. 100 kuai all you can eat and drink, bad but amusing DJ’s, and that taxi ride home at 5am Saturday morning.
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