One of the most poetic city in China is Hangzhou. Endless number of poems, ancient literature were written about the city. It's a very scenic place to visit with a beautiful lake centrally located.
The best hotel to stay in Hangzhou is the Shangri-La. It's an old hotel but the service is excellent. The hotel is right across the street from the lake.
The thing I enjoy the most is walking around the lake in the morning. You will see lots of interesting sites.
Old people use this lake to exercise. You will see people meditating quietly, people shouting out their frustration, old men practicing taichi, younger folks running, group exercises, and even people walking backwards as a way of exercise. Every once in a while, you can see a crew practicing on the lake.
I understand the best way to really enjoy this early morning site is to rent a bike and ride around the lake. I have always just walked.
Hangzhou also has wonderful delicate cuisine. In addition, this is the city to buy silk. There is a silk street (flea market like) where you can get the best sik at bargain price. I wish I had bought more.
Don't expect to get ready made products because of the fashion taste of the modern Chinese. But if you have a good seamstress in the States, some raw material will go a long way. Make sure you haggle hard at this market. They will always raise the price for a foreigner so really cut those prices down.
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