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[cosmictravel]

"Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou and Hangzhou". Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and was once a wealthy trading centre, reaching it's zenith of influnce and power during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279).

In the late 13th century, Marco Polo (the Venetian merchant-traveller) visited Hangzhou at the height of it's glory and called it "the City of Heaven, the most beautiful and magnificent in the world". He was impressed by its "10,000 bridges", "10 principal squares or market places", countless "high dwelling-houses" and its people, "always clothed in silk, in consequence of the vast quantity of hat material produced".

Today Hangzhou has a population of 4 million and still no western suburbs, instead it has the West Lake, or Xi Hu. Make a visit and explore the arched bridges and angular trees, lakes and curved roof tea houses.