When you visit Hangzhou you may want to check out the local places of interest. It is a good idea to know what bus routes will get you where you want to go so they are included with the description. It is always best to inquire at your hotel about the best way to get there because sometimes bus routes change.
China's National Silk Museum
At the foot of Yuhang Hill (Jade Emperor) is the famous National Silk Museum of Hangzhou. The museum tells the story of the over 5,000 year old silk industry in China. The museum is set on an 8,000 square meter area (26,400 sq. ft.), and has eight halls which exhibit artifacts from the silk industry. The halls are called: Prelude Hall, Relics Hall, Folk Custom Hall, Silkworm Hall, Silk Manufacturing Hall, Weaving Hall, Dyeing Hall, and Achievement Hall. The artifacts displayed in this museum are from the Neolithic era and the dynasties of Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qin. China has been credited as the birthplace of the silk industry.
It also has a five millennia history of planting mulberry trees, interlacing silk and raising silk worms for raw silk. The National Silk Museum was developed to accommodate departments for research, collection and to authenticate Chinese silk cloth. This place is a must see for anyone interested in learning about the silk industry. The admission fee to the museum is RMB 5 and the bus route is Number 3.
Ling Yin Temple (Temple of the Soul's Retreat)
Ling Yin Temple is in a long, narrow valley located between the Fei Lai Feng and the North Peak Hills, northwest of West Lake. This temple was built between 317 – 420 AD in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Local legend has it that the temple was built by an Indian monk named Huili. The story follows that he was inspired by the scenic beauty of the place. He believed this to be the place where the immortals lived which gives the temple the name Ling Yin, ‘the temple of the soul’s retreat’.
The temple is truly magnificent. Upon entering the first hall of the temple, you will see writings on a tablet by King Kangxi from the Qin dynasty. He gave the temple the title “Cloud Forest Buddhist Temple”. The hall ceiling of the temple is painted with phoenixes and dragons. There are also statutes of the four heavenly kings that stand on either side of the Maitreya, a Buddha that has a huge belly and appears to be laughing. When you cross through the first hall and go through the courtyard, you find the second hall, the Da Xiong Bao Dian (the Hall of the Great Hero). This huge room measures approximately five average rooms high and seven average rooms wide.
The roof of this structure reaches a height of 33.6 meters (111 feet) and is the tallest structure in China. There are three more halls: the Pharmaceutical Master Hall, the Great Mercy Hall and the Cool Spring Pavilion. The Cool Spring Pavilion was made nearly one millennium ago, during the Tang dynasty. This temple is a great place to learn about Buddhist literature and is the ideal place to learn more about Buddhist culture. The Ling Yin Restaurant is located on the premises and serves vegetarian Chinese dishes. The admission fee to this place is RMB 12 and it is open for visitors from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Qian Dao Hu (Thousand Islets Lake)
Qian Dao Hu is located in Chun'an county, 100 miles west of Hangzhou. This lake was formed after a reservoir was constructed in 1959 for the Xin’an River Waterpower Plant. This lake is considered one of the world’s best tourist attractions because thousands come simply to admire its natural beauty. The name Qian Dao Hu means ‘Thousand Islets Lake’ and is derived from the fact that there are 1,078 islets in this lake. Qian Dao Hu also has the honor of being China’s biggest national park.
The water in the lake covers an area of 143,321 acres and has a storage capacity of 17.8 billion cubic meters. According to the national water evaluation standard, the lake water is drinkable. Thousand Islets Lake also features many astonishing caves and hills with green foliage. During the spring, the lake blooms with many vibrant, colorful flowers, The lake has 87 species of fish and 1,786 species of plants growing in the area. The lake was recently divided into four sections: a nature site, a wild life site, an entertainment site and a historic site. In the middle of Qian Dao Hu is an islet that looks like a blossoming plant, further adding to the area’s natural beauty. From the center islet, you can view the entire surrounding landscape.
Qian Dao Hu is home to several great people including: Fang La (a famous peasant revolutionist in the Northern Song Dynasty, 960-1127), Sun Quan (the King of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, 220-265 BC) and Chen Shuozhen (the first Empress in the Tang Dynasty, 618-907). The entrance fee to the Qian Dao Hu is RMB 55.
Other interesting places to see in Hangzhou include:
