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Flights to Hangzhou
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Hangzhou is a very popular tourist destination in eastern China, namely for its scenic beauty and rich cultural history. Hangzhou is the place to come if you want to explore seemingly endless temples and pagodas.
The main attraction in Hangzhou is the West Lake, but it would be wrong to count that as just one thing to see. The lake is very large and surrounded by dozens of other beautiful natural as well as man-made sights. You can find numerous temples, shrines, pagodas, parks and landscaped walkways. Some of the hillier areas have cable cars, or you can just hike your own way up. Biking is a popular way of seeing West Lake, and there are many places to rent them.
Lingyin Temple
The name means "Soul's Retreat", and its one of the largest Buddhist temples in the country. There are a number of grottos, rock carvings, statues and halls that make up the temple. Next to the temple is the "Peak Flying from Afar" where there are more impressive statues carved directly into the cliff face.
Jingci Temple
More than a thousand years old, the Jingci Temple has bells that are rung every evening. The actual temple structure has been torn down and rebuilt several times in accordance with the Buddhist belief in death and rebirth.
Hangzhou Zoo
Hangzhou Zoo is a small zoo, but a good place to see some pandas while you are visiting around West Lake. There is a fee to enter and an animal show for the kids if you’re travelling with children.
Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
Who could resist visiting a place with such a wonderful name? Dreaming of the Tiger Spring is a natural spring area near the lake, with more carved statues by the water. There are tea houses, paths and other buildings at the spring and you can also purchase some of the pure spring water.
Six Harmonies Pagoda
The Chinese name is the Liuhe Pagoda, and it's a short distance from West Lake. You can't miss the 6-storey pagoda that stands taller than all the others in this area. From here you can get some lovely views of the Qiantang River.
Xixi National Wetlands Park
A newer attraction to the area, the wetlands park is home to many native birds and wildlife. You'll have to go west of the city (it's not at West Lake like the others mentioned), and watch for the signs marked "Xixi Swamp", which is a bit of a poor translation.
Flights to Hangzhou
Though the name implies otherwise, the Hangzhou Xiashan International Airport (airport code: HGH), really only handles domestic and local flights to Hangzhou. It's about 30 kilometres to the airport from town, with both taxis and a public bus for transport. Virgin Atlantic and Air China both connect once in Beijing for their flights to Hangzhou from the UK, while Finnair has a 2-stop route that travels through Helsinki and then Beijing. SAS Airlines also has a two stop flight to Hangzhou, but via Copenhagen and Beijing.Hangzhou Tourist Attractions
West LakeThe main attraction in Hangzhou is the West Lake, but it would be wrong to count that as just one thing to see. The lake is very large and surrounded by dozens of other beautiful natural as well as man-made sights. You can find numerous temples, shrines, pagodas, parks and landscaped walkways. Some of the hillier areas have cable cars, or you can just hike your own way up. Biking is a popular way of seeing West Lake, and there are many places to rent them.
Lingyin Temple
The name means "Soul's Retreat", and its one of the largest Buddhist temples in the country. There are a number of grottos, rock carvings, statues and halls that make up the temple. Next to the temple is the "Peak Flying from Afar" where there are more impressive statues carved directly into the cliff face.
Jingci Temple
More than a thousand years old, the Jingci Temple has bells that are rung every evening. The actual temple structure has been torn down and rebuilt several times in accordance with the Buddhist belief in death and rebirth.
Hangzhou Zoo
Hangzhou Zoo is a small zoo, but a good place to see some pandas while you are visiting around West Lake. There is a fee to enter and an animal show for the kids if you’re travelling with children.
Dreaming of the Tiger Spring
Who could resist visiting a place with such a wonderful name? Dreaming of the Tiger Spring is a natural spring area near the lake, with more carved statues by the water. There are tea houses, paths and other buildings at the spring and you can also purchase some of the pure spring water.
Six Harmonies Pagoda
The Chinese name is the Liuhe Pagoda, and it's a short distance from West Lake. You can't miss the 6-storey pagoda that stands taller than all the others in this area. From here you can get some lovely views of the Qiantang River.
Xixi National Wetlands Park
A newer attraction to the area, the wetlands park is home to many native birds and wildlife. You'll have to go west of the city (it's not at West Lake like the others mentioned), and watch for the signs marked "Xixi Swamp", which is a bit of a poor translation.