The Essence Tour Of Hangzhou

Day 1

Place & Transport: Arrive in Hangzhou, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Airport Transfer (Hangzhou)

Day 2

Place & Transport: Hangzhou
Today's Activities: The West Lake(including the Island on the lake), Lingyin Temple, Six Harmonies Pagoda
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Zhang Sheng Ji Restaurant

- The West Lake(including the Island on the lake) (1 hour): West Lake has an area of 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 square miles) and is the symbol of Hangzhou which lies on its banks and is a place of tranquility. A visit to Fairy Island is worth it to see on of the Ten Best Views of West Lake - Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. The occasional pagoda and Chinese-style arched bridges add atmosphere to the tree-lined walkways, verdant islands and hills make West Lake a very special part of any China experience.
- Lingyin Temple (2 hours): As one of the most important and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China, Lingyin Temple boasts plenty of pagodas and Buddhist grottoes.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 328 AD, Hui Li, a monk from India brought Buddhism to this area and founded this temple. At that time, nine multi-storey buildings, 8 pavilions, 72 halls and more than 1,300 dormitory rooms had made up this temple, and it was the national worship center.
Located in front of the temple proper, Feilai Feng (Flying Peak) is an outstanding Buddhist grotto site, in which are engraved numerous Buddha images. Legend has it the peak was originally from India, and flew to Hangzhou overnight as a demonstration of the omnipotence of Buddhist law.
Other attractions include Hall of the Heavenly Kings, Grand Hall of the Great Sage, Hall of the Medicine Buddha, Sutra Library, and Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats.
- Six Harmonies Pagoda (30 minutes): The Liuhe Pagoda is located on the north bank of the Qiantang River in the south of Hangzhou City. The Liuhe Pagoda is one of the famous ancient pagodas in our country and forms the wonderful sceneries of Hangzhou together with "the ten sceneries of the West Lake". Highly erected by the Qiantang River and to the south of the West Lake, it is a perfect symbol of brick-and-wood structure built in the ancient China. It was first built in 970 AD in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The name "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, east, west, south and north"
- Zhang Sheng Ji Restaurant : Zhang Sheng Ji is a popular old Hangzhou restaurant whose philosophy is that food doesn't have to be fancy or use exotic ingredients to be delicious. Duck casserole and West Lake vinegar fish are the first dishes that come to mind for most people when Zhang Sheng Ji is mentioned.

Day 3

Place & Transport: Hangzhou
Today's Activities: Xixi National Wetland Park, Hu Qingyu Hall Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Museum, The Former Residence of Hu Xueyan, Meijiawu Tea Plantation and Tea Shop
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch at Huang Fan Er Restrant

- Xixi National Wetland Park (2.5 hours): Xixi National Wetland Park, the first and so far only National Wetland Park in China (8km from Hangzhou city), Xixi covers an area of 3.46 square kilometers and features abundant ecological resources, It includes many thousands of ponds, networks of streams and rivers, extensive reedbeds and ecological areas and provides rich examples of aspects of urban wetland, as well as agricultural and cultural wetland environments.
- Hu Qingyu Hall Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Museum (1 hour): Located at the Drum Tower grand street, Hangzhou City. Hu Qingyu Hall Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Museum is a professional museum of Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine and a key cultural relics and historic site under the protection of the government in China as well. The Huqingyu Tang Chinese Medicine Museum is the only Chinese herbal medicine museum in China housed in the ancient buildings of the famous Hangzhou Chinese herbal medicine shop. The exhibition halls introduce the origin, development, and application of traditional Chinese medicine and its role in the world history of medicine.
- The Former Residence of Hu Xueyan (1.5 hours): This Former Residence of Hu Xueyan, which lies in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, was built in the 11th year (1872) of the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty at enormous expense. It has a total area of 10.8 mu (one mu equals 0.7 ha), and a floor space of 5,815 sq m.
- Huang Fan Er Restrant: This restaurant features traditional culture and has it own unique and elegant style of decoration. It has a reputation for having and excellent kitchen serving the needs of both Hangzhou residents and travelers, having won many awards and being selected as one of the best restaurants in Hangzhou 2004.
- Meijiawu Tea Plantation and Tea Shop: Meijiawu Tea Village is located in the western part of West Lake scenic area. It has a history of over 600 years. Situated among lush green hills, it is a rustic, natural scenic spot. Visitors can have a tea culture experience by seeing tea picking and processing. It also showcases tea products of all kinds including Jasmine tea, Dragon Well tea, Green tea, Black tea, and Wulong tea. Visitors can buy the tea in the tea shop.
Address: No.1 South Meiling Road

Day 4

Place & Transport: Depart Hangzhou, Flight not included
Today's Activities: Hotel to airport Transfer (Hangzhou)
Meals: Breakfast