China | Hangzhou
 HangzhouHangzhou is known by the Chinese as a "Paradise on Earth," as its picturesque hills and scenic West Lake are surrounded by weeping willows and lush landscaping. Marco Polo described Hangzhou and West Lake as "the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world," with its "12,000 bridges." With all of its bucolic charm, Hangzhou is also a thriving major metropolis with a current population of around 6.5 million. Hangzhou is divided by an enormous man-made lake called "West Lake." The modern side of the city lies to the northeast, and the scenic side to the southwest. 
One of the many stone bridges along the West Lake shore Hangzhou was founded approximatly 2,200 years ago, and for the last 1000 years it has maintained a reputation as one of China's most prosperous and renowned cities. Hangzhou Life Hangzhou is known for its "relaxed" way of life, and the locals are proud that their city has a slower pace than other major cities in China. If you look carefully, the traffic does seem to move a bit slower than other Chinese cities, but just a bit. The relaxed atmosphere of Hangzhou is probably a subtle distinction that only the Chinese can see. 
Hangzhou's Qiantang River The Hangzhou region is also known as a major tea growing region, and the hills to the southwest of West Lake are dotted with Tea Plantations. 
Hangzhou's Tea Plantations  |
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