Travelling to us is about embracing cultures. Even if it means eating weird things and talking to strangers. Find out what surprises Hangzhou had for The Travel Interns! (Btw Kenneth had a moment :P) Here are the things you can do in Hangzhou in 48hrs. (1) West Lake (西湖, Xī hú) The large man-made lake is representative of the classical beauty of China you’d expect. With beautiful pagodas protruding from the horizon of hills and willow trees, while watching the boats calmly traverse across the waters, West Lake is picturesque from any angle. (2) Zhongshan Middle Road (中山中路, Zhōng shān zhōng lù) The street is bustling with both locals and tourists. It is lined with shop houses and littered with makeshift stalls, which sell teas, silks, trinkets, paintings and traditional snacks. There are plenty of local food options here or you could settle for the familiar McDonald’s or coffee houses. (3) Yunqi Zhujing Scenic Village (云栖竹径, Yún qī zhú jìng) Southwest of West Lake lies a quiet beautiful bamboo forest that is relatively unknown to tourists. The bamboo-lined path here is similar to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto, Japan but just without the crowd! (4) Grandma’s Kitchen (外婆家, Wàipó jiā) Grandma’s Kitchen is a fantastic place to have a taste of Hangzhou cuisine in a comfortable. There are a number of outlets throughout Hangzhou and they’re usually very crowded a few hours into meal service. (5) Meijiawu Tea Village (梅家坞茶村, Méi jiā wù chá cūn) Just a short drive north of Yunqi Zhujing is Hangzhou’s famous Meijiawu Tea Village. This plantation is world-renowned for producing Longjing Tea or Dragon well tea, which is a type of pan-roasted green tea. The village comprises of over 150 teahouses in which tourists can learn and appreciate the production of tea or even tea ceremonies. ----------------------- We arrived in chilly Hangzhou in the late hours of the evening. Immediately after exiting the airport terminal, my throat was ambushed and became slightly irritated by the choking smog. Thankfully, after a few minutes waiting for a cab, my respiratory system became accustomed to the air and all was well. Upon boarding our cab to our hostel, I noticed that the cabbie was shielded by a huge plastic casing, which I can safely assume is to protect the driver from muggers. I tried to tell the driver where to go with whatever poorly strung Chinese phrases I could muster up. We both drew blank stares at each other. Within the first hour of landing in China, I became terribly anxious over the weather, my safety and miscommunicating with the locals. It was going to be an interesting 48 hours in Hangzhou... Read more: https://thetravelintern.com/hangzhou-things-to-do/ Learn about The Travel Intern Programme: https://thetravelintern.com/about-travel-intern Big thanks to FlyScoot for the flights: http://www.flyscoot.com Follow us on our travel adventures on social media: @TheTravelIntern http://facebook.com/thetravelintern http://instagram.com/thetravelintern @FlyWithScoot http://facebook.com.flyscoot http://instagram.com/flywithscoot

• published: 02 Mar 2016
• views: 289