Hangzhou to Suzhou: From the Elegant (Grand Canal) to the Sublime (Lion Forest Garden)
Hangzhou (杭州市区) Today Hangzhou is an important cultural center in China. It was the capital of the Song Dynasty, starting 1127, for close to one-hundred years – until the Mongols invaded. At that time it was one of the most populated cities of the world – estimated at one million. Throughout its legendary history, Hangzhou has been described an honored as the “City of Civilization”, “Land Abundant in Fish and Rice”, “Home of Silk”, and the “Capital of Tea”. Several fri