"Hangzhou-Paradise on Earth?" a Hangzhou Travel Page by hangzhoulover

Hangzhou is said to be a place for lovers. A place that brings people together. Just stroll by the famous West Lake in the early evening and you will see that indeed, it is a city of romance. Couples stroll by the lake hand in hand or sit on benches together, completely wrapped up in one another.
Some people take their partners here for honeymooning, others meet here and fall in love. And still others, like myself, fall in love with the city herself, the shining pearl in southern China.

Some people will say that Hangzhou now is nothing like the beautiful city Marco Polo once wrote about. They will say it is too built up now or that the skyline has been ruined with modern highrises.
I never got to see Hangzhou twenty years ago, so I cannot compare the modern city to its past glory. However, I can say that Hangzhou currently is a place that you can find both serenity and excitement, both the joys of nature and the bustle of a modern city.
There were times late at night when my friends and I would be among the few bikers on the road. Even in a city with millions of people, there are times when you can feel tranquility around you, times when the romance of the city takes over and you and your special someone are the only people around.

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Chinese art and history-life in an herb factory

Traditional Chinese Medicine

My classmates and I from a school of Traditional Chinese Medicine in California came to Hangzhou for the summer of 2004 to study at the Zhejiang College of TCM. It was an amazing experience to follow around the Chinese doctors and see them treat illnesses that we don't get much exposure to here in the USA. Chinese hospitals are run very differently than they are here, so that was an eye-opening experience. Though we were busy with classes, we had time to explore the city. One educational field trip was to the herb museum on He Fang Jie. This picture was a wall carving there, depicting life working in an herb processing factory.

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American Girls Shake It In Hangzhou

Nightlife

This picture is from the first night I got dragged out to a club with some classmates. Well, they didn't have to push me too hard! We ended up in a mid-size bar with a tiny dance floor. Drinks were affordable by US standards. But if you work in China, you might find the nightlife quite expensive. While in the US, I might pay $5 for a drink, I can expect to pay 30 RMB for the same drink in China!
The floors bounced with energy. Young people were out having fun, but it was never too rowdy. I fell in love with Hangzhou nightlife and couldn't wait to go out again. I ended up visiting several bars and clubs, and loved the dancing scene. It was so easy to meet people and to work up a good sweat. For the most part, I had a very safe time as well. Since the bars along west lake were pretty busy, if I met someone I wanted to avoid, I could move upstairs in the club or just retreat to another section, or make some new friends. In smaller, neighborhood dive bars, you don't always have this option, however. And you must be careful about setting limits and holding your space. There are some young men out there, just like there are everywhere, that behave very badly when drunk. Howver, the majority of people I met were very fun to be with.
XiHu PiJiu (the local beer) is very good and should be cheaper than imports. You'll find it served in small, local bars and restaurants. Give it a try. Besides bars, there are cafes and all sorts of live music to be found. And you can find a cab home at 4am with little difficulty.