"A mind that is awakened by new experiences can never go back to its old dimension."
Hangzhou is the capital city of the Chinese province of Zhejiang. It is located in the northeastern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, which separates Shanghai and Ningbo.
Hangzhou is indeed part of the Jiangnan region. Jiangnan, which means "south of the Yangtze River," is known for its rich cultural heritage, picturesque landscapes, and historical significance. Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, is famous for its scenic West Lake and has been a cultural and political hub for centuries.
Antiquity went all the way back ... As per I googled, Hangzhou belonged to the Yue State - ! During the period known as the Ten Kingdoms, Hangzhou served as the capital of the Wu-Yue Kingdom. This period was marked by the fragmentation of China into several independent states, and Wu-Yue was one of them.
During the Qin dynasty, the area was first established as the county of Qiantang, however, it wasn't until the Sui dynasty that Hangzhou began to develop significantly, with the creation of a prefecture named Hangzhou around 1500 years ago.
The city became even more prominent during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279 CE), when it served as the capital and was known as Lin'an. Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century and described it as one of the most prosperous and beautiful cities in the world at that time.
After going through centuries of wars, weathers and watershed moments, the welcoming Hangzhou today is a vibrant city where tradition meets innovation. Hangzhou presently is a city that honors its past while embracing the future, making it a fascinating place to visit and live.
Read on to see how we came from Shanghai to Hangzhou for a great weekend getaway:
We started the journey via high-speed rail (HSR) that departs Shanghai HongQiao Railway station at 0720hrs！
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The high-speed rail (HSR) network in the PRC is the world's longest and most extensively used – with a total length of 46,000 kilometres in the middle of 2024. The HSR network encompasses newly built rail lines with a design speed of 200–380 km/h. China's HSR accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed railway networks.
There are 168 high-speed trains running daily between Shanghai and Hangzhou, with departures from early morning to late evening.
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station is one of the largest and busiest railway stations in China. Located in the Minhang District of Shanghai, it is a major part of the Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub, which also includes the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and several metro lines.
The station covers an area of about 1.3 million square meters and has 16 platforms, most of which are configured for high-speed rail. The main building is 420 meters long, 200 meters wide, and 70 meters high. The station is equipped with a large waiting hall that can accommodate up to 10,000 passengers at the same time.
The estimated journey to Hangzhou via a conventional train takes approximately 3 hours and 48 minutes. This option is slower and less frequent compared to the HSR, but it is more budget friendly. High-speed trains are known for their punctuality and frequent schedules, making them a reliable mode of transportation.
The trains offer comfortable seating, larger windows, and cleaner facilities compared to older trains.
The journey from Shanghai to Hangzhou by high-speed train typically takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
About 20-15 minutes before your train's departure, an announcement will be made, and the boarding gate will open. You'll see your train's information on the screen above the gate.
Line up at the designated gate for your train. Station staff will conduct another ticket check before allowing you to proceed to the platform and board your train. Priority entry is entitled for old, sick, pregnant and military personnels.
The train will depart on time, and announcements will be made to inform you of the upcoming stations and any important information during the journey.
We booked first class tickets at about SGD19.50 (+SGD4 transaction fee per ticket) per person per way, via trip.com.
First-class tickets on China's high-speed rail (HSR) offer several advantages over second-class tickets, making them a great option for those seeking extra comfort and convenience. First-class seats are about 47 cm wide, providing more space and comfort compared to the 42 cm wide second-class seats.
With only four seats per row (compared to five in second-class), first-class carriages offer more personal space and easier movement. First-class seats come with larger, more user-friendly foldable tables; USB ports are available for charging electronic devices.
First-class seats offer 40-50 cm of legroom, compared to 40 cm in second-class seats. Both first-class and second-class seats can rotate, but first-class seats often have additional features like footrests and back cushions for added comfort. First-class carriages typically have fewer seats, resulting in a quieter and less crowded environment.
First-class tickets provide a more comfortable and relaxed travel experience, making them a good choice for business travelers, those who need extra space, or anyone looking to travel in greater comfort.
Here we are in Hangzhou in less than 1hr!
Mcdonalds
An international brand that is well loved by young and old, Singaporeans literally grew up by eating it.
We decided to have Mac for breakfast, the first meal in Hangzhou.
Aside from the standard breakfast menu I seen in Singapore, there are even more to it like congee and more choices of burgers too.
We ordered 2 burger sets, usually hash brown is included as per standard set but here, you can choose either a youtiao (fried dough fritter) or hash brow. We both chosen youtiao instead... something different.
延安路 (Yan An Road)
Yan'an Road in Hangzhou is one of the city's most prosperous and bustling commercial streets. It stretches from Wulin Square in the north to Wushan Square in the south, covering a distance of about 3.4 kilometers.
Yan'an Road is lined with numerous shopping malls, department stores, and boutiques.
Some notable shopping centers include Hangzhou Tower Shopping City, Intime Department Store, and Hangzhou Department Store.
Overall, Yan'an Road is a vibrant and dynamic area that offers a mix of shopping, dining, and cultural experiences.
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Zhi Wei Guan (知味观)
Zhi Wei Guan (知味观) is renowned for its traditional Chinese pastries, which are beloved for their exquisite flavors and craftsmanship. Here are some of the popular pastries you can find at Zhi Wei Guan.
Hangzhou has a rich culinary heritage, and the art of pastry-making has been refined over centuries. Chefs take pride in their craft and pay great attention to detail, creating pastries that are not only delicious but also visually stunning. Hangzhou is known for its picturesque landscapes, such as the West Lake.
Pastry chefs often draw inspiration from the natural beauty of the region, incorporating elements like flowers, leaves, and other natural motifs into their designs.
In Chinese culture, food is often associated with symbolism and meaning. Pastries are designed to convey good luck, prosperity, and happiness. The intricate designs and vibrant colors are meant to reflect these positive attributes.
Pastry-making in Hangzhou is considered an art form. Chefs use their skills and creativity to craft pastries that are as beautiful as they are tasty. The use of colorful ingredients and delicate techniques results in pastries that are a feast for the eyes.
Zhi Wei Guan's pastries are a testament to the rich culinary heritage of Hangzhou and are a must-try for anyone visiting the city.
There are too much variety to choose from and there is no way to buy all... These are my loots from here.. Very pretty ...
Zhi Wei Guan (知味观) is renowned for its traditional Chinese pastries, which are beloved for their exquisite flavors and craftsmanship. Here are some of the popular pastries you can find at Zhi Wei Guan. Established in 1913, Zhi Wei Guan has become a beloved culinary institution in the city.
The restaurant is very big with big beams that were built few decades ago.
The service provided by the service crew is very good and attentive, except for the cashier who is very lazy, she refused to divide the amount to 2 to charge my card twice as there is admin fee above CNY200.
Here what we ordered for our meal:
Beggar Chicken - we ate few times before in Malaysia which taste better than in Hangzhou. The chicken meat in this restaurant was pretty tough, unlike the one we ate in Malaysia where we can cut it easily with mere chopstick, but ... the gravy of the chicken is nice.
Yangzhou Fried Rice - though we have not been to Yangzhou yet, we only ate this dish in Singapore. Here in this restaurant, this fried rice is well done, not that oily at all, we like it.
Tofu thick soup - perfect for a wet day, what a a flavorful and comforting soup.
Fried Vegetables - serve in whole piece - big piece .. the taste is normal, we ordered for the sake of fiber.
Snowflake Pastry (雪花酥) -the filling is rose, lychee and a tiny piece of mochi. the crust is lace with butterfly pea. I like this snack very much.
见一面 (JianYiMian)
A decent place for breakfast that opens at 6am, this eatery sells traditional Hangzhou food from morning to late night, so the menu is really vast.
For starter, we ordered a youtiao and warm soya bean milk.
Follows by the main - he ordered scallion oil dry noodles, and I ordered pork chop noodles soup. The soup is very flavorful that my MR keep scooping spoon by spoon to drink it.
And a cup of coffee to kickstart the Sunday.
Just to highlight: the restaurants here do not provide any tissue paper or serviette; they are chargeable if you ask for it from the restaurant. So, I bought 2 packets at CNY2 each.
HangZhou East HSR Station (杭州东站)
Known as Hangzhou Dong Station is one of the largest railway hubs in China that opened it door on 1 July 2013. The station covers an area of 400,000 square meters and has 15 platforms and 30 railway tracks. Hangzhou East Station serves as a major hub for high-speed trains, including routes to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and many other cities. It is also well-connected to the city's metro system, with Line 1 and Line 4 providing easy access to downtown Hangzhou. The station offers a range of amenities, including restaurants, shops, ticket offices, waiting lounges, and left luggage services. There are also taxi stands and bus services available for convenient travel to and from the station.
Hangzhou East Station is known for its modern design and efficient service, making it a key transportation hub for both locals and travelers.
Hangzhou's high-speed railway stations handle a significant number of passengers daily. The annual passenger flow at Hangzhou's railway stations exceeded 100 million for the first time in 2024. This translates to an average of approximately 274,000 passengers per day.
Restaurants, shops and mini supermarkets are available at the upper level. There are also many seats available to rest our legs at a quieter area.
This is jelly from Hangzhou, my father-in-law's favorite dessert, hope he will love this pretty jelly. Got it at the last-minute shopping at HangZhou East Train station.
As we were pretty early, so we are at Mac again to kill some time.
The mode of operations is the same as Shanghai's Hongqiao HSR station.
We booked first class tickets at about SGD19.50 (+SGD4 transaction fee per ticket) per person per way, via trip.com.
It comes with a drink and snacks.
February is one of the coldest months in Shanghai, it was even much colder in Hangzhou. We have come to the end of this blog on the Legendary HangZhou.
We have come to the end about this blog, here are the links of the blogs from this trip to Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou:
Here below are some of the trips we have done in 2024:
11) "Sabuy "Mon Jam
12) "Sabuy' Mae Rim
Feel free, you are most welcome to browse through my other blogs to France, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and cruises etc.
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Thanks, and Cheers
"I travel because seeing photos in books and brochures was not good enough for me, To be there, that was everything"
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