text:
Hampton (Virginia)

Hampton is a city in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.

Understand
Hampton was settled in 1610 after Captain Christopher Newport and his men arrived and first called the area Point Comfort in 1607. Although they would found Jamestown upriver prior to Hampton, Hampton is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited town in the USA due to Jamestown's abandonment in 1699.

Hampton is also notable in that it is considered to be the start of the slave trade in America, when a ship called the White Lion brought indentured servants (though basically slaves) from the modern day area of Angola in 1619.

After British forces captured the defense works of Point Comfort in the War of 1812, the US army established Fort Monroe on the site, which would later become important in the Civil War, and as a place of imprisonment for Jefferson Davis following the war in a section called the Casemate.

Because Fort Monroe was largely held by the Union, emancipated or contraband slaves formed a colony at the location and subsequently developed a center of learning called Hampton University after ignoble beginnings beneath a tree called Emancipation Oak.

Today, Hampton is known as being the home for Langley Air Force Base.

By car

 * Interstate 64 travels through downtown Hampton. It intersects Interstate 95 in Richmond and Interstate 81 near Staunton.

By bus
Inter-city buses arrive and depart at the, 2 W Pembroke Ave (at N King St).
 * Greyhound.
 * Megabus. Service from New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, DE, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond. Fares from $1 and up.

Historic Sites

 * Emancipation Oak, historic tree on Hampton University campus where escaped or freed African American slaves convened as a center of learning during the Civil War era that would eventually evolve into the present day institution of Hampton University.
 * St John's Episcopal Church, 100 Queen Way W, said to be the oldest continuously operating English speaking church in the US.
 * Emancipation Oak, historic tree on Hampton University campus where escaped or freed African American slaves convened as a center of learning during the Civil War era that would eventually evolve into the present day institution of Hampton University.
 * St John's Episcopal Church, 100 Queen Way W, said to be the oldest continuously operating English speaking church in the US.

Eat

 * County Grill & Smokehouse, 26 E Mercury Blvd, bbq with cornbread muffins and collard greens and things.
 * Surf Rider Restaurant, 1 Marina Rd, here you can have crab cakes and soup or flounder while you watch the boats pass by.
 * Skrimp Shack, 73 N Mallory St, shrimp baskets and po boys and similar.
 * The Deadrise, 100 McNair Dr, situated adjacent to Fort Monroe with exquisite views of the bay, this restaurant also features seafood, including the popular she-crab soup.

Drink
Downtown Hampton - During the summer months every Saturday night they close off Queen Street for "Block Party." It has live bands, four bars, inflatables for children, beer trucks serving Bud, Bud Light, and Mich Ultra, and other interesting treats like Smirnoff Ice Slushies and Winearitas.

Rosie's Gaming Emporium, 1996 Power Plant Pkwy. Casino with a restaurant and bar. Daily 8AM-4AM. +1 804-557-5600.

title: Hampton (Virginia)


text:
Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is a region that encompasses the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan area in southeastern Virginia surrounding a body of water with the same name. It is home to two important living history museum: Colonial Williamsburg and the Jamestown Settlement. The region has many beaches, waterways, and hiking and biking trails.

Cities
Virginia law sharply distinguishes between cities and towns. Municipalities incorporated as "cities" are completely separate from counties; "towns" are located within counties. All of the locations listed below are in fact cities except for the towns of Carrollton, Gloucester Courthouse and Smithfield.

 * — a bedroom community for Norfolk
 * , known for Smithfield Ham
 * , the largest city of Virginia and Hampton Roads, known for its beaches
 * , the home of Colonial Williamsburg (a living history museum), one of America's oldest colleges, and a Busch Gardens
 * , known for Smithfield Ham
 * , the largest city of Virginia and Hampton Roads, known for its beaches
 * , the home of Colonial Williamsburg (a living history museum), one of America's oldest colleges, and a Busch Gardens
 * , known for Smithfield Ham
 * , the largest city of Virginia and Hampton Roads, known for its beaches
 * , the home of Colonial Williamsburg (a living history museum), one of America's oldest colleges, and a Busch Gardens
 * , the home of Colonial Williamsburg (a living history museum), one of America's oldest colleges, and a Busch Gardens

Understand
Hampton Roads has an important role in the early history of the United States, from the first English settlements in the New World in the 17th century, to the battlegrounds of the American War of Independence, and the American Civil War. See From Plymouth to Hampton Roads and From St. Augustine to Hampton Roads for a historical approach to the region.

In 2020, it had about 1.8 million inhabitants. It comprises the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, and York, plus the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg. The US federal government also includes Currituck County, North Carolina in its definition of the metropolitan area.
 * Visit Coastal Virginia tourism website

By plane
Hampton Roads is served by Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport  in Newport News.

By train
Amtrak has stations in Williamsburg, Norfolk, and Newport News.

By bus
Greyhound stops in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Williamsburg. Megabus stops in Hampton.

See
Colonial Williamsburg is a living history museum in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg that recreates Virginia's 18th-century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution

The Jamestown Settlement is another living history museum in the Williamsburg area.

Do
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is among the most beautiful amusement parks in the country.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Hampton Roads


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Hana

Located at the extreme southeast of the island of Maui, the city of Hana is like another island. Travel to or from the region of Hana to any other major population center takes several hours by car. Fewer tourists lodge here than in other Maui locales, and in the morning it is quiet and peaceful. Attracted by the popularized Road to Hana, day-trippers begin to flood in by midday. Although the harbor is too small for cruise ships to dock, some cruise passengers arrive by launch.

Understand
Hana is also a different island in terms of climate. Whereas most of the resorts of Maui are placed for sun-lovers in areas that get the least rainfall, Hana faces the easterly trade winds, which bring moisture from the sea. It is surrounded by rainforest and has more lush and green vegetation than other parts of the island.

Get in
The Road to Hana is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. It follows the northeast coastline through lush rainforest. Budget three hours for the drive southeast from Kahului to Hana. Sharp curves, a 15 mph speed limit, and heavy traffic make the approximately 40 mile distance take longer than travelers expect for a highway. Going early in the morning can avoid much of the traffic. Several miles southwest beyond Hana, the road becomes single-lane dirt. The rental car companies may tell you not to take your car here, but the road isn't too bad. However, it can be very bumpy, requiring normal cars to slow to 5 mph or less in some sections. It passes through farmlands and the empty, desert-like southern coast of the island. There are soaring views of volcanic cliffs and, in clear weather, the Big Island on the distant horizon. The area is very beautiful but remote, and there are no services.

Get around
You can get around by car.

See
The many volcanoes in the area.

Do
Learn the Hawaiian language as this is the most commonly spoken language.

Buy
There are not a lot of shops in the north/south part but there are 56 in the east/west area.

Sleep
There are more motels than hotels in Hana. Several other smaller hotels are more affordable.

title: Hana


text:
Hanamaki

Hanamaki is a city in Iwate prefecture, Japan

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in

By train, Shin-Hanamaki Station is accessible by the Shinkansen (2.5-3 hours from Tokyo). If your final destination is Hanamaki Station, it is faster to take the Shinkansen to Kitakami and transfer to the JR Tohoku Line. The Kamaishi Line, which connects Shin-Hanamaki Station and Hanamaki Station, only operates about 1 train per hour, so the connections always lead to more time on the train rather than less.

Do
Soak and relax in onsens

Go next

 * Kitakami
 * Shiwa
 * Tono
 * Morioka
 * Shizukuishi
 * Kanegasaki
 * Oshu
 * Hiraizumi
 * Ichinoseki

title: Hanamaki


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Hanas National Nature Reserve

Kanas National Nature Reserve is in Xinjiang Province of China. Kanas is also called Hanas which is the name used by local Kazakhs. Kanas is the named used by local Tuvans, and has been recognised by local government as the official name.

Understand
Kanas is a nature reserve in the Altay mountains of northern Xinjiang famed for its alpine scenery Kanas lake. Tickets are ¥240 per person good for two days. The price is made up of ¥150 of entrance fee and ¥90 of unlimited bus ride within the park.

History
Kanas is home to the mythical Kanas Lake monster. Supposed pictures of the monster are in the rest house at the top of Guānyú Tái (Fish-Watching Pavilion). The sightseeing bus to the Guanyutai will cost you ¥60, then you will have over 1000 steps before you reach the top (on the Guanyutai.)

Landscape
Kanas Lake (48.82N 87.04E, about 1,325m ASL) lies in the southern Altay mountains near to the Chinese border with Mongolia and Russia. To the north of the park is Friendship Peak (4,374 m. ASL), marking the boundary with Kazakhstan and Russia.

Climate
Its extremely cold during the winter, be sure to take proper protection. It suddenly becomes excessively cold during the night.

Get in
The nearest town to Kanas is Burqin (布尔津 or Bù’ěrjīn), approximately three hours away by car. It is recommended to stay there as accommodation in and near the park is extremely expensive, as this is sort of a luxury destination for inlanders. There should be buses to the park from Burqin.

The quickest way is to fly to Buerjin City Airport aka Kanasi Airport (KJI) from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang (Full price: ¥1,200). The airport is about 50km. (~1 hour by bus) from Kanas National Geopark.

Fees and permits
No permits necessary for visiting Hanas Nature Reserve or Kanas Lake. There are single day and double day tickets available for Kanas Lake. Single day ticket costs ¥230 and double day tickets cost ¥240. If you want to go to Hemu village, there's 3 ways to there. By hiking or horse-riding along the Kanas river from Jadengyu, or take bus or car that will cost about ¥200.Hemu village also has ticket about ¥80. You can stay there at night in Kazakh yurts or wooden house.

Get around
There are free bus rides available after you buy the tickets of Kanas. The service is quite good and all the places are quite well connected.

See

 * [[Image:Guanyu-IMG 0865.jpg|100px|thumb|Fish Observatory]] Fish-Watching Pavilion - perfect spot to compose poems while searching for the giant lake monster. Aka Guanyu Ting (Fish Observatory) about 30 min from Kanas Bus Station then another 1,111 steps to the Pavilion. The trip up Guānyú Tái, a mountain that offers a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding mountains including the Youyifeng (Friendship Peak), which is the approximate landmark of the tri-country border of Russia, China and Mongolia.
 * Friendship Peak (Youyi Feng) - (Khüiten Uul in Mongolian) the approximate landmark where the countries of China, Mongolia and Russia meet.
 * Fairy Bay
 * Moon Bay
 * Sleeping Dragon Bay

Do

 * A boat tour departs regularly from the pier on the south end of the lake and takes to about a third of the lake where supposedly the deepest part, the price of the boat ride is ¥120 per person. From the middle of the lake are some spectacular views of the surrounding scenery.
 * Hiking along the Kanas river with easily access wooden boardwalk. The highly recommended route is from Fair Bay to Moon Bay and Sleeping Dragon Bay.

Stay one night at Hemu village.

Buy
There are some souvenir shops inside the lake and you can buy jade stones from the entry gate of the lake. But be sure to bargain and check whether its genuine or not.

Eat
There is a buffet restaurant in the park serving bland Chinese food for about ¥50. Another famous local cuisine is fat-rumped lamb, usually grilled can cost as mush as ¥2,000 per lamb. If you want authentic but reasonable priced Kazakh or Mongolian better to eat in Burqin or Altay (or Urumqi).

Drink
If you happen to bump into any Kazakhs in this thorough Hanified park, ask for koumys (fermented mare's milk) or shubat (fermented camel milk). There is also nǎijiǔ (奶酒, literally means "milk wine"), a fermented milk drink said to be favored by Genghis Khan. Most drinks in the park are moderately overpriced.

Lodging

 * Hongfu Lake Kanas Resort - 2 stars but expensive: only 10 min by bus to Kanas National Geopark
 * alternatively you can probably rent Kazakh yurt
 * Burqin is another option which is approximately 2 hours drive from Kanas lake.

Stay safe
The place is quite safe but private drivers outside the lake might cheat you and take more money from you. The price from Kanas lake to Burqin city costs ¥80 per person.

Go next

 * Horm (禾木 Hémù) - home to a community of Tuwa minority people who live in a location some would call paradise (4-WD required). Now have a bus service. Hemu village is about 2 hours by bus from Kanas Geopark, and it is crawling with tourists.
 * The Mongolian side of Friendship Mountain (Kuiten Uul) is the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park which is accessible through a small seasonal border crossing, Dayan-Khunshanzyui.

title: Hanas National Nature Reserve


text:
Hanau

Hanau is a city in Hesse, Germany and is famous as the birthplace of the Grimm brothers.

Get in

 * The easiest way to get into Hanau would be via Frankfurt, whose Frankfurt International Airport lies only 30 kilometers away. Frankfurt main station can be reached by both S-Bahn and train. Other train stations are Westbahnhof (close to the city center), Wilhelmsbad Bahnhof and Nordbahnhof. The S-Bahn also stops in Steinheim.
 * ICE stop: Frankfurt - Hannover - Hamburg, Frankfurt - Hildesheim - Berlin, Frankfurt - Leipzig - Dresden, Frankfurt - Würzburg - Nürnberg - München; Hanau is also served by Flixtrain - a private operator.
 * Reachable by car as sandwiched between the A3, A66 and A45

Get around

 * The Hanauer Straßenbahn operates a well developed system of public buses. Freiheitsplatz is the central bus station, right in the city centre.
 * There is a direct S-Bahn connection from the main station to Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. Via Frankfurt, many other nearby cities and towns can be reached by train. A train station in the city centre is Westbahnhof, from which a train to Frankfurt leaves every half an hour.
 * Cycling is another option, since there are many bicycle lanes. Many of the main sights are also in walking distance from each other.

Buy

 * The farmer's market on the market square every Wednesday and Saturday is one of the biggest farmer's markets in Hesse and offers a wide choice of regional products.
 * The newly opened Forum Hanau is a shopping centre directly next to the central bus station.

Go next

 * Seligenstadt
 * Offenbach

title: Hanau


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Hancock

There is more than one place called Hancock:

United States of America

 * Hancock (Iowa) - A town in Iowa.
 * Hancock (Maine) - A town in Maine.
 * Hancock (Maryland) - A town in Maryland.
 * Hancock (Massachusetts) - A town in Massachusetts.
 * Houghton-Hancock - Twin cities in Michigan.
 * Hancock (Minnesota) - A town in Minnesota.
 * Hancock (New Hampshire) - A town in New Hampshire.
 * Hancock (New York) - A town in New York (state).
 * Hancock (Vermont) - A town in Vermont.
 * Hancock (Wisconsin) - A town in Wisconsin.
 * Hancock (Wisconsin) - A town in Wisconsin.

title: Hancock


text:
Hancock (Maryland)

Hancock is a town in Maryland.

title: Hancock (Maryland)


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Hancock (Massachusetts)

Hancock is a town of 700 people in Massachusetts in the Berkshire region. It is bordered to the north by Williamstown, to the east by (north to south) New Ashford, Lanesborough, and Pittsfield, to the south by Richmond, and to the west by the New York towns of (south to north) Caanan, New Lebanon, Stephentown, and Berlin. Its two most notable attractions are Jiminy Peak ski resort and the historic site of Hancock Shaker Village.

Get in
Hancock is unusual in that the town is a long strip divided in the middle by a mountain range that is difficult to access and with no road connecting the northern and southern portions of the town. The southern portion is accessible via Route 20, and the northern portion is accessible via Highway 43 and Brodie Mountain Road (the latter is off of Route 7 in Lanesborough).

Get around
There is no direct road connecting north Hancock with south Hancock - to go south either take Highway 43→Highway 22→East St.→Darrow Rd→US 20 through Stephentown and New Lebanon in New York, or go through Lanesborough down to Pittsfield on Brodie Mtn. Rd.→Bailey Rd.→US 7→US 20.

title: Hancock (Massachusetts)


text:
Hancock County

There's more than one place called Hancock County:

United States of America

 * Hancock County (Georgia)
 * Hancock County (Illinois)
 * Hancock County (Indiana)
 * Hancock County (Iowa)
 * Hancock County (Kentucky)
 * Hancock County (Maine) - in Down East
 * Hancock County (Mississippi) - in Gulf Coast (Mississippi)
 * Hancock County (Ohio)
 * Hancock County (Tennessee)
 * Hancock County (West Virginia)

title: Hancock County


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Hancock County (Maine)

Hancock County is in the Down East region of Maine.

Towns and Cities

 * - the county seat and only city in Hancock County.

 * - location of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
 * - home of the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park.
 * - location of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
 * - home of the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park.
 * - location of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
 * - home of the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park.
 * - location of the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
 * - home of the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park.

Get in
Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport

title: Hancock County (Maine)


text:
Handan

Handan (邯郸 Hándān) is a city in Hebei. It has a population of over 9.4 million people (2015).

By plane
Flights to Chongqing, Dalian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao. Official website (Chinese).

By train
High speed G trains arrive in Handan East Railway station. Slow trains arrive in Handan Railway station, in the center of the city.

By bus
Long distance bus depart from the bus station near the old Railway Station (邯郸长途汽车站). You can check the schedule online, but you have to go to the bus station to buy your ticket. Usually you don't have to book and you just need to arrive a few minutes in advance to catch your bus.

Get around
Buses in Handan, as in any large city in China, are frequent and cheap: just ¥1 for a journey, whatever the distance. Bus with air conditioner will charge ¥2. bus map

Taxis are plentiful with the flag-drop just ¥6.

Historical sites

 * Mother of Grace Cathedral in Daming (大名宠爱之母堂). Take the bus in Handan East Bus Station to Daming. This cathedral was built in 1918 by French missionaries.
 * Guangfu Ancient City (广府古城). A typical northern Chinese ancient town surrounded by an artificial river. The city wall stands ten meters tall. The original wall was built in the Tang Dynasty. The residence of Wu Yuxiang, a Tai Chi Chuan master, was built in the late Qing Dynasty and is well preserved. A Tai Chi-themed park will be built near the house. To go to Guangfu take the 605路 bus:bus map. You can also cycle to Guangfu, it takes 2 hours from Handan Opera through Renmin Lu (large road with a bicycle lane) or 3 hours trough little villages.
 * Jinjiluyu Martyrs Cemetery (晋冀鲁豫烈士陵园 Jìnjìlǔyù lièshì língyuán) - a cemetery of soldiers and heroes who died during the war against Japan. A tomb for a chief-of-staff of the army is also here.
 * Dragon Lake Park (龙湖公园 Lónghú gōngyuán) - a park beautifully illuminated at night.
 * Xiangtangshan Grottoes (响堂山石窟 Xiǎngtángshān shíkū) - the Xiangtangshan Grottoes are caves carved into the mountain as temples. They are the largest grottoes ever discovered in Hebei and also one of the largest religious grottoes in China. Digging of the grottoes began during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) and continued through the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. There are 16 grottoes and about 4,000 statues on the north and south sides of the mountain. The distance between the north and south sides are about 15 km. Hours: 08:00-17:30PM. Admission: ¥40. How to get there: Travelers can take a bus from Handan West Railway Station to Pengcheng city or take the No. 5 bus from Handan East Railway Station and get off at the Southern Xiangtangshan Grottoes stop. Travellers to the Northern Xiangtangshan Grottoes can take the No. 4 bus.
 * Wahuang Palace (娲皇宫 Wāhuánggōng) - also well-known as Grandma Temple (奶奶顶 Nǎinɑidǐng), it was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577), constructed in remembrance of Nuwa, a goddess in Chinese mythology. The temple is built along the contours of a mountain amid beautiful scenery. It's far from Handan city center, but only 10 km from She County (涉县). Hours of operation: 08:30-17:00. Admission: ¥60.

Buy
At the crossing of 邯山街 and 贸易路 a lot of small shops can be found selling everything from pigeons and vegetables to kitchenware.

Eat
Eat a traditional Chinese breakfast on the street. Street vendors usually serve breakfast from 06:00-09:00, some of which are type of soup such as 豆浆, 豆沫, 豆腐脑儿, 小米粥, 胡辣汤. You can drink it with 油条, deep fried dough sticks that can be sweet or salted. There are vendors in each street, for instance in front of the Renmin Street Mosque or on Congtai Street in front of 政通小区.

Sleep

 * Congtai Grand Hotel (丛台大酒店) is probably the best address in town. Rooms from ¥360. At Renmin East Road near the Congtai Park (河北省邯郸市人民东路126号).

Go next
Many destinations from the bus station or the railway station. For instance you can go to Mount Tai (泰山) from the long distance bus station. It takes 5 hours and costs ¥87.

title: Handan


text:
Hanford

Hanford is a city in Kings County in California's San Joaquin Valley.

By car
California State Route 198 passes through Hanford allowing access Interstate 5 to the west and California State Route 99 to the east.

title: Hanford


text:
Hang Chat

Hang Chat is a town in Lampang.

Understand
Hang Chat is the centre of a district 20 min outside Lampang. It is worth a look if you have your own wheels. There's not much to see, but a lot of tasty things to eat and some Lampang-themed stuff to buy.

Get in
The best way to get into Hang Chat is by having your own transportation. By car or by motorbike, take Hwy 11 (the superhighway) towards Chiang Mai. If you are having trouble finding your way to the highway, pull over and ask "Chiang Mai, yu tee nai khrap/kha?" (i.e., Where is Chiang Mai?), and a local should set you on the proper path. Once you're headed the right way, be on the lookout for the sign indicating where you need to U-turn into the town. The turn is well-marked. Once you make the U-turn, follow the sign to turn off the highway to the left. Congratulations! You've made it!

Alternately, if you are staying to the north of the river in Lampang, you can take Rte 1039 straight into the heart of town.

You can also take a green (regional) bus headed towards Chiang Mai from the bus station in Lampang. Buses are not air conditioned and have hard seats, but you won't be on it for very long! Ask to get off at Hang Chat and they'll drop you by the side of the highway at the bus stop near the Shell gas station. You can then explore the town on foot. This may be more trouble than it's worth, however.

Get around
You can walk around on foot or use your own wheels to get around. The centre of town is not very big, taking maybe 15 or 20 minutes to walk end-to-end.

title: Hang Chat


text:
Hangu

Hangu is a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Understand
Hangu district is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, formerly North-West Frontier Province, about 30 km from Kohat and 60 km from Peshawar. It is mainly inhabited by Bangash and Orakzai tribes. It is a very beautiful place with lush green valleys surrounded by beautiful mountains.

Get in
Buses connect with Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi, Rawa Pinti and Korhat.

Get around
Taxis are generally reliable.

Do
The 'sun gate' mall sells jewellery and other supplies. Also has a beauty parlour.

Cope
Like much of Pakistan, do not rely on English to communicate.

title: Hangu


text:
Hangzhou

Hangzhou (杭州; ɦaŋ-tsei in Wu, Hángzhōu in Mandarin) is in Zhejiang Province, China. It is one of the most important tourist cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage. "上有天堂，下有苏杭 Heaven has paradise, Earth has Suzhou and Hangzhou"

- Chinese proverb

Hangzhou is the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province. It is a prosperous and highly developed city that gets many migrants from poorer provinces coming to seek work. It's annoyingly humid in summertime, which is from early June to early September.

Understand
Famed for its natural scenery, Hangzhou and its West Lake (西湖; Xīhú) have been immortalized by countless poets and artists. The city was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty from 1127 until the Mongol conquest of 1276. The city's population is estimated to have been as high as one million in those days, making it the largest city in the world at the time. Even Marco Polo claimed to have passed through, calling it beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world. The West Lake Cultural Landscape has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011.

With the gradual silting up of its harbor, much of the city's trade and industry passed north to nearby Shanghai, but the city still has a bustling population of 8.7 million and ranks as one of China's most popular tourist attractions.

Talk
The local language in Hangzhou is Wu Chinese (generally known these days as Shanghainese, although each city has a different variation). It is spoken over quite a broad area including most of East China. Wu is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin (standard Chinese) or any other Chinese dialect. However, as anywhere in China, most locals are bilingual in the local dialect and Mandarin and, like other prosperous coastal cities, Hangzhou has many migrants from other provinces who speak Mandarin but not the local dialect. If you speak Mandarin you will be able to talk to almost anyone in Hangzhou except a few elderly or rural folk.

English is not widely spoken, though the more expensive hotels will likely have staff who speak at least basic English. Be sure to have the names of your destinations written in Chinese to show taxi drivers so they can take you to where you want to go. Carry a business card for your hotel so you can always get back there.

Airport transfers
The airport is about 30 km east of the city centre, taking 30 to 60 minutes by taxi. A taxi to/from the airport from the city centre is around ¥90; on the way back, you should ask if the driver is willing to take you that far before just jumping in the car with all your bags. No additional fee is payable for travel to/from the airport, the normal metered fare applies.

A shuttle service (¥20) to/from the Xiaoshan Bus ticket office on Tiyuchang Road next to the KFC just west of Wulin Square. The shuttle bus also stops at the main railway station en route. Buses run every 30 minutes during the daytime and take about an hour; join the queue for your ticket at the booth just outside the exit before boarding the bus.

Buses from the airport run
 * 07:30 — 09:30: every 30 minutes
 * 09:30 — 17:00: every 15 minutes
 * 17:00 — 21:00: every 20 minutes
 * After 21:00: every 30 minutes

The times refer to waiting time from the first passenger boarding the bus. After all the seats are taken, the bus takes off within 30, 20 or 15 minutes. The Shangri-La Hotel also has a shuttle service to/from the airport for ¥50.

Shanghai Airport
The main international hub for the region is Pudong International Airport in Shanghai; there are direct buses to Hangzhou which take a couple of hours, or one could take a train to Shanghai then metro or taxi to the airport. Buses leave from the 2nd floor parking lot across from Gate 15 of Pudong Airport, departing every 90 minutes during 10:30-19:00, costing ¥100. These buses arrive at the Hangzhou Yellow Dragon Sports Center (football stadium), 3 km to the west of the city centre. The reverse trip from Hangzhou to Pudong Airport is also possible; the buses leave from the Yellow Dragon Sport Center as well as Hangzhou Xiaoshan Bus ticket office on Tiyuchang Road next to the KFC just west of Wulin Square.

Shanghai's other airport, Hongqiao, serves mainly domestic flights and is located right next to Hongqiao Railway Station which has high speed trains to Hangzhou.

By train
The high speed (CRH) train from Shanghai's Hongqiao Station to is 50 minutes non-stop (¥73) and is frequent. There are also trains from Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, and everywhere in between. There is a main (locally known as Chengzhan) at the end of the line as well, reopened after a period of renovation although it lacks the facilities of Hangzhou East, as well as serving fewer trains.

By bus
Hangzhou has four bus stations (N, E - "Jiubao" on Shengjia Rd, W, and S). Usually, the direction of your destination corresponds to the bus station's name, e.g. if you are going to Shanghai, you will want the East Bus Station. If you are going to Huangshan, buses leave from the West Bus Station; Nanjing is served by a frequent service from the North Station, and so on. Wuzhen (90 mins by bus, frequent morning departures) is now serviced by Jiubao Bus station, no longer the defunct Genshan Xilu bus station. It costs ¥50 and 45 mins to get to Jiubao bus stn from the eastern shore of West Lake by taxi. Bus K12 then bus K101 can also make the trip, allow 90 min to arrive at the Jiubao bus stn, and another 90 min to get to Wūzhen.

From Shanghai: Buses depart from the north bus station (Hengfen Lu), the PuDong bus station (Bailianjing, PuDong Nan Lu), and from Xujiahui Bus Station, tickets cost ¥58. These buses arrive at the north bus station of Hangzhou.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport : direct long distance bus from the Airport to Hangzhou on Tiyuchang Rd, avoiding transfer via Shanghai. From Arrivals in the Airport, follow the clearly marked signs to the Long Distance Coach Terminal (well after the Maglev Terminal) and take the elevator down one level to the concourse. Hourly departures, on the hour in the evenings. Last departure is 21:00. Take cash for fare.

To Shanghai Pudong International Airport: There are buses between Yellow Dragon Stadium and Pudong Airport (direct) and Wulinmen Ticket Office and Pudong Airport (with a stop en route at Hongqiao). Tickets can be purchased at the area with all the buses in front of the Yellow Dragon Stadium or at the Wulinmen Ticket office near the KFC on Tiyuchang Rd. (¥100, 2.5 hour journey)

To Hongqiao Airport (direct),: Wulinmen Ticket Office near the KFC on Tiyuchang Rd (¥100).

By boat
The overnight boat service between Hangzhou and Suzhou/Wuxi has been discontinued. You can still take a ferry along the Hangzhou-Beijing Grand Canal to the north of Hangzhou proper (see "water taxi" section below).

By metro
The easiest way around Hangzhou is the metro system, with 3 lines and 78 stations operational, covering 82 km as of June 2018. (Seven additional lines are under construction.)

By bus
Hangzhou has an extensive bus network. Bus schedules, routes, and on-board announcements are all in Chinese.

There are a number of bus types. As of 2012, these include:

 * Routes without a letter prefix generally have no air conditioning (though there are some exceptions, like route 900) and should be avoided May–September. They are heated during winter. These generally cost ¥1-2.
 * Routes with a "K" prefix are air-conditioned May–September, and heated December–February. These cost ¥2-3, except when both the air-con and heat are off, during which time the fare is halved.
 * Routes with a "Y" prefix are designated tourist buses, and will take you to or from a tourist destination for ¥3-5.
 * Routes with a "B" prefix are part of the new Bus Rapid Transit system. These are articulated buses that stop at dedicated BRT stations, which allow you to transfer to other "B" routes without paying an additional fare. The fare of ¥4 is paid on entering the station. These buses are roomier than the usual municipal buses, but are not much more rapid.
 * Night routes (which have blue signs and are numbered K2xx) are ¥2.5. Most start running at 21:00 and end around 06:00.

For those arriving in Hangzhou by train, note that bus K7 goes from the Hangzhou Rail Station to the West Lake for ¥1.

Fares can be paid in cash (coins or bills, no change given), by using a dedicated bus card, or by tapping the same card used to rent bikes (see below). The fare will be displayed on the bus stop and on the farebox.

You are expected to board via the front doors and leave through the rear (with the exception of the B routes). Buses have very little empty space even when they are not full (which is not common), so do not plan on bringing baby strollers or other cumbersome items. Be prepared at all times for fast turns and sudden braking. The suspension usually is not up to modern standards, and the driving can be aggressive.

By taxi
Hangzhou has a large number of taxis which allow for quick and convenient travel within the city proper. Most of the city's taxis are turquoise-green in colour, and easily identifiable by the word Taxi printed in both English and Chinese on the vehicles. Taxis for hire are marked by the green (or sometimes yellow-orange) light-up signs above the dashboard on each car.

Hangzhou taxi drivers almost always use the meter as required by law. Hangzhou taxis are notoriously expensive compared to other Chinese cities. Trips start at ¥11 and are priced by the kilometre, with surcharges for idling time and trips over 10 km. It's advisable to take a receipt each time use you a taxi, should you wish to contact the taxi company or driver at a later time to dispute a fare, recover a lost article, etc. Avoid the taxi touts at the train station and major tourist attractions, and instead use the designated taxi queue or flag one off the street.

Hardly any of the city's taxi drivers speak English or any other foreign language, and it's important that you be able to point out your destination on a map, present the driver with the name of the destination (in written Chinese), or properly pronounce the name of the destination in Chinese.

Hangzhou taxis are not allowed to carry more than four passengers, although you may be able to convince or bribe a driver to allow you to "hide" an extra passenger on the back seat. This can be worth the trouble or expense if it saves your group from needing to take two taxis. It's also not unusual, especially at late or slow hours for the taxi driver to collect multiple customers to make the journey more profitable. This will normally be explained in Chinese. This is uncommon at normal hours, however.

Like all public transport, taxis are difficult to come by during the tourist weeks (Chinese New Year, May Golden Week, and October National Week); also, available taxis at 07:30-08:45 and 16:30-19:00, and every time it rains, are difficult to find, as they are always full or in the middle of a shift change. A taxi with an imminent shift change - which usually occurs about 15:00-17:00 - will be showing a plate in the windscreen (Chinese characters of course) and will only take you if your route coincides with theirs. Being familiar with areas that taxis frequent or places where taxi passengers are likely to be dropped off will aid you in finding a ride. Try not to get upset when your hailing position is gazumped by a new arrival 20 metres before you on the road. The only rule is: it is the quick and the dead.

Taxi drivers will also negotiate for long distance trips, or full-day/half-day hiring. A trip to Pudong airport in Shanghai will be ¥600-1,000 depending on time of day or night.

In outer centres of Hangzhou, small five seater vans are usually available at bus terminals for onward transfers. These operate quite independently and the normal taxi rules do not apply. They will take you anywhere at a negotiated price.

By water bus
Ferry down the Grand Canal takes 30 minutes but only makes 5 trips per day, the first at 07:30 and the last at 18:00. It starts at Wulin Gate/West Lake Culture Plaza and ends at Gongchen Bridge, with one stop at Xinyifang Grand Canal Culture Plaza. The boats stop first at Xinyifang, then to the newly developed Canal Culture Square, where you can see the Canal Museum, see if there are any events in the square, and check out the new Xiaohe Street- a series of "historical" alleys with shops and restaurants similar to Hangzhou's Hefang Street; the area's renovation was completed in 2008. Cost is ¥3.

While really worth taking the trip, Hangzhou now has plans to connect a series of canals and streams throughout the city with the Grand Canal, West Lake, Yuhang River, and Qiantang River, making for increased water transport and a Venetian feel when completed.

There are also passenger boats running along the Grand Canal from near the Qiantang River

Getting to the islands on West Lake, you get to choose between tourist trap Dragon or "Gaily-painted" pleasure boats (¥45 and ¥35). There are also medium-sized power boats (¥25), or for ¥160 you can hire a driver to paddle you around for about an hour. The boats are available in Hubin #X (1, 3, 6) parks and other obviously marked areas all over the lake.

By bike
While traffic in Hangzhou may seem chaotic to some foreigners, the city is comparatively bike-friendly. All but small side roads have dedicated bike lanes, often divided from motor traffic by barricades or medians. Making use of the city's extensive public bike system can be a cheap and convenient way to experience the city. There are many different brands seen throughout Hangzhou, such as HelloBike (red-white or blue-white, by Alipay), the yellow Meituan bike or green Qingju bike. These are cheaper at ¥1-2 per ride (up to 2 hours).

The HelloBikes can be paid for with Alipay, and also have a ¥12/month plan for longer term users. Quality is hit or miss, but if you are lucky, you can find one in good working order. Blue and white ones are usually better than red and white ones.

There is also a better maintained brand of bikes that you will see at dark green colored stations. These fire-engine-red public bikes are ubiquitous on the street of Hangzhou, and the rental stations that dispense them are generously spread across the core of the city and around West Lake, stretching all the way up to the suburbs and down to the river near the Six Harmonies Pagoda. The one disadvantage to these bikes is that you must park them at a station and walk the rest of the way.

To use the bikes, you'll need to purchase a stored value card at one of 5 sites, for example 20 Longxiang Qiao across from the Agricultural Bank of China. If you have trouble finding it, go to the Hyatt and ask for directions; they will point you down the correct street. Also, each bike station gives out free tourist maps including a bike map that shows all the bike stations around the city. To obtain a value card (also known as an IC card), you must present ID (such as a passport) and pay ¥300, of which ¥200 is a deposit with the remaining ¥100 to cover rental fees. Bikes may then be rented by tapping the card against one of the automated bike racks holding the bikes. A beep and the audible sound of the rack unlocking will indicate that the bike can be removed. You can use any of the available bike racks scattered about the city, if you wish to visit an attraction or get a new bike. The bike is free for the first hour, ¥1 an hour for the two hours after that, and ¥3 an hour thereafter. For example, if you rent a bike for six hours when you return to the main bicycle "hub", you'll receive ¥289 of this deposit back, which covers the ¥11 worth of bike riding.

IC Cards or the bike rental cards can also be used on local buses (9% discount on public buses). Multiple people may use the same card for their bus fare - just swipe the card once for each person getting on the bus.

Be careful to choose a bike with air in the front and back wheels, working brakes and appropriate seat height. However none of the bikes were designed for reasonably tall people, so if you have long legs you may end up chaffing your knees on the handlebars. During rush hour, local residents also actively use the bikes. Therefore, most bike stalls will be full and you might not easily find a station with empty racks to return your bike.

Bikes are returned by reinserting them into an empty bike rack and tapping one's card against the top of the rack. Another beep, a solid green light, and the sound of the rack locking will indicate when the bike has been received successfully. Make sure the bike rack lock receives your bike; it is doesn't, the bike won't be registered returned in the system, and you will lose both your bike rental and deposit money and get no refund. The system opens for business at 06:00, and bikes not returned by 21:00 each night must be taken back to the Longxiang Qiao location (open 24/7) - so keep an eye on the clock during evening rides. After ten days from purchase of the card, it may be returned for an 89% refund.

It is perfectly acceptable to rent bikes and return them within the hour and then immediately rent another bike so you never have to pay anything.

Plan ahead if staying out late. You will sometimes find that bikes are hard to find around tourist hotspots such as West Lake after 10-11pm, as most patrons have already ridden them home.

Maps
You can buy maps from street vendors or stalls near the Train Station or Bus Station. Price is often marked on the maps themselves (usually under ¥10). Street-bought maps are usually written in simplified Chinese with no pinyin. You can find pinyin maps at foreign language bookstores and magazine stalls near the West Lake. The main foreign language bookstore in Yan An Road has a reasonable selection of maps as well as travel books.

There is a tourist information booth near Wulin Square Metro station (line 1) where you can pick up a bilingual tourist map. Walking south past Hangzhou Tower until you hit Shuguang Road, you should see an olive green booth. Very little English is spoken, but if you ask for a map (dìtú) they will be happy to help.

West Lake (西湖 Xī Hú)

 * The Ten Scenes of the West Lake (西湖十景) include:
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.
 * Boat Ride. There are numerous providers of boat rides on the lake. The official tour operator sells tickets from official ticket stalls for boat trips covered by insurance, with clear pricing and which covers all parts of the lake. There are lots of private gondola rides with varying insurance coverage, range and prices.

 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.
 * In the museum, there is a self-service rental Museum collection guide.

Temples, pagodas and churches

 * Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, (圣母无原罪主教座堂 Shengmu Wuyuanzui Zhujiaozuotang) or simply "Catholic Church" (天主堂 Tianzhutang) located at 415 Zhongshan North Rd., near Tianshuiqiao (天水桥) bus-stop. It regularly holds holy mass in English every Saturday evening.
 * Chongyi Church, (崇一堂 Chóngyī táng) is one of the largest Protestant churches in China. The name, translated into English, means "Worship the one and only true God." It was dedicated in 2005 and can accommodate up to 7000 attenders, welcoming many international visitors and guest preachers including Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham.
 * Confucius Temple— is a mixture of Confucius Memorial and Stele Forest. Hangzhou Confucius Temple is the center of Hangzhou citizens to memorize Confucius and site of holding related ceremonies. It is near to Wushan Square and featured of the classical gardens.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Confucius Temple— is a mixture of Confucius Memorial and Stele Forest. Hangzhou Confucius Temple is the center of Hangzhou citizens to memorize Confucius and site of holding related ceremonies. It is near to Wushan Square and featured of the classical gardens.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.
 * Three Temples of Tianzhu Hill, (天竺三寺) — consists of Fajing Temple, Faxi Temple and Fajing Temple. They are quite close to Lingyin Temple. Local people usually prefer to go here for praying or meditation instead of Lingyin Temple, because these temples are quite more tranquil than Lingyin Temple, which is always crowded by tourists.

Liangzhu
Liangzhu is a suburb of Hangzhou with a major archaeological site where an ancient city is being excavated. It is a.

The Liangzhu Culture flourished throughout the region around Lake Tai 3400-2250 BCE, about the same time as cities such as Thebes, Nineveh and Mohenjo-daro further West, and before the first dynasties of the Chinese Empire. They are now known mainly by the high-quality jade artifacts they left behind. In some ways they were quite advanced for the period, with extensive irrigation and some cities, and their influence seems to have extended as far as Shanxi and Guangdong. However, they were still a Neolithic (late Stone Age) culture; they were to be the last such culture in this region.

DNA studies show that these people were of the Austronesian ethnic group, more closely related to today's indigenous Taiwanese, Filipinos, Malays, Indonesians and Polynesians than to modern Chinese. This region was probably one of the sources for that group's migration into the Pacific.

Do

 * Walk around the lake. It will take you about 5 hours of slow walking. The lake is not very big and there are two shortcuts (causeways) through it. You can also hire small non-motor powered boats (¥120/hour for personal boat with driver, or use the ferry services) to take you around the lake and to the two islands, which feature some interesting sites.
 * Go hiking in the mountains. Hangzhou has the most accessible and interesting hiking environments within walking distance of any city. Purchase a topographic map, not difficult to find. Some suggested hikes:
 * Start with the climb up to the Baochu Pagoda from Beishan Road. The trail passes the pagoda and continues on with a rock scramble and great views to a series of stone paths that follow the ridge. Keep going and relax, you can't get lost because this mountain is surrounded by main roads. There are temples, shrines and caves along the way with a sprinkling of tea houses. Stay with the high ground where you can and you should come out near the corner of Shuguang Rd and Beishan Rd in an easy 2 hours, with plenty of opportunities for side explorations. You can walk back or return by bus (be brave, as long as the bus is going inbound it will take you somewhere central. The fare will be ¥1-3 and services are frequent) or cab.
 * Start at Wushan Square, at the southern end of Yan'an Rd, and walk south through the developed park land. Stay high, and pass the war memorial, stunning stone sculptures, down the large stairway to Wansongling Rd. Cross the road, turn left and 100 metres later enter the forest past a memorial garden. From here the stone paths lead inexorably south to Fenghuang Hill and then southwest finally to Yuhuang Hill, the summit of which contains a large temple complex and boasts marvelous views over West lake and the Qiantang River. Descend to the west, but beware the tricky circular road, to Hupao Road and take a bus back from the Hangzhou zoo bus stop. It will take a slow 4 hours. You will at times be geographically challenged, but soon you will get the drift of it, and be better prepared to tackle the huge mountain, forest and tea village areas to the south west of the lake. The complete circuit from Xixi Rd to Wushan Square via Northern Peak, Shi Peak, Wuyun Hill, Jiuxi, HZ Zoo, Yuhuang, Fenghuang Hill will take a party of regular fitness, with stops, 10–12 hours. Then for a hike with a difference, hike out to Meijiawu and stay at a guest house, returning the following day via a different route.
 * Go hiking in the mountains. Hangzhou has the most accessible and interesting hiking environments within walking distance of any city. Purchase a topographic map, not difficult to find. Some suggested hikes:
 * Start with the climb up to the Baochu Pagoda from Beishan Road. The trail passes the pagoda and continues on with a rock scramble and great views to a series of stone paths that follow the ridge. Keep going and relax, you can't get lost because this mountain is surrounded by main roads. There are temples, shrines and caves along the way with a sprinkling of tea houses. Stay with the high ground where you can and you should come out near the corner of Shuguang Rd and Beishan Rd in an easy 2 hours, with plenty of opportunities for side explorations. You can walk back or return by bus (be brave, as long as the bus is going inbound it will take you somewhere central. The fare will be ¥1-3 and services are frequent) or cab.
 * Start at Wushan Square, at the southern end of Yan'an Rd, and walk south through the developed park land. Stay high, and pass the war memorial, stunning stone sculptures, down the large stairway to Wansongling Rd. Cross the road, turn left and 100 metres later enter the forest past a memorial garden. From here the stone paths lead inexorably south to Fenghuang Hill and then southwest finally to Yuhuang Hill, the summit of which contains a large temple complex and boasts marvelous views over West lake and the Qiantang River. Descend to the west, but beware the tricky circular road, to Hupao Road and take a bus back from the Hangzhou zoo bus stop. It will take a slow 4 hours. You will at times be geographically challenged, but soon you will get the drift of it, and be better prepared to tackle the huge mountain, forest and tea village areas to the south west of the lake. The complete circuit from Xixi Rd to Wushan Square via Northern Peak, Shi Peak, Wuyun Hill, Jiuxi, HZ Zoo, Yuhuang, Fenghuang Hill will take a party of regular fitness, with stops, 10–12 hours. Then for a hike with a difference, hike out to Meijiawu and stay at a guest house, returning the following day via a different route.

 * Visit the temples and pagodas. The most popular ones are Baochu pagoda, which is the tower-like one on a hill on the north side of the lake. This hill is a great hike, with excellent views of the lake and city, several smaller temples of a variety of religions, and Huanglong Cave on the northern slope of the hill. 6 Harmonies Pagoda, located on the river, is the largest and most imposing. A fun hike after the pagoda leads from the shores of the river, behind the pagoda, and into the Longjing tea fields near the tea museum. Lingyin Temple, on the west side of the lake, is also a large complex with a surprisingly devout crowd of worshipers. This area also has many excellent hikes, as well as a cable car to the top of Beifeng Hill (with another temple at the top). Finally, Leifeng Pagoda has been rebuilt and has escalators and elevators, while all that remains of the foundation is on display on the main level. Despite its lack of ancient Chinese beauty, the benches and gazebo-like structures surrounding the area make for a nice place to sit in the breeze, and it also has an excellent view looking in the opposite direction as the Baochu area.
 * Go for a Run. The lakeside surrounds of gardens, parks, views and items of interest make a great backdrop to a run. Join the "Even If It Rains" running group of locals and laowei at 19:30 on Tuesday nights from the Maya Bar (across the road from the stadium in Shuguang Rd, at the traffic lights where Shuguang Rd. bends). Socialise after; it's a welcoming group. The local chapter of the Hash House Harriers is sadly in remission. The Vasque mountain race of approx 35 km through the mountains, tea fields and lakeside is held around October and in November is held the Hangzhou marathon, half marathon and lesser distances.
 * Spend an afternoon at a tea house. A highlight of visiting Hangzhou is getting out to Manjuelong Village, (South of the lake on top of the hill) Longjin Village or Meijiawu Village, (west and further west of the Lake, respectively) to drink your tea. These villages have had a make-over and while can be busy at weekends they are still great places to while away an afternoon watching the tea being picked. The tea houses all serve very local food - pickled vegetables, chicken broth etc. - but often there is no menu; rather the owner will suggest what you should eat. Make sure you get a price for the dishes before you tuck in.
 * Shopping -- see the "Buy" section for more info.
 * The West Lake Golf Club near Six Harmonies Pagoda and Songcheng was designed by Jack Nicklaus.
 * Boating along the Hangzhou-Beijing Canal is becoming more popular.
 * Go to a book shop. Hangzhou has several book shops, Xinhua bookstore on Jiefang road near the JieBai department store is the oldest bookshop. Boku bookstore at the intersection of WenEr road and HanCheng north road. It's a book lovers paradise. The PageOne bookstore in the MIXC mall also has a fairly sizable selection of English books.
 * Go to a book shop. Hangzhou has several book shops, Xinhua bookstore on Jiefang road near the JieBai department store is the oldest bookshop. Boku bookstore at the intersection of WenEr road and HanCheng north road. It's a book lovers paradise. The PageOne bookstore in the MIXC mall also has a fairly sizable selection of English books.

Learn

Private Chinese language schools like Hutong School offer a range of Mandarin courses that can be tailored to suit your needs. It's possible to take business Chinese, HSK preparation, or intensive courses.

Buy

 * Hangzhou China Silk Town on Tiyuchang Road. You can also get silk at other places in the city, but most of it will just be the fabric. It is open from 08:00-17:00 and is near the Zhejiang International Hotel. Bargain hard!
 * Night Market (夜市) off Yan'an Road near Pinghai Road (right near Wushan) every night. Here you can find Mao memorabilia, jewellery, paper fans, pipes, luggage, handicrafts and other items that most Chinese cities have. Pirated DVDs and counterfeit handbags are for sale as well. You can also find a lot of those silk-screen printed paintings/embroidery things that the silk market also has. Bargain very hard - Many stalls sell the same stuff, so be prepared to walk away. Be careful buying "antiques" because they are probably new, and pearls. Often the pearl culturing process has been very short, and in fact the "pearl" is a plastic marble with only the thinnest of cultured skin.
 * Electronics Markets (电子产品市场 - Running west-east in north-west Hangzhou on Wensan Road are several indoor, multistory electronics shopping centers offering all manner of electronics including desktop computers, laptops, computer software (licensed and un-licensed), cellphones, mp3 players, and hundreds of peripherals and storage media. Pirated DVDs and computer games are offered as well, and if you are obviously a foreigner, vendors will shout "DVD! DVD!" at you to urge you to browse their selection.
 * Bird and Flower Markets - Several in town, Gucui Rd and Wener West Rd in the west, another on Jichang Rd in north, the interesting one is next to Wushan Square, downtown. On 3 or 4 floors, this market is stuffed with pets and plants. Also sections selling Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with dried snake and seahorse, huge dried mushrooms and other strange things.
 * Tea - Dragon Well/Longjing tea is famous throughout China and worth getting if you like green tea. If you are staying with a Chinese host somewhere else in China after Hangzhou, bringing them a small box (or two) of higher-end Longjing Tea would make a great gift; however, these usually cost around ¥300/box (more at tourist stands). The Longjing village and tea fields area of Hangzhou (southwest of West Lake) are where Longjing tea is grown. Besides being worth a visit for the scenic sights alone, tea can be purchased here as well - fresh from the harvesters' bags if so desired. Many places across the city also sell tea, such as informal vendors and small shops easily identifiable by the boxes displayed inside or store names such as "西湖龙井茶" (West Lake Dragon Well Tea), as well as grocery stores and supermarket chains. Because of the fame of Longjing tea, fake and low-grade varieties exist. If you have no experience buying tea, purchase from a reputable-looking establishment or ask the advise of a knowledgeable native.
 * Clothes - Hangzhou has literally hundreds of clothes and shoes stores. The largest concentration of these are on Yan'an Rd and especially Wulin Rd, making a straight line of clothes shops stacked on top of each other between Wushan and Wulin Squares. Another popular clothing spot is "Song Mu Chang" (松木场) just north of the lake on Shuguang Road. All of these places require bargaining and often have a lot of fake ripoff clothes. For the real thing, try the department stores (i.e. Hangzhou Tower across between Yan'an and Nanshan Roads). You can certainly find cheaper clothes stores scattered throughout the city as you get farther from the lake if you really like to buy clothes.
 * Landscape paintings - There are several places to buy Chinese landscape paintings in the city, especially near Wushan Square and around the south/east side of the lake.
 * Carrefour has a supermarket in the downtown area east of West Lake (on South Yan'an Lu). In addition its large selection of groceries, it carries a wider variety of Western foods such as cheeses and breads than most other grocery stores in the city. What this really means is a single aisle of Western brands and foods. Do not expect a large selection. This is also a good place to purchase western liquor. French Gin is as little as ¥55 per litre, Captain Morgan rum about ¥75 and Cointreau ¥135. How these prices are about half of duty free escapes this contributor.
 * Trust-Mart (好又多) is a superstore chain Westerners may recognize as being similar to Wal-Mart. It's in the shopping center near the Yellow Dragon Sports Stadium north of West Lake and the Baochu Pagoda area, and has a large grocery section that boasts fresh meats, seafood, and produce as well as the normal selection of packaged food.
 * Bicycles of all prices and qualities are available from bike shops scattered across Hangzhou. Bargaining is necessary at all but large chain stores, and generally one gets what he or she pays for (the cheapest bikes will begin to rust and break quickly). The indoor Electric Bike Market near the corner of Wener and Xueyuan Lu offers a huge assortment of electric bikes/scooters and batteries, and Trust-Mart (see above) also has a reasonable selection of bicycles and a small selection of electric bikes/scooters. Any bike, regardless of the value, will be stolen if left unattended and unsecured. Be sure to buy at least one lock (two for expensive scooters and bikes) to protect your purchase. Scooters may also require a locking frame to guard the battery from theft. A cycling club based in Hangzhou.
 * Mall the MIXC mall located next to the Qintang River in the new Central Business District has an enormous collection of high-end luxury brands including LV, Armani, Ferragamo and the like, but also has Hangzhou's best market for imported foods. "Ole" is located in the B2 level of the mall and be prepared to spend big. The cinema complex on the 3rd, 4th and 5th levels has 12 screens including the largest of the two IMAX theatre's in the city. Also on the 4th floor is a full Olympic size ice skating arena open daily from 10:30-22:00. Ticket prices range from ¥50 for unlimited skating time on regular weekdays (¥60 after 17:30) and ¥70 for 2 hour sessions on weekends and holiday. Price includes new Canadian rental skates, use of free locker and all safety gear (elbows, wrist and knee protectors and use of helmets). The rink is modern, clean and well trained and friendly professional staff. The skating school is reasonably priced and geared entirely for beginners. The 30m x 60m ice is resurfaced every 2 hours by a Zamboni machine.
 * The In Time shopping mall at the center of Hangzhou, the Yanan road. The first floor is the cosmetics selling floor. From floor two to floor six are all clothes selling stores. Floor two sells fashionable brands.

Eat
Hangzhou is one of the premier places to eat in China, and its local cuisine features dishes that consist more of pork and seafood rather than beef and lamb, as those are typically found in the north and west regions of China.

Typical Hangzhou specialties include dongpo rou (东坡肉 dōngpō ròu), an extremely fatty chunk of pork in a syrupy sauce, and cùyú (醋鱼 cùyú), which is fish with a vinegar sauce. There are some characteristic local snacks, for example, small steamed buns (小笼包 xiǎolóngbāo), Xiaoshan dried turnip (萧山萝卜干 xiāoshān luóbo gān), & noodles with preserved vegetables (片儿川 piàn'ér chuān). In Wushan Square, you can find lots of food; the prices are cheap and the quality fine.

If you do not like Hangzhou cuisine, you can find plenty of excellent Sichuan, Shanxi, and Xinjiang restaurants throughout the city. There are also some Western restaurants, but those tend to be expensive.

Budget
For budget restaurants, even near the lake, just head into an alley and get some food from a small restaurant or street-side stand. You should judge for yourself how sanitary the food is, but you generally do not need to worry about this in Hangzhou relative to other Chinese cities. These restaurants are all quite similar.

If you like dumplings and have just come down the north side of Baochu hill (past the cave and in view of the soccer stadium), one option is to continue across Shuguang Road and up Hangda Road (0.5 blocks east and 1 block north) to Tianmushan Road. At the corner of Tianmushan and Hangda Roads are 2 decent dumpling restaurants with English menus available (one is upstairs from the other). They have many of varieties of dumplings, including all-vegetable. From ¥6-18 for a plateful.

 * Zhōngshān nánlù (中山南路) This is one of the great street food strips in China. It is a definite must-see/taste at nighttime. It begins at the Drum Tower, only a short walk from the end of Gaoyin ancient street.
 * Zhīwèiguān restaurant on Rénhé lù (仁和路) is well-known among Chinese in Hangzhou. It has a variety of cheap and traditional dishes. There's no English, it uses floor-ticket ordering, and the atmosphere is bustling and noisy.

Mid-range
For American junk food, Hangzhou has many KFCs, several McDonalds, and an increasing number of Pizza Huts throughout town, especially near the lake. If you like Pizza Hut style pizza, but don't want to pay Pizza Hut prices, there's a much cheaper Pizza Hut 'clone' on You Dian Road, corner of Hubin Road, right near the lake.

Other restaurants that are good and aren't as tourist-trappy can as Lou Wai Lou are located near the West Lake, usually to the East past Hubin Road in the Yan'an Road area.

For Xinjiang, try Jade Dragon Xinjiang Special Restaurant (龙翠阁新疆特色餐厅) inside the Handnice Hotel (Originally of Tiandu Hotel on Zhongshan Bei Road) at the east side of Hangzhou Yellow Dragon Sports Stadium. Some say the Xinjiang restaurant on the 5th floor of Sanrui Tower (三瑞大厦) on Qingchun Road is better and more authentic, and on the east side of town, Xinjiang Pamir Muslim Restaurant (新疆帕米尔餐厅) has many Xinjiang people dining there.

Location: 1. ShangCheng Area, JieFang Street, No.154. 2. The WenHui Street, No.346. TEL: 0571-87029012
 * Chuan Wei Guan - For Hot Pot, this city-wide chain (5 restaurants throughout town) is best, and this hotpot place also has several good Sichuan dishes.
 * Grandma's Kitchen (外婆家) has expanded to almost 20 locations in Hangzhou, each packed to the brim with customers. It has a comprehensive picture menu and reasonable prices. Not all locations offer the same selection or the same prices. One of the best is on Ma Cheng Road, between Tian Mu Shan and Wen San Roads, near to the Boku bookstore. Another one is close to the lake. Unfortunately, Grandma's Kitchen suffers a bit from its own popularity, making a long wait inevitable and service haphazard (forgotten dishes and the like). It's best to call ahead and try to make reservations to avoid the long wait.
 * Tianlutang (天祿堂) teahouse is in Xixi Wetlands Park. Offers a variety of local dishes. Advance bookings required.
 * Zhang Sheng Ji (张生记), 33 East Qingchun Road. Out of the way but is also huge and now has branches all over China.
 * Green Tea (绿茶), 83 Longjing Lu, across from the back gate of the Zhejiang Bingguan. 0571-8788 8022. Just around the corner from the Tea Museum, this is one of Hangzhou's most popular Chinese restaurants. A hit with the younger crowd, expect big lines, but the food is well worth it. And there's something inexplicably charming about sitting above lily pads on wooden platforms while digging into the delicious iced desserts on a hot summer day.
 * Kuiyuan Museum (奎元馆), Kuiyuan museum is one of the best local noodle-making restaurants in Hangzhou. Famous for its long history, Kuiyuan restaurant has become a local brand and the icon of Hangzhou. For over 100 years, Kuiyuan restaurant has been providing guests with a great diversity of noodles. Yangchun noodle, despite its simplicity in the selection of the selection of the ingredients, it has long been considered as the most good-tasting delicacy for both indigenous Hangzhou people and tourists, As well as the noodle with shrimps and eel, a well-known kind of noodle. Once traveling to Hangzhou, for those tourists who want to try the local food, going to this restaurant is a great choice to consider about.

Chinese

 * Oriental Favorites Restaurant (彩云轩), Beishan Road (just past the Broken Bridge). A good replacement for Lou Wai Lou and has an equally good view with slightly cheaper prices (but it's still expensive).
 * Hubin 28, Hyatt Hotel, 28 Hubin Road. One of the top Chinese restaurants in Hangzhou. Hubin 28 serves good food from all over China in a restaurant designed with a mixture of modern fittings and traditional furniture. It has received good reviews in many foodie magazines in Hong Kong. Dinner will cost more than ¥200 per person.
 * Oriental Favorites Restaurant (彩云轩), Beishan Road (just past the Broken Bridge). A good replacement for Lou Wai Lou and has an equally good view with slightly cheaper prices (but it's still expensive).
 * Hubin 28, Hyatt Hotel, 28 Hubin Road. One of the top Chinese restaurants in Hangzhou. Hubin 28 serves good food from all over China in a restaurant designed with a mixture of modern fittings and traditional furniture. It has received good reviews in many foodie magazines in Hong Kong. Dinner will cost more than ¥200 per person.

Japanese
There are lots of Japanese restaurants, many of which offer the "all you can eat and drink" deal for between 120 and 200 renminbi, which is a good deal when you consider sake and plum wine are included, and is a good way to start off a weekend night.

 * Fu Gang, Tiyuchang Road (near Wulin Square). Hangzhou's most famous Japanese restaurant, although it does not offer an all-you-can-eat deal. It does have a sushi train and set meals though and the sushi is fresh and tasty.
 * Mu Zhi Lan, Nanshan Rd (next to the Bernini coffee shop) is one of the best, especially location-wise. The all-you-can-eat deal is around ¥180, but the seating and views are excellent, as is the food.
 * Honglin Teppanyaki, 2/F Modern International Plaza, Yugu Road and Tianmushan Road. This newish Teppanyaki restaurant is clean and spacious, with large table around hotplates able to seat 10-20 people at a go. There is a one-price-gets-everything deal, including sake and beer. However, the "butter" they use is quite suspicious and you will be harassed to eat everything they put on the plate.  If you get something on the all-you-can-eat option and don't like it, you will have a hard time getting rid of it.  Staff do not speak English.

South-East Asian

 * Banana Leaf, Changsheng Road (2 junctions north of the Hyatt on the east side of the lake). South-East Asian. Reservations are recommended on weekends. Although there is a pleasant atmosphere and good quality food, many customers find that the food is untraditional.
 * Curry Bistro, Wangtang Rd (just south of Wenyi Road, near the Wumei shopping center) is a small family run restaurant specialising in Hong Kong and Thai food.
 * Y&Y Cafe, 322 Wen San Xi Lu (Almost facing the entrance of Dang Gui apartments) is a small eatery serving Asian dishes at budget price.

Western

 * The Vineyard, Zhongtian Mansion, 173 Yugu Road, +86 0571 8763 2388. Featuring a menu created by Chef Rueben Marley, Vineyard is the only expat venue in Hangzhou serving authentic American pub foods like Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches, Bacon-Shroom-Melt burgers, and New York style pizza.
 * Café at the Hyatt, Hyatt Hotel, 28 Hubin Road. Opened January 2005, considered to be one of the best values in upmarket buffet offerings in Hangzhou, a wide selection is available for about ¥148+ lunch, and ¥198+ dinner.
 * Angelo's, on #2 Lane off of Baochu Road (across the street NW from 88 Club). New York-themed Italian style restaurant and bar serving pizza, pasta, burgers, and many other offerings.
 * Caribbean BBQ, Yan'an Road (near Wushan Square). It is not very authentic, but is a buffet-style restaurant that will probably at least leave you with a full stomach.
 * Peppino, Shangri-La Hotel. American style Italian - pizzas out of the authentic brick oven, steaks, pasta.
 * L96 Guangxian Cafe, Pingfeng Road, (east of Zhongshan Zhong Rd), is a small restaurant in modern atmosphere serving well-prepared Italian food and home-made ice-creams
 * Peppino, Shangri-La Hotel. American style Italian - pizzas out of the authentic brick oven, steaks, pasta.
 * L96 Guangxian Cafe, Pingfeng Road, (east of Zhongshan Zhong Rd), is a small restaurant in modern atmosphere serving well-prepared Italian food and home-made ice-creams

Drink
The drink of choice in Hangzhou is tea, as the local Longjing (龙井, also Lung Ching, literally "Dragon Well") is the most famous green tea in China. Longjing is divided into seven grades, the two top being Superior (旗枪 qiqiang) and Special (雀舌 queshe), and the rest numbered from 1 down to 5. Prices for the very best stuff are extremely high— in 2005, a mere 100g plucked from Qing Dynasty emperor Qian Long's personal trees sold for over US$17,000 — but a few cups in a local teahouse shouldn't cost you more than a few dozen yuan. There is a wholesale market in Zhuangtang, however, most of the tea comes from trees outside of the "special" fields in Hangzhou. Prices are ¥15-1,000/500g depending on a multitude of variables.

Traditionally, tea from Longjing is best served with spring water from Hupao (虎跑, "Tiger Run"), which is located next to the West Lake. You might have to purchase the tea from the tea shop in Hupao, instead of bringing your own. It's about ¥20 per cup, but you get a thermal full of hot water with the purchase. Do consider mixing the leaves with bottled water, as construction project run off introduces chemicals other than water into the streams.

For bars, Nanshan Road all night every night should keep any visitor occupied. An up-and-coming part of town is on Shuguang Road has several old and new bars that are a little less hectic than those of Nanshan Road, including local expat hangout Maya Bar, packed-out local You To, rock music bar Travellers, and many more. Shuguang Road runs north from the north-west corner of the Lake. The Huanglong soccer stadium is full of dance / performance bars around the perimeter of the building.

Cafes
Cafes in Hangzhou normally fit a Hangzhou norm and do not always resemble a cafe in the West. Places like Liangan and UBC serve Western food, which is pretty inedible to a Western palette. Coffee is expensive and usually made over a candle, more for novelty than for good coffee. Some of the more 'international' style cafes are listed here.

 * Costa Coffee, in the West Lake Tiandi, serves coffee drinks, sandwiches and pastries in a suave atmosphere with free Wi-Fi. Try to score one of the incredibly comfortable couches.
 * Linglong Town, on Nanshan Road to the west of most of the bars. Has large smoothies that are excellent for hot days. The restaurant also has many types of tea and good-tasting Taiwanese fare.
 * Jamaica Coffee, in West Lake Tiandi, is owned by a Spanish company and has high quality coffee and tea and some snacks.
 * Fotoyard, Nanshan Rd and Qianwangci, is managed by a bunch of photographers who are better at photos than managing a cafe, but the pizza is good, and the coffee by Illy. When the weather permits, it's an open air cafe and quite nice in the spring time.
 * Starbucks, Wulin Square, Hangzhou Tower, Hangda Rd, Yanan Rd, West Lake Tiandi, Hyatt Hotel, Hu Shu Nan Rd, Hu Bin Rd, and other locations.
 * Chamate, Wulin Square, Yellow Dragon Stadium, West Lake Tiandi (south), is a Taiwanese tea house chain. An excellent place to sample a wide variety of green and oolong teas from the comprehensive picture menu. Each tea is served in its own characteristic style teapot along with plentiful hot (mineral) water. If the tea isn't enough, shaved ice red bean dessert, stinky tofu and Wi-Fi access are all available too.

Nightclubs
There are several large popular clubs in Hangzhou that cater to a generally un-sophisticated house music crowd, although they often have famous DJs visiting. Tables are hard to come by later on at night, and usually you cannot book. Tipping the server may help you find a table. Drinks may take a while to come, so perhaps ordering a bottle of liquor and mixers for the table would reduce the amount of time waiting for drinks. Clubs are generally safe, but bouncers are in-effective so stay away from trouble.

 * SOS, Huanglong Road and Tianmushan Road. The big boy of Hangzhou, and is truly massive, with advanced sound and light, and is always full. SOS has fewer regulars, and more out-of-town clubbers.
 * G+, in the Wahaha Building on Qingchun Road. The more sophisticated of the big clubs, catering to slightly better heeled 20-30s crowd.
 * Coco, Wangtang Road and Wensan West Road. Smaller club on the West side that attracts many expats. Music is more alternative for Hangzhou, and usually there are foreign DJs.

Mid-range
You can find mid-range hotels all over the city, most of which will take foreigners. Try to bargain for a room. Ask how much they want for one night's stay, then say "what if I stay for 3 nights?" or something to that extent and it will become cheaper.

Stay healthy
The West Lake is home to many biting insects that may cause allergic reactions in visitors from outside the area.

Go next

 * Shanghai — About an hour away by train.
 * Suzhou — Around two hours away by bus (or train). Buses leave several times per hour from the bus station at northeast of city (¥68).
 * Tianmushan — For a weekend timeout.
 * Lake Tai is reasonably close, a common weekend getaway for Hangzhou residents.
 * Huangshan or Yellow Mountain, in neighbouring Anhui Province, is a national park on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * Visit the Moganshan mountains to the north for a relaxing break.

title: Hangzhou


text:
Hankey

Hankey is a town of 12,000 people (2011) in the Gamtoos River Valley in South Africa, near Humansdorp. Hankey is in a citrus producing area in the Gamtoos River Valley. The town is mainly a residence for many of the citrus farmworkers and have little to offer tourists.

Understand
As is the case with most South African towns, there are residential areas previously reserved for non-white residents set up on the outskirts of the town. In the case of Hankey these are Centerton on the western edge of the town (on the opposite bank of the Klein River) and Weston, located about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) to the south-west (on the opposite bank of the Gamtoos River).

By car
Follow the N2 West from Port Elizabeth (about 70 km) or the N2 East from Garden Route and take the Humansdorp turnoff (R330). Follow the R330 to Hankey.

By plane
The nearest domestic airport is Port Elizabeth Airport, approximately 110 km away, the nearest international airport is Cape Town International Airport, approximately 600 km away.

See

 * The largest sundial in South Africa
 * The Gamtoos valley offers many stunning views and rock formations. Best way is to take a slow drive and explore the surrounding area.
 * The Gamtoos valley offers many stunning views and rock formations. Best way is to take a slow drive and explore the surrounding area.

Go next

 * The beaches and surf at St Francis and Jeffreys Bay is less than 50km away.
 * The Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve.
 * The Tsitsikamma National Park.
 * Visit Patensie and have breakfast at Tolbos.

title: Hankey


text:
Hankinson

Hankinson is a small, rural town in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. It has a population of about 1,058 people.

Understand
Livestock and farming community: corn, soybeans, sunflowers, wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes.

Get in

 * By car: exit 8 from I-29. About 60 miles south of Fargo.

title: Hankinson


text:
Hanko

Hanko (Swedish: Hangö) is Finland's southernmost city. It has a major marina which serves as a stop for boats traveling between Helsinki and the Archipelago Sea (a popular sailing destination). Hanko is a popular summer tourist destination. Tourism ensures good services and a lot of restaurants at the marina.

Understand

The Gulf of Finland is regarded as beginning at the Hanko peninsula. To the west are the Archipelago Sea (by the coast) and the main basin of the Baltic Sea.

As the Hanko peninsula must be passed by all coastal traffic, it was already an important stopover during the Viking Age. It was chartered as a town in 1874; a railway had been built; Hanko was to be a winter port for Finland and Saint Petersburg since the open sea off the peninsula freezes late. The following year a spa was built, and Hanko became a resort town, with many Russian guests. Finland was then part of the Russian Empire. The casino and the richly ornamented wooden houses of Hanko date from this time. The town developed industry, too.

When Finland became independent in 1917 and the Russian aristocracy suffered due to the revolution, the Russian tourists disappeared. After the Winter War, 1939–1940, the peninsula was leased to the Soviet Union as military base, as demanded by the peace treaty. The border was heavily fortified and manned, and plans for a decisive strike were made on both sides at the start of the Continuation War, but actual battles were minor and the Soviets retreated in 1941. Scattered fortifications remain, and there is a museum on the Hanko Front.

The town remains a major port for international trade, retains its industrial base, and has revived its role as a summer resort. The Hanko Regatta draws a huge crowd, both people participating or interested in the regatta, and those coming just because others are (called Regattasvansen, "the Regatta tail"), some of the latter causing a bit of trouble around the town.

The tip of the peninsula serves as a stopover point for migratory birds crossing the Gulf of Finland and, hence, hosts much birdwatching.

By train or by bus
All trains between Helsinki and Turku stop in Karis (Finnish: Karjaa), which is connected to Hanko by commuter train (often substituted by bus). There are coaches from Helsinki; timetables at Matkahuolto.

By car
Highway 25 comes in from Lohja via Karis and Ekenäs of Raseborg.

The town is a 1.5-hr drive from Helsinki, making it suitable for a day trip. Use the motorway (highway 1, E18) to Lohja or highway 51 along the coast to Karis. From the west along road 1 or 110, turn towards Ekenäs in Salo.

By yacht
The coastal fairways pass the Hanko Peninsula's tip where Hanko is situated. Seafaring, fishing and hospitality to seafarers are Hanko's heritage.

Hanko is easily reached from the sea, but there are crossing fairways and freight traffic in the archipelago and near the peninsula's tip. Parts of the archipelago are difficult to navigate when disoriented.

The Eastern Harbour (Itäsatama, Östra hamnen) is the biggest and busiest guest marina in Finland. There is another guest marina on the north side of the peninsula.

By ferry
In the 2000s there have been passenger ferry (or freight ships taking passengers) services from Germany and Estonia, on and off, but as of 2021 there are no such ferries. Around the world some freight ships take a limited number of passengers even if it's not their main business, so it may be possible to get to Hanko this way.

By bike
Eurovelo 10 around the Baltic Sea more or less follows road 51 from the east and road 110 from the west. Road 25 has narrows shoulders and many full-trailer lorries, you may want to use smaller roads as much as possible, even if they mean detours. The tourist office may have suggestions and maps.

Get around
The easiest way around Hanko is on foot. Most sights and services are close to the city centre and the marina. Except during the Hangon Regatta, taxis and parking spaces are readily available.

Matkahuolto's route planner includes information about bus services.

By taxi

 * Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

See

Do

 * Swimming. Hanko has sandy beaches to the west of the city and pebbly beaches between the marina and the Casino.

Sleep

During the regatta weekend, all accommodation tends to be outsold. Book early. There may still be room at the camping grounds, as there is no huge peak among the camping crowd.

Go next

 * The train and National Road 25 both go to Karis via picturesque Ekenäs. From Karis, trains proceed to Helsinki and Turku.
 * There is a bike route, Kustrutten ("the coastal route"), to Kasnäs at the far end of Kimitoön in the Archipelago Sea. The route includes pathways in the forest, but does not necessitate a terrain bike.
 * Kasnäs can also be reached by boat: there is a daytime cruise thrice weekly (Tu W Sa) via Kasnäs to Örö in the Archipelago National Park. Twice weekly (W Sa) there is an evening cruise ending in Örö. (Check! A ship on this route has been transferred elsewhere.)
 * It is possible to befriend a yacht crew and join them. Or charter a boat and go for yourself, e.g. Hanko to Uusikaupunki by boat.
 * It is possible to befriend a yacht crew and join them. Or charter a boat and go for yourself, e.g. Hanko to Uusikaupunki by boat.

title: Hanko


text:
Hanksville

Hanksville is a tiny town located in the Canyon Country of Utah.

Understand
The town was settled in 1882 by a small group of Mormon pioneers led by Ebenezer Hanks. With a population of about 200 people the tiny town's economy is driven by agriculture and mining, as well as from tourism due to the town's location between several national parks.

Get in
The town is located at the junction of State Routes 24 and 95, and is approximately fifty miles south of Interstate 70.

Go next

 * Capitol Reef National Park. The park is located about 45 miles west of the town via Utah SR-24. It preserves the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust.
 * Goblin Valley State Park. Take Utah SR-24 north of Hanksville for 19 miles, left onto Temple Mountain Road for 5 miles then left onto Goblin Valley Road.
 * Natural Bridges National Monument. 97 miles south of Hanksville via Utah SR-95.
 * Maze District and Horseshoe Canyon (detached area) of Canyonlands National Park. This is the least accessible area of the park. Take SR-24 north and turn right just before Goblin Valley turn-off to Hans Flat Ranger Station. 4-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicles only.

title: Hanksville


text:
Hanmer Springs

Hanmer Springs is a small spa resort in the South Island of New Zealand.

Get in
The town is on State Highway 7A, a spur from Highway 7, between Christchurch and Greymouth/Westport.

Get around
The town is small enough to walk around easily.

Do

 * Mountain biking is very popular, with a great variety of track guides available to purchase from the Hanmer Information point.
 * There are three quad biking tour companies in town available, offering trail rides through the spectacular high country landscape.
 * Mountain biking is very popular, with a great variety of track guides available to purchase from the Hanmer Information point.
 * There are three quad biking tour companies in town available, offering trail rides through the spectacular high country landscape.

Drink
Saints Café, Restaurant & Bar is where all the nightlife happens. They have regular live music and almost something happening after 22:00.

Sleep
Plenty of motels.

Go next

 * Waipara

title: Hanmer Springs


text:
Hannibal

Hannibal is a city in Missouri. It is located approximately 100 miles northwest of St. Louis and is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Hannibal is best known as the boyhood home of author Samuel Longhorn Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain. Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are set in Hannibal. Many historical sites in the city revolve around Twain and his writings, which occupy a prominent place in the history of the Underground Railroad era.

By car
From the south: U.S. Route 69 or U.S. Route 71.

From the west: U.S. route 36

From the east: Interstate 72

From the north: U.S. Routes 61/24

By bus
Burlington Trailways operates daily buses in each direction between St. Louis and places in Iowa, stopping in Hannibal.

By plane
American Airlines partner Cape Air operate flights from St. Louis to nearby (28 miles away) Quincy, Illinois.

Go next
Travelers interested in the creative works of Mark Twain might also head west along U.S. Route 36 to Marceline, childhood home of another creative genius, Walt Disney.

title: Hannibal