Open a map of Hangzhou, and two types of landscape emerge – half of the territory is a flourishing marketplace, while the other half is similar to a lovely Chinese landscape painting.
Hangzhou’s bustling urban landscape stems from the crisscrossing of Zhongshan, Hubin, and Xiaohe roads. These streets tell Hangzhou’s transformation from an imperial city to a thriving commercial center. They show how the city has evolved from simple sericulture to elegant and sophisticated fashions. Indeed, these streets have recorded how the city has grown from a simple leisure town to a prominent economic hub.
Yet Hangzhou’s idyllic lifestyle is still found among the ancient villages scattered along the banks of the Xin’an, Fuchun, and Qiantang rivers. These remote villages shine like pearls, strung together by common kinship, commerce, and trade. Since ancient times, the people here have lived as fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars. Their belief in these noble professions and their hometowns will continue to define their ideal way of life for generations to come.
Since the turn of the 21st century, Hangzhou has pursued a new concept of urban renewal, which focuses on maintaining a balance between preservation and development. This concept allows for the preservation of historic neighborhoods and ancient towns, while still allowing for the development of older areas and the construction of new ones. Special attention has been given to newly developed areas of the city to ensure that the local ecology and culture are handled properly.