Hangzhou is China’s most famous silk-producing area and the home of the China National Silk Museum. Silk fabric, 4,700 years old, was discovered among the archaeological ruins of the Liangzhu Culture. Hangzhou was historically referred to as the “silk capital,” and it was proclaimed that silk from Hangzhou “reigns supreme in the world.” With the integration of ancient silk craftsmanship and modern technology, today’s Hangzhou remains an important global silk production and sales center.
As a major producer of Chinese green tea, Hangzhou has a 4,000-year history of tea production and is host to the China National Tea Museum. The world’s first monograph about tea, The Classic of Tea, was written by the “sage of tea” Lu Yu (733-804) in Hangzhou. The custom of drinking green tea was a characteristic of refined Hangzhou life. Combined with the use of tea utensils and tea ceremony, a rich tea culture gradually developed. Hangzhou currently boasts about 2,000 teahouses. Meijiawu and Maojiabu, two major tea-based leisure and tourist destinations, are located in the nearby suburbs.
Hangzhou is a city of fine cuisine; its legendary top ten dishes have been preserved since the 12th century. The Hangzhou Cuisine Museum brings together the essence of traditional and modern Hangzhou fare. Hangzhou is brimming with numerous traditional restaurants and “food streets.”