"Hangzhou"

Located at the southern end of China's famous 1,776-kilometer-long Grand Canal, a remarkable engineering feat and UNESCO World Heritage site, Hangzhou is one of China's most visited cities. As big a draw as this centuries-old canal, which connects Hangzhou to Beijing, is the city's picturesque location at the foot of a tall mountain range overlooking beautiful West Lake with its many old shrines and temples, romantic bridges, and pleasant pagodas.

Still often called the "Silk City" for its many silk mills and markets, Hangzhou is famous for having attracted many of China's most important artists through the centuries, as well as famous travelers such as Marco Polo, who declared it the most beautiful city in the world. A tradition that has been around even longer than the legend of Marco Polo is taking the famous Dragon Well tea (lóngjing chá), handpicked in the surrounding countryside twice a year and still much celebrated in art and ceremonies throughout the city.

Food in Hangzhou

1. Dongpo Pork (东坡肉)

Dongpo pork is a very popular food among tourists and locals alike. The creation of the dish is related to a famous poet, Su Dongpo, so the dish was named after him. It is cooked by braising finely-skinned, thin pieces of streaky bacon with the famous Shaoxing wine in a sealed pot for hours. When the dish is ready, the bacon is moist and red. It smells sweet with the fragrance of rice wine. The pork is fat and soft but not greasy and tastes very delicious.

2. Fried Shrimps with Longjing Tea (龙井虾仁)

Fried shrimps with Longjing tea is a traditional food in Hangzhou. Stir-fry fresh river shrimps with Longjing tea, tea leaves, and rice wine. The fresh fragrances of Longjing tea and the shrimps blend together. The combination of jade-white shrimps and green tea leaves looks exquisite. The dish tastes fragrant and light.

3. Beggars’ Chicken (叫花鸡)

Beggars’ chicken is cooked in a special way that was created by a beggar. The special cooking process involves wrapping the chicken in lotus leaves, covering it with mud, and then roasting it over a fire. When the mud is baked dry, it is cracked and the clay is broken off and removed. The aroma of lotus leaves and chicken are mixed together. The chicken is crispy on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside.