Recently, the Tourism Bureau of Zhejiang Province issued its first Zhejiang characteristic town cultivation list, in which 15 of Hangzhou’s towns are included.
Qingbo Street “Ancient Charm” 清波街道“古韵”
Hefang Street, Nanshang Road, Southern Song Imperial Street are all old streets of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic period of China, and all display white-walled and black-tiled houses showing Jiangnan charm. In Qingbo Guyun (Ancient Charm) Characteristic Town, there are many intangible cultural heritage items, including Zhejiang School Guqin, Hu Qing Yu Tang traditional Chinese medicine, Zhu Bingren Bronze Sculpture techniques and Fang Hui Chun Tang traditional herbal extract.
Wenhui Street “Star of the City” 文晖街道”城市之星”
Cheng Shi Zhi Xing (Star of the City) emphasizes the protection and reuse of old factory sites. Through ways of remolding old factory spaces, giving them new functions, and infusing culture and commercial innovation into them, these old factory sites are being forged into international urban exposition centers and international culture and tourism complexes with core themes like museums, theaters, galleries and boutique art hotels.
Yuhang: Jingshan Town 余杭: 径山镇
Jingshan Town is located at the west side of Yuhang District and is blessed with enchanting natural scenery. The town is known for its tea and tea-featured landscapes, which is serene and leisurely and frequented for its undulating aromatic green tea hills, gurgling crystal-clear spring, and bells ringing in quiet ancient temples.
Chun’an: Shilin Town 淳安：石林镇
Shilin Town is the only town in Chun’an County that is connected by highways, waterways and railways. Seventy percent of the town is devoted to a karst landscape renowned for its colorful rocks and erect peculiar-shaped hills. The stone forest in the area is characterized for being “serene, unusual, dangerous and mysterious.”
Xihu District: Shuangpu Town 西湖区：双浦镇
Shuangpu Town is blessed with picturesque scenery and a wealth of local products. It is home to Lingshan Scenic Area, which is known for its karst cave landscape, and the production area of Jiu Qu Red Plum Tea and West Lake water shield.
Xiaoshan: Heshang Town 萧山区: 河上镇
Heshang Town is located at the south side of Xiaoshan District. It is a natural oxygen bar and a holiday resort with a great ecological environment and forest resources. Heshang Town is known for its century-old history and profound culture. To date, it has still retained many large-scale folk cultures and arts such as the bench-dragon dance, horse-lantern dance and stilt performances.
Xiaoshan District: Jinhua Town 萧山区: 进化镇
As one of the cradles of Wuyue culture, Jinhua Town is endowed with an age-long history in which many outstanding people have emerged, giving the place its strong cultural atmosphere. In addition to that, Jinhua Town features an even greater environment and delightful scenery with forest coverage of up to 65 percent. Mountains enveloped in clouds and mist, luscious green bamboo forests, undulating tea hills, limpid spring flowing are just a few of the finds dwelling in Jinhua Town.
Fuyang District: Longmen Town 富阳区: 龙门古镇
Located on the southern bank of Fuchun River, Longmen Ancient Town enjoys an idyllic environment and convenient transportation. Longmen Ancient Town is the hometown of Sun Quan, one of the warlords during China’s Three Kingdoms period. Inside the town, are many unique folk customs, and the large-scale ancient building complexes from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which is rare in China.
Fuyang: Dongqiao Town 富阳区: 洞桥镇
Dongqiao Town possesses many natural resources, mainly including the “three mountains, three springs, two temples, one lake and one island”, namely, Tianjing Hill (天井山), Tianlei Hill (天雷山), Tianyun Hill (天云山), Fenglinyan Spring (枫林咽泉), Zhenzhu Island (珍珠岛), Dongding Spring (洞顶泉), Tianlei Temple (天雷寺), Tianyun Temple (天云寺), Yanling Lake (岩岭湖), Xiangliang Island (香莲岛).
Jiande City: Meicheng Town 建德市：梅城镇
Bordering Wulong Mountain at the north and the confluence of three rivers at the south, Meicheng Town has a history of over 1700 years and was so named for the length of its city walls being shaped like plum blossom. Here, every wall, every brick, every lane, every ancient house has a story to tell.
Jiande: Qiantan Town 建德市:乾潭
Qiantan Town stands in the middle section of golden tourism area of Fuchun River, Xin’an River, Qiandao Lake and Huangshan Mountain. In Chinese history, it is noted as the “Hometown of Fish and Rice”, and is also home to Fuchun River National Forest Park and Zhejiang’s Ecological No.1 Bamboo Rafting.
Lin’an District: Tuankou Town 临安区: 湍口镇
Tuankou Town is situated in the southwestern part of Lin’an. Inside the town, there are eight mountains and four rivers flowing through. With a forest coverage of over 80 percent it is no wonder that the town is also rich in mineral resources.
Lin’an District: Heqiao Town 临安区：河桥镇
Heqiao Town got its name from its many bridges inside its border. Buildings in the town are mostly of Hui style (one of the most important and traditional types of Chinese architecture). With a beautiful ecological environment and a wealth of local products, Heqiao Town makes for an ideal spot for an excursion.
Tonglu: Fuchunjiang Town 桐庐县：富春江镇
Funchunjiang Town lies on the river bank of the picturesque Fuchun River and is an emerging industrial tourism town embedded on the golden tourist route of Fuchun River, Xin’an River and Qiaodao Lake.
Tonglu: Yaolin Town 桐庐县：瑶琳镇
Yaolin Town boasts a profusion of tourist resources and has more than ten featured tourist areas. It is also home to a collection of characteristic B&Bs which are equipped with all the latest hotel functions, rural landscapes and Yaolin characteristics.