In the new year, Xianghu Lake in Hangzhou will add many “new faces” and new vitality. Follow us to find out which new members of Xianghu Lake will appear this year~
World Tourism Museum:
Large museum scattered among the landscape
The highly anticipated World Tourism Museum (世界旅游博物馆) is expected to open in October 2021. After intensive construction, the main structure of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) Headquarters and World Tourism Museum was completed on December 9, 2020. Among them, the office area passed the acceptance check on December 31, 2020. At present, the museum has collected more than 300 cultural relics.
With a world-class museum as the core, in 2021, the Yawushan Island (压乌山岛) in Xianghu Lake will grandly return as an ecological landscape park.
Xianghu Water Street:
A future street surrounded by mountains and rivers
The Xianghu Water Street (湘湖水街) project is planned to be officially opened in the second half of 2021.
Xianghu Water Street is located in the second phase of Xianghu Lake, surrounded by mountains and rivers. With its unique advantages in natural environment and unique architectural style, the water street is favored by many cultural and artistic institutions, high-end guesthouses, and catering companies.
Provincial Oil Painting Institute:
The new landmark of Zhejiang literature and art
In June 2020, Zhejiang Provincial Oil Painting Academy (浙江省油画院) signed a contract to settle in Xianghu Lake and the location is Dingshan Island (定山岛). It is currently in the design stage and is advancing simultaneously with the second phase of the Academician Island (院士岛). It is planned to be completed and opened at the end of 2021.
This is the first time that a provincial-level cultural institution has crossed the Qiantang River and settled on the southern bank of the Qiantang River outside the main urban area of Hangzhou. At the Provincial Cultural Congress held a year ago, the Provincial Oil Painting Academy project was listed as one of the new cultural and artistic landmarks in Zhejiang Province.
With the arrival of Zhejiang Provincial Oil Painting Academy, the “Academician Island” will also become a more imaginative “Science and Art Island” with a literary and artistic style.
Wenyan Old Street:
The return of “the Living Wharf of Sanjiang”
In November 2020, the “Wenyan Old Street (闻堰老街)” project officially started. The first phase of the old street reconstruction is about 55 mu (i mu is roughly equal to 666 sq m), which will be built to the first “time-traveling 1980” river food cultural theme street in China. It is planned to start a trial operation in May 2021.
The renovation of Wenyan Old Street respects the old layout of the traditional streets, highlights the regional characteristics of culture and reproduces the prosperous scene of the “the Living Wharf of Sanjiang " in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Main Station of Xianghu Post Station:
Meet beautiful things among beautiful things
Before the Spring Festival of 2021, the main station of Xianghu Post Station (湘湖驿驿站) “Xianghu Post Station • Chaoqi (湘湖驿•潮起)” in Hushan Square (湖山广场) will be completed and opened. The station is the one with the largest area, the highest level of intelligence, and the best landscape among the Xianghu post stations.
Since July 1, 2020, Xianghu Lake has launched the first batch of eight Xianghu post stations, and Xianghu Lake hasn’t stopped the pace of post station construction. By the Spring Festival of 2021, a total of 10 Xianghu post stations and one mobile post station will have been launched for tourists to rest and have fun.
In the new year, Xianghu Post Station will iteratively upgrade, launching “Lakeside Night Study”, “Unmanned Smart Post Station”, etc., to achieve 24/7 services.
Gaofan Photography Art Museum:
An art space built with the descendant of a celebrity
Gao Fan (高帆), a young man who came out from Nanyang, Xiaoshan District in the 1930s, later grew into a famous red culture photographer in China and served as the chairman of the Chinese Photographers Association.
Gaofan Photography Art Museum/Memorial Hall （高帆摄影艺术馆/纪念馆） is located on Xianghu Slow Life Street (湘湖慢生活街) and will be officially opened in January 2021. The art museum is headed by the grandson of Mr. Gao Fan, Gao Chu who is a distinguished professor of the Chinese Academy of Art, and he is responsible for the specific operations of the art museum.
This will be the first dedicated photography museum in Hangzhou. It is based on the collection and display of the photographs of Mr. Gao Fan and his wife to conduct research and display of photographic art.
Visitors will see many precious old photos here in the future, and there will be more exhibitions of avant-garde
photographic works at home and abroad.
Xianghu Branch of Hengshan Academy and Lu Wei Cultural Studio:
The traditional culture highland
In October 2020, the Xianghu Branch of Hengshan Academy and Lu Wei Cultural Studio (横山书院湘湖分院暨吕薇文化工作室) signed a contract to settle in Xianghu, and it is planned to officially open before October 2021.
Beijing Hengshan Academy was established in July 2008, with the promotion of traditional culture as its top priority. The faculty pool contains many masters of literature, history, and philosophy, and is influential at home and abroad. Xianghu Branch is the first branch established by Hengshan Academy, located on the north side of Kuahu Bridge (跨湖桥).
The personal studio of Lu Wei (吕薇), a famous singer of Xiaoshan origin, is also operating in the academy. In the future, the academy will open a free and open book bar about studies of Chinese ancient civilization to the public, regularly hold high-end lectures on traditional culture, and plan and organize influential Chinese studies activities. Ms. Lu Wei will also bring unique women and art courses to jointly create a traditional culture highland.
Shiyuan Garden:
The living room of Xianghu literati and artists
At the foot of Chengshan Mountain (城山), on the southeast side of Xiaofeng Bookstore (晓风书店), there is a century-old house called Shiyuan, which once belonged to Xianghu Village (湘湖村). After half a year of renovation, it has been reopened on a trial basis at the end of 2020.
The official opening of the garden is set for the spring of 2021. At that time, Shiyuan Garden with colorful flowers, lush green trees, swaying bamboo, and its Zen atmosphere will be officially unveiled with a well-planned exhibition or a gathering of literati.
Shiyuan Garden is positioned as the “the living room of Xianghu literati and artists”. It will gather influential literati and artists from home and abroad to come to Xianghu for creation. It will also bring art closer to the citizens through a series of cultural activities for the public.