Activities in Yangtze Delta

A perfect respite from the tourist throngs along West Lake. Inside the low tiled wall is a garden with lotus-covered ponds and a courtyard where local

Where: Hangzhou Bay on the East China Sea, traversing the Qiantang River at the Yangtze River Delta.

A short stroll from the train station, pedestrianized Hefang Road is a collection of Ch'ing dynasty houses (and replicas nearby). Visit this 130-year-

Close by, on the edge of the verdant, waterway-filled Xixi National Wetland Park, the National Wetland Museum will open an Arata Isozaki-designed view

Tea fanatics might head here to pay homage to the 18 bushes set aside for the Ch'ing dynasty emperor Qianlong.

Head straight to our favorite tea shop: the hospitable store will pour you a cup of their green elixir before you buy.

West Lake is the major draw here, with its elegant causeways, pavilions, gardens, and arched bridges.