Hangzhou

The congress will be held in Hangzhou, which is the captial of Zhejiang, is one of the old imperial Cities in China; the others are Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Beijing.Marco Polo called Hangzhou the most distinguished and beautiful city in the world. The widely--traveled Venetian was fascinated with the spleendor of the huge edifices, the wide paved streets and the magnificient grounds along the shores of the Xihu, West Lake.He admired the people's friendiness, hospitality and peaceableness, their silken clothing and the women's valuable jewelry. In those days, Hangzhou had an estimated population of 1.6 million, and the city was a flourishing trade center.

In fact, Hangzhou is still one of the most beautiful destinations of a trip through China; and, like marco Polo, the visitor will be pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people of Hangzhou. It can be easily reached by train from Shanghai, but it is also possible to get there by plane from Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Hongkong.Hangzhou lies in northern Zhejiang at the southern end of the Grand Ganal. The city is linked to Central China by an extensive network of canals. Population: 5.28 million.

West Lake

The famous West Lake is like a brilliant pearl embedded in the beautiful and fertile shores of the East China Sea near the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay. The lake covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers. The view of the West Lake is simply enchanting, which offers many attractions for tourists at home and abroad.

The Lingyin Monastery

The Lingyin Monastery, or the Monastery of Soul’s Retreat, is a famous historical site of the West Lake. Here exists the Lingyin Monastery, a famous ancient temple in China, in front of which there are Feilai Peak, Cold Spring, Longhong Cave and precious rock cave arts and queer and varied natural caves and gullies.

Spring Dawn at Su Causeway

It’s a 2.8 km. long boulevard cutting across the south-north scenic area, and lined with trees and flowering plants. When Spring comes with crimson peach blossoms and green willows; the scenery is all the more charming. Strolling along the boulevard, one feels as if the West Lake were wakening in dawn mist. Young willows were ethereal, spring breeze so caressing, and birds were chirping in unison.

The Moon Reflected in Three Pools

"There are islands in the lake and three are lake on the islands." The three stone towers were first built in Yuanyou 4th year (1089) of the Song Dynasty, with the wonderful scenery of "one moon in the sky having three reflection in the lake", it is one of the wonderful scenes of the West Lake.