By Matthew Lee
After five buses (three of which went in the wrong direction), a taxi ride, a long walk, a look of confusion when I passed two separate Ferrari dealerships, and a lot of sweating I arrived in Hangzhou: the city touted as the most beautiful in all of China, thanks to West Lake.

Xi Hu, or West Lake as it is translated, is a massive lake which sits in the middle of Hangzhou and it is surrounded by immense parklands on all sides, and in its middle as well for that matter. The name West Lake is by no means individual and I must have seen a dozen identically named lakes throughout China, but when you mention the name to a Chinese person in any corner of the country they immediately respond with wishful words and praise of the beauty of Hangzhou's lake. And with good reason too I have to say.

The lake is perhaps 20km around with every step of that within a garden of some sort. I walked from my guesthouse along the eastern shore, down shaded paths, past flower beds and gardens, over ancient spirit bridges (built in a zigzag fashion in order to stop bad spirits from crossing), past expensive cafes and restaurants, next to towering fountains, statues, temples and pagodas. There is no place around the lake which does not have some kind of feature, whether it is a simple statue or a nine storey pagoda, so I was constantly surrounded by beautiful and peaceful scenes. Over the centuries the lake has been gradually beautified by emperors, governors and anyone that wanted their own little piece of opulence.

In the north, a small island sits in the lake, accessible by a causeway built many centuries ago, and it is home to a multitude of attractions such as tea houses, museums, art galleries, a delightful park, and the Association of Seal Carvers. Even with all of these amazing cultural Chinese activities about me I found myself attracted to a different exhibition, one about Pompeii. That¡¯s right, in the middle of China I was examining mosaics, jewelry and casts of the victims of an Italian volcano. Talk about experience the real China.

Beyond the lake, which is difficult concept to consider as the lake is pretty much the entirety of Hangzhou, the city is somewhat different to other Chinese cities. The place seems a lot richer for starters (Porsche dealerships are not common in China), but Hangzhou is also much cleaner and greener than the average city around here. Trees and parks are easy to find and there are many open pedestrian squares and wide boulevards. Hangzhou left a lasting impression of peace and beauty that is not present very often in China (Chengdu is probably the only other exception that I know of).