By Sofia Gronvall

Hangzhou, a place the Chinese like to call heaven on earth and I would agree, as long as we're talking the quality of tea.

The city is known for its rich cultural heritage as well as history and has developed rapidly the last 20 years. While being the capital of the Zhejiang province it is also its leading political, economic and cultural center.

"There are so many beautiful sceneries in the whole of China, but what makes this place stand out from the rest is the unique combination of natural beauty and economic strength," says Li Hong, director of Hangzhou Tourism Commission.

Although the city has flourished with success the last years, Li Gong thinks it has yet to reach global recognition, "During my trips abroad I usually have to explain the location of Hangzhou in relation to Shanghai, since most foreigners don't know of the city. This is something that we want to change."

According to him there are many plans to facilitate travelling for foreigners as he considers the language barrier to be a crucial issue.

"One difficulty we're dealing with is that people who haven't been abroad don't seem to consider the lack of communication as a problem. However, we're setting up English information desks at the airport and also around in the city to help visitors. At this point about 30 % of these are put into practice."

To attract more business men, Li Gong also talks about adapting a new security system similar to the one being used in Guangzhou, "business men don't feel safe because they doubt that their insurances will cover their stay in Hangzhou. This is something we're working on and we're hoping to set up a new SOS-system in the near future."

To all foreigners, Li Gong stresses the importance of checking up on some background information before arrival. "You need to know of the legends, historical background and our culture to truly see and appreciate the beauty of this landscape."

As the rain pours down, the green valleys are covered in a heavy mist. The hills are wrapped in a massive field of tea plants where it is allegedly said that farmers select only the finest examples of leaves to brew their famous Dragon Well Tea.

In times like these, maybe this is heaven on earth.