Five Reasons to Live in Hangzhou杭州宜居的五个理由

莉迪娅·舒

Tea and greenery offer relaxation in this hub of industries old and new.在這个新旧产业交汇的中心，茶和青枝绿叶使人放松。

Birthplace of Longjing tea （Dragon Well tea） and home to ecommerce powerhouse Alibaba， the emerging tech hub and capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province is also known for its beautiful landscapes and traditional silk industry.

Culture by the water

Situated in the city centre， Hangzhou’s West Lake is both a breathtakingly scenic spot and a cultural landmark. Famous for its influence on Chinese poetry， paintings and garden design， the Unesco World Heritage Site’s significance is such that it features on the back of the Rmb1 banknote1. Locals like to cycle down the Su and Bai causeways， taking in the gorgeous views of the water， mountains， bridges and pagodas.

Known as “the kidney of Hangzhou” for its cleansing properties， the Xixi National Wetland Park， a 20-minute drive from West Lake， is a conglomeration of ponds， lakes， swamps and villages that dates back to the Han dynasty （third century AD）. With a vivid cultural heritage， the wetlands play host to one of the biggest dragon boat festivals in south China every June and continue to be a home to the ancient crafts of silk farming and book engraving.

Two-wheeled adventures

The city has the largest public bicycle-sharing system in the world， with five times the number of bikes in London despite having only a slightly larger population， at 9.47m. Bike rental is as easy as downloading an app and scanning a code. A single ride costs Rmb1， a mere $0.14.

Growing tech hub

Hangzhou is home to 26 unicorn companies （privately owned companies valued at more than $1bn） and 105 companies valued at more than $100m. With these companies mostly focused on ecommerce， IT and internet financing， Hangzhou is at the forefront of China’s drive to develop its digital economy and tech and innovation capacities.

The city is fast becoming one of the biggest innovation centres globally for artificial intelligence and robotics， with the Zhejiang government developing several IT centres—such as the Future Sci-Tech City—as part of a five-year plan unveiled last year.

The district government has partnered with Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba to foster a business environment conducive to local start-ups in Future Sci-Tech City. It hosts Alibaba’s headquarters and other fast-growing start-ups， including AI specialist Rokid2.

In a similar vein， Hangzhou’s fintech capital Xixi Valley Internet Finance Town now hosts more than 250 companies， including Zhima， Mogujie and Ant Financial Services. The Hangzhou Blockchain Industrial Park opened in April this year， with $1.6bn of funding announced for blockchain start-ups， 30 per cent of which was supplied by the Yuhang district government.

Time for tea

Hangzhou is home to one of China’s favourite teas， Longjing tea （Dragon Well tea）， a variety of pan-roasted green tea known for its aromatic flavour and health benefits.

With Longjing tea fields located a 20-minute drive from the city centre in Meijiawu and Longjing tea villages， Hangzhou residents have easy access to a wide variety of premium quality but affordable tea leaves at local markets such as the Hangzhou Jiefang Road Non-staple Food Tea Market. A popular weekend pastime is to hike through the sprawling tea fields and enjoy a meal with freshly picked tea at one of the village tea houses.

Silk sensations3

Silk has been one of the cornerstones of Hangzhou’s economy since the Tang Dynasty （from the seventh to 10th centuries）， when the fabric was reserved for the imperial family， and the Southern Song Dynasty （10th to 13th centuries）， when the silk industry began to thrive and Hangzhou earned its moniker4 the Capital of Silk.

Today， Hangzhou remains famous for producing high-quality silk and satin. Locals visit Silk City， one of China’s biggest wholesale and retail markets for silk， to pick up fabrics， scarves， garments and handicraft that are also exported across the globe.

杭州是龙井茶的发源地，也是电子商务巨头阿里巴巴总部的所在地。它作为新兴的科技中心和华东浙江省的省会，也以其美丽的风景和传统丝织业闻名于世。

水乡文化

位于市中心的杭州西湖不僅是让人叹为观止的风景胜地，还是一个文化地标，以其对中国诗歌、绘画和园林设计的影响而著称，被联合国教科文组织认定为世界遗产，意义重大，西湖的景观也因此成为1元人民币纸币背面的图案。当地人喜欢沿着苏堤和白堤边骑车边观赏美丽的水、山、桥、塔。

以其净化特性而享有“杭州之肾”美誉的西溪国家湿地公园，距西湖20分钟车程，集池塘、湖泊、沼泽和村落于一体，历史可追溯到汉代（公元3世纪）。湿地有着鲜活的文化遗产，每年6月都会主办华南地区最大的龙舟文化节，并且一直是养蚕缫丝和雕版刻印的古老工艺之乡。

两轮骑游

这个城市拥有世界上最大的公共自行车共享系统，尽管947万的人口只比伦敦多一点，但是自行车数量却是伦敦的5倍。自行车租赁简单到只需下载一个手机应用，然后扫码。骑行一程费用1元人民币，仅相当于0.14美元。

持续发展的技术中心

杭州是26家独角兽公司（价值10亿美元以上的私有公司）和105家价值1亿美元以上公司的所在地。这些公司大多主要从事电子商务、信息技术和互联网金融，杭州便处于中国发展数字经济和技术创新生产力的前沿。

作为去年公布的五年计划的一部分，浙江省政府开发了未来科技城等几个互联网技术中心，该市很快成为全球最大的人工智能和机器人创新中心之一。

区政府和中国电子商务巨头阿里巴巴合作，在未来科技城营造有益于当地初创企业的商业环境。阿里巴巴总部和人工智能专业公司若琪等其他快速成长的初创企业已落户其中。

与此相似，杭州的科技金融中心西溪谷互联网金融小镇已有250多家公司入驻，包括芝麻信用、蘑菇街和蚂蚁金服。杭州区块链产业园已于今年4月开园，宣布为区块链初创企业提供16亿美元资金，其中30%由余杭区政府提供。

品茶时间

杭州是中国人最喜爱的茶之一龙井茶的故乡。龙井茶是一种用平锅炒制的绿茶，以其气味芳香和有益健康闻名。

龙井茶产地位于梅家坞和龙井村，距市中心20分钟车程，所以杭州居民可以很方便地在杭州解放路副食品茶叶市场等当地市场买到各种各样质优价廉的茶叶。广受欢迎的周末消遣方式是徒步穿过绵延不绝的茶园，然后到其中一家农家茶馆里享用美食，品一品新采的茶。

丝绸美名扬

自唐宋以来，丝绸一直是杭州经济的支柱之一。在唐代（7到10世纪），丝绸是皇室供品，到了南宋时期（10到13世纪），丝绸工业开始兴盛，杭州赢得了绸都的称号。

如今杭州仍以生产高质量的丝绸和绸缎闻名。当地人去中国最大的丝绸批发零售市场之一——丝绸城挑选面料、围巾、服装和手工艺品，这些产品也出口到全球各地。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手）