They say in China, ‘above is heaven; down here Hangzhou.” And these words have a ring of truth. Marco Polo, the medieval traveller and the first Westerner to visit Hangzhou, was stunned with its beauty and described it as ‘the City of Paradise.’ The city, renowned for its beauty, rest, in the main, with its placid 6.78 sq km (2.6 sq mi) West Lake, which edges the city on the west. Its vistas, leisure activities on its waters, lakeside teahouses, landscaped gardens and tree-shaded walks on its banks combine to give Hangzhou its reputation as one of the most attractive spots in China.