7 . Travel Guide to Hangzhou, a Paradise on Earth

Hangzhou is now in the spotlight as the main host of the 19th Asian Games. The capital city of East China’s Zhejiang province, is one of the seven ancient capitals of China. Here are some highlights of the city you can't miss.

West Lake is definitely a place people can never miss when visiting Hangzhou. It is situated in the center of the city, with convenient public transport access. The Hangzhou government also offers free public bikes for tourists to travel around the lake. The parks around the lake are all free to visit.

Standing on Yuelun Hill, on the north bank of the tidal Qiantang River, the Six Harmonies Pagoda is another masterpiece built during the Wuyue Kingdom — this one designed to conquer flooding from the Qiantang River. The name Six Harmonies was given to characterize its purpose of restoring the balance between the heavens and earth, as well as north, south, east, and west.It was erected in the hope of combating the “evil” river’s tidal action. Today, the 13-storey pagoda commands a spectacular view of the Qiantang River.

Xixi, located less than five kilometers from West Lake in the west of Hangzhou, is China’s first national wetland park. Environmental degradation is threatening wetland worldwide, and more than half of the country's inter-tidal wetland has also vanished, which makes the 226 plant species, 50 kinds of fish and aquatic animals as well as 126 kinds of birds in Xixi even more valuable. Its native vegetation consists of subtropical mountainous swamp and evergreen and deciduous, broad-leafed forest.

On the south of West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda is considered the top scenic structure around West Lake due to its stunning silhouette in the glow of evening. For almost a thousand years the pagoda withstood fires and wars, but finally fell down in 1924.

The vast majority of areas and activities in the Kaibab National Forest are free to enjoy by the public. However, there are some fees for recreational (娱乐的) sites and activities such as campgrounds, cabin rentals and recreational vehicle facilities.

It covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults at sites where per person entrance fees are charged. Good for one year from the month of purchase. $80 for one year.

You must be 62 years of age or older to purchase. Passes are $20 for one year or $80 for a lifetime. An Interagency (跨部门的) Annual Pass can be used on many different federal lands across the nation.

It is awarded to those individuals who volunteer 250 hours at one or more recreational sites managed by 5 federal agencies as a way to say “thank you”! The Volunteer Pass is valid (有效的) for 12 months from the month of issuance.

This free pass is available to 4th Graders, 4th Grade Teachers, home school and free-choice learners 10 years of age. Good from Sept. to Aug. of your 4th Grade school year.

People who are living with disabilities can request this $10 lifetime pass. It can be used at many different federal lands across the nation.

For detailed information on fees associated with any Kaibab National Forest recreational site or activity, please visit its website and locate the specific site or activity of interest.

As you stroll through the Hangzhou Asian Games Village, one of the first things     1     catches your eyes is the neat street surface, which would swiftly become dry, almost     2     (magic), if a bottle of water were poured on. In reality,     3     phenomenon results from the well thought out urban planning and construction management employed in the “sponge city ”development of the village.

Sponge cities are a concept that aim to make cities more adaptable to environmental changes and better     4     (equip) to handle natural disasters. The city architects     5     (lay) out ecological sponge subunits based on rainwater collection zones for various uses like watering green areas and cleaning surfaces. This created an integrated system for organic rainwater circulation     6     (support) the green Asian Games. Additionally, they combined landscape design with low-impact development techniques to make the sponge city practical and visually     7     (appeal). For instance, the roads may look like rubber tracks,     8     are actually made of special concrete that lets water seep through(渗透), showing how they've made both function and beauty a     9     (combine).“This minimizes harm     10     the natural environment caused by urban development,”explained GengLei, a staff member at the Asian Games Village.