Hangzhou serves up food culture

Hangzhou has long been regarded as a city of gourmet food and has a long history of cuisine culture. The dishes have a reputation among foodies for fresh ingredients, elaborate processing and natural flavor. Apart fromtime-honored restaurants such as Louw

Visitors can find traditional food and newly developed Hangzhoudishesonthis street close to the Hangzhou train station. It is an ideal destination for people who have difficulty deciding where to eat.

Weizhai Restaurant and Huangfan’er Restaurant are two good dining choices.

Weizhai Restaurant is the upgraded version of centuryold Zhiweiguan, which developed several brands to serve the demands of diners. Popular dishes in Weizhai include Dongpo-style brewed pork andWest Lake Vinegar Fish.

It is said that Huangfan’er Restaurant obtained itsname from Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Huangfan’er can be interpreted as a place where the emperor takes meals.

The restaurant remains popular in Hangzhou after serving local residents for centuries. Qianlong fish-head soup is a must-order dish of Huangfan’er.

Hefang Street

The street is known for a broad range of food offerings in Hangzhou. Businesses not only offer Hangzhou cuisine but also provide cuisine from other regions.

Hefang Street, also named Qinghe Lane, was an important commercial street in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the Qing Dynasty.

Peoplewhoare interested in learning more about Hangzhou history can visit Hefang Street, and take in a folkperformanceonthe street.

Food lovers will find many Hangzhou traditional dishes such as Hangzhou-style noodles, shrimp and eel noodles, and fried scallion pancakes.

Noodles at ZhuangyuanguanRestaurant arefamousin Hangzhou. In ancient China, people who wanted to be the top scorer in imperial examinations would eat noodles in this restaurant. Foodprices are relatively high due to the great number of travelers.

Zhongshan South Road Food Street

The 1,400-meter street claims to be the longest food street in China. It is a good option for travelers who want to have some midnight snacks in Hangzhou. The street, with over 100 locally featured buildings and many traditional stores, opened in 2009.

It is famous for wheat snacks developed in the Southern SongDynasty (11271279).

Midnight snacks are provided at Zhongshan South Road Food Street in Hangzhou. People line up for free laba porridge, a kind of rice mush with nuts and dried fruit, on Hefang Street, celebrating a past Laba Festival.