Amy Stone

“HEAVEN has paradise. Earth has Hangzhou.”

And in particular, Hangzhou has West Lake, the fabled pleasure spot dating back to its creation in the eighth century.

Just two hours south of Shanghai by train, Hangzhou has been blessed by nature and commerce. The only disappointment is the haze of less-than-clean air hovering over the capital of Zhejiang Province.

The city’s outlying district grows the prized Longjing (dragon well) tea, the Rolls Royce of green teas, and an excursion to Longjing or Maijiawu village for tea tasting and buying is akin to taking in the pleasures of Northern California’s wine country.

One of China’s ancient capitals, the city was praised by Marco Polo for its splendor in the 13th century. With Hangzhou’s current prosperity from tourism, tea and textiles, you would never know the city was completely devastated in the 1860s when it was a battleground during the Taiping rebellion.

But Hangzhou more than recovered its old charms. The sights include the Lingyin Temple complex; the China Tea Museum; Qinhefang Old Street with its tea shops, curios and traditional Chinese medicine dispensary and museum (worth a visit just for the architecture); and the silk market on Jiankang Road West, with some of the softest silks in China.

But the sweetest of all is West Lake.

The “Cultural Revolution” did its best to eliminate Hangzhou’s history of delights — including the tomb of sing-song girl Su Xiaoxiao of centuries gone by. But her mausoleum — along with others — has been restored at the edge of West Lake, a magnet for lovers in the warm night air.

Women of pleasure no longer hold court on West Lake, but the lake is busy day and night.

Boats of all sizes ply the waters, with small boats — with tiny lanterns at night — for hire at set prices.

Teahouses dot the lake and the surrounding hills. Restaurants and nightlife are booming at the southeast corner of the lake. Fog Restaurant Bar (0571)8707-0768), with its Matisse-inspired murals, is a personal favorite.

At least one Italian gelato and espresso shop is at the north end of the lake west of the Shangri-La Hotel. And a grand old restaurant, Louwailou Caiguan, serving Hangzhou specialties since 1848, is located right on West Lake, with its own floating restaurant boat for hire.

And of course there’s the signature sight of West Lake — the three stone pagodas rising out of the water.

Called “three pools mirroring the moon,” the tiny structures were built near Little Yingzhou, a manmade islet. Traditionally, on full moon nights, candles would be placed inside the hollow pagodas, the large round holes would be sealed with paper, and the many moons of candlelight would sparkle on West Lake.

Well worth a place on China’s tea-green one-yuan note.