From Liyang, we went on to Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang province, which is a beautiful city that we have visited before. On our previous trip, we explored West Lake, which is the historic center of Hangzhou because of its cultural significance. There is a famous story about star-crossed lovers that draws romantic tourists from throughout China:
From China Daily: "'The Butterfly Lovers' has often been compared to the tale of Romeo and Juliet, except with a considerably greater degree of cross-dressing. Here a young woman disguises herself as a boy in order to secure an education. She spends three years sharing a room with a male classmate who never guesses her secret. She, however, falls in love with him. When the truth is finally out, the two decide to marry, but their happiness is short-lived. The girl's father insists she marry another and the young man dies of a broken heart. The two are ultimately united when the girl visits her dead lover's tomb on her wedding day and the couple are transformed into a pair of butterflies."
But I digress... our October trip was memorable, but not quite so romantic. We toured the new Hi-tech Industry Development Zone, and the new Central Business District (CBD.)
The Hi-tech zone was originally formed in 1990, but it has seen tremendous growth during the past few years. We had a very interesting meeting with Madame Wu, who is the Vice Director of the Administrative Commission. Companies located in the zone belong to many tech sectors, including communications, electronics, alternative energy, integrated circuits, animation, and gaming. Outsourced services are abundant. The famous Chinese e-commerce leader, Taobao, is headquartered here, along with Alibaba. We toured a Astronergy's plant, the company that is building China's largest rooftop solar power base.
Needless to say, I was quite impressed, and could not help but walk away with the impression that China's aggressive policies favoring investment and economic growth are paying off. More later.
