Hangzhou, whose metropolitan area (population 21 million) is the fourth-largest in China, has been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities in China for much of the last millennium. Marco Polo described Hanghzou as 'without a doubt the finest and most splendid city in the world'. A great part of the city appeal results from its West Lake. The city of Hangzhou borders West Lake on one side, but the three other sides of the lake are hills, remarkably undeveloped hills considering the proximity to the city. The West Lake forms a cultural landcape comprising temples, pagodas, pavilions, and enhanced with gardens, causeways, and artificial islands that has inspired Chinese poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century, as well as garden design in the rest of North Asia over the centuries. West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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