Picturesque scenery of the Qiandao Lake. Photos provided to China Daily

　　The Huqingyutang medicine house, complete with an elegant courtyard, was founded by businessman Hu Xueyan in the late Qing Dynasty (1624-1911).

As visitors flock to Shanghai in May for the 2010 World Expo, the nearby ancient city of Hangzhou is offering its range of scenery, history and amenities as attractions along their journey.

Less than two hours by car from Shanghai, the former capital of the Song Dynasty (1127-1279) even hosted a foreign visitor as far back as the 13th century - Marco Polo, who remembered Hangzhou as "the most exquisite heaven-like city in the world".

The city's beauty has also been the subject of renowned Chinese poems. One of the most well known is by Su Shi, who wrote: "Up above there is heaven, down below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou", also implying that the city is heaven on earth.

Today Hangzhou is an award-winning city for its quality of life, historic sites, economic development and comfortable surroundings.

Guests can walk around West Lake, taste local foods and relax in teahouses. But what makes it an attractive place for many is the slow pace of life.

Hangzhou has topped the list of the 10 happiest cities in China for six years, as ranked by the magazine Oriental Outlook affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

In February 2007, Hangzhou was honored as the Best Tourism City in China by National Tourism Administration and World Tourism Organization.