A natural sounding pastime

A popular podcaster from Hangzhou is preserving the noises of nature to assist insomniacs and overly-stressed listeners to relax, while building up local 'audio maps', Li Yingxue reports.

From the sound of a flowing stream in the forest park or wind in the bamboo groves to the noise of the morning market and the cargo ship on the riverside of Qiantang River, it is now possible to enjoy the beauty of Hangzhou just by closing the eyes and listening.

A recording which captures the myriad sounds of life and nature in Hangzhou's Xihu district of Zhejiang province went online on Ximalaya, a popular audio sharing platform, on July 9.

The album was recorded by Shenggu, whose real name is Zhao Zhiqin and who has been based in Hangzhou for around a decade, a popular podcaster on Ximalaya with over half a million followers.