Outdoor enthusiasts can't get enough of Lin'an in Hangzhou

There's something for everyone in sporting 'paradise'

Renowned as a paradise for hikers, cyclists, campers and water sports enthusiasts, Lin'an district in Hangzhou city enjoys a high profile among young people on social media platforms.

Tomas, a cyclist from the Netherlands who has explored the likes of Amsterdam, Paris and Rome on his bike, visited China five years ago and became enthralled with the beautiful landscapes of East China's Zhejiang province, where Hangzhou is the capital. He has since explored areas such as Lin'an, Xiaoshan, Fuyang, Shaoxing, Zhuji, and Jinhua and posted his adventures on social media.

Tomas said he truly believes Lin'an is a "cycling paradise", and he recently returned to savor the serene environment and breathtaking vistas along the Qingshan Lake Greenway which is about 42.2 kilometers long.

Lin'an offers more than 100 routes for beginner and intermediate cyclists, and for experienced riders, it features the 139-km Western Zhejiang Sky Road, which hosted the KOM Challenge in May.

Lin'an is also known as the "hometown of rock climbers". In August, a competition was held above water in Longshang village, Gaohong town, with more than 100 athletes demonstrating their physical and mental prowess.

Longshang's main attraction is the 696.2-meter Shizi Mountain, which captured the attention of Canadian climber Joe Langwald, who described the granite face as "perfect" for offering routes of varying degrees of difficulty.

He said that standing at the summit and gazing down at the valley, one can truly appreciate the charm of China.

Lin'an's abundant water resources also make it a destination for stream tracing — the most famous of which is Yulong Stream on Daming Mountain.

Over a 3-km-long stretch it offers clear water, constant flow, dense forest, fragrant flowers, jagged rocks and cascading waterfalls.

Lin'an encompasses an area of about 3,119 square kilometers, with a forest coverage rate of 82.64 percent. It is home to two large nature reserves, Tianmu Mountain and Qingliang Peak, and the source of the Taihu Lake and Qiantang River water systems.

To the east, 10-sq-km Qingshan Lake is a "water sports paradise" where athletes can partake in wakeboarding, sailing and kayaking, among other activities. To the west, the Wansongling ski resort boasts a main ski slope 1,000 meters long and more than 100 meters wide, with a vertical drop of approximately 200 meters. It also houses Western Zhejiang Sky Road and Daming Mountain, a great place for mountain climbing and stream tracing.

To the south, the national flagship store of 51Camp offers camping experiences and outdoor activities in the surrounding waters and mountains, while to the north, Shizi (Lion) Mountain, at an altitude of 696.2 meters, offers more than 200 rock climbing routes.

In the central region, Tianmu Mountain, at an altitude of 1,506 meters, is a hot spot for mountain climbing and forest yoga. The Tianmu Mountain biosphere reserve nurtures 10,440 species, making it a famous "kingdom of trees", and its rich ecological reserves attract researchers from around the globe.

The "outdoor paradise" of Lin'an also accommodates visitors who find pleasure in relaxation, photography and music. Last winter, heavy snowfall in western Lin'an sparked a craze for enjoying the scenery there. A man surnamed Lu drove nearly five hours from Shanghai just to watch the snow and remarked it was a spectacular natural wonder. This spring, a white-collar worker from Hangzhou and her best friend drove for over two hours to Qianniugang, which is located at an altitude of 1,483 meters. They stargazed, waited for sunrise and observed the sea of clouds. They photographed the views and said the cloud-capped mountain was truly beautiful.

As autumn approaches, Zhinan village will attract tourists to see its maple leaves, Tianmu and Daming mountains will be painted with layers of vibrant colors and Qingshan Lake will be ringed with tourists enjoying lakeside music as Lin'an shows why it is renowned as a "must-see" destination for visitors from across China and around the world.

Wang Feifan contributed to this story.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn