Ｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕ：Ａ　Ｃｉｔｙ　Ｍａｄｅ　ｆｏｒ　Ｒｏ　ｍａｎｃｅ.docVIP

Ｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕ：Ａ　Ｃｉｔｙ　Ｍａｄｅ　ｆｏｒ　Ｒｏ　ｍａｎｃｅ 　　 　　HANGZHOU is known as one of the most romantic cities in China for its West Lake. Covering an area of six square kilometers, its enchanting scenery changes aspects dramatically depending on the season, weather conditions and time of day, and its peaceful shores have inspired countless scholars and men of letters to pen their impressions in prose and verse. Some even settled there. 　　The lake is also the setting for a number of moving love stories, which have spread far and wide. One of them tells of the love between Su Xiaoxiao, a well-known courtesan, and a young nobleman in a Chinese version of the French play Camille. Su Xiaoxiao was beautiful and talented. Once, on a tour of scenic spots, she met a handsome young man and they fell in love at first sight. Not long after, the man returned home and never came back, and the beautiful girl died heartbroken at the age of 19. To this day, there is a stone marker commemorating Su Xiaoxiao on the Bai Causeway of West Lake. 　　Another legend tells of the love between the spirit of the White Snake and a scholar named Xu Xian, and how the Buddhist monk Fahai sabotaged their love. They underwent countless hardships, and finally the White Snake was subdued and imprisoned beneath the Leifeng Pagoda. The Broken Bridge is said to be the place the two lovers first met, and it continues to draw lovers from around the world. When night falls, it becomes a lovers’ paradise, with gentle breezes wafting in off the water, and night creatures serenading strolling couples. 　　 　　Hangzhou is located 200 kilometers southwest of Shanghai and is the capital of Zhejiang Province, one of the seven ancient capitals of China. It first became famous for the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, dug in the Sui Dynasty (581-618). Completed in 610, the canal was used primarily to transport rice and cereals north. As an important navigation hub and collection and distribution center, Hangzhou developed rapidly, reach