IT has been said that to fully know a woman's charm, she needs to be seen at night as well as at daytime. And as Hangzhou has long been dubbed as a "Xizi Lady" - a legendary beauty of China - the same piece of advice may be applied to the scenic city.

For years, the Hangzhou government has been helping visitors become more aware of "the lady" at night, through enriching the city's nightlife, illuminating its waters and setting up night tour routes.

The city at night shows a different side to its daytime self - night snack streets provide all kinds of Chinese cuisines, night markets sell inexpensive but fancy knick-knacks, and night boat tours show tourists West Lake and Grand Canal shimmering beneath lights.

As the West Lake International Expo approaches, here are some suggestions for seeing Hangzhou at its best after dark.

Night shows

Hangzhou boasts fabulous scenery and a rich history, and there are three cultural shows that explain the culture and customs of the city, providing a relaxing option when you don't feel like doing a lot of walking.￥ ?Impression West Lake?

Once upon a time, there lived a scholar named Xu Xian who met a beautiful woman by the Broken Bridge at West Lake. Unknown to him, the lady was a 1,000-year-old white snake that had taken on human form. They fell in love and married. But a monk intervened, saying nature's laws forbid a human and a spirit from falling in love and separated the couple. However, Xu continued to dream of his wife.

This timeless romantic tale lingers around West Lake like mist on the water. When night falls, the delicate veil pulls apart and draws visitors into a magical world of music, light and dance where performers bring to life an abstract adaptation of the tale of Madam White Snake.

Date: Daily, 7:45pm, 9:15pmAddress: 82 Beishan RdTel: (0571) 8510-9787Ticket: 260-600 yuan￥ ?Romance of the Song Dynasty?

"Romance of the Song Dynasty" is a large-scale performance that depicts the trials and tribulations of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) in establishing its capital city in Lin'an, now Hangzhou.

The one-hour show is performed nightly in Songcheng Park, and it portrays Song Dynasty soldiers fighting off the threatening Kin Dynasty (1115-1234) from northern China.

It's also a concise and colorful story of how Hangzhou came to be, and you don't need to know Chinese to grasp what's going on - the images, movement and feeling say it all.

Date: Three shows nightlyAddress: 148 Zhijiang RdTel: (0571) 8731-3101Ticket: 180-200 yuan? ?The Night of West Lake?

This performance staged every evening at Dongpo Theater is a gala show that involves dance, acrobatics, kung fu and operas, while introducing Hangzhou culture to spectators.

The show begins with a kung fu demonstration, while the second act of traditional Chinese acrobatics takes its theme from the folk culture of the Southern Song Dynasty.

The next scene tells the romance of "Butterfly Lovers," a Chinese version of "Romeo and Juliet." The fourth act is comprised of several dances popular in southern China, while the last act is a classical Buddhist dance featuring almost 20 dancers.

Date: Daily, 7pm

Address: 10 Dongpo Rd

Tel: (0571) 8708-5997

Ticket: 160-280 yuan

Night markets

There are several night markets in the city but Wushan Night Market is recommended to visitors because, while most markets are aimed at locals, it sells everyday items plus souvenirs.

The market, between Renhe and Huixing roads in urban Hangzhou, is also a meeting place for the city?s fashionable young people.

It is open all year round, except rainy days, and there are more than 400 stalls. Visitors can easily spend a couple of hours browsing the night market, and they can also grab a bite to eat at one of the many snack stalls, milk tea shops and restaurants that line the street.

Food streets

Night snacks play an indispensable part in local food culture and the most authentic are not found in luxury hotels or high-end restaurants but on street corners that many non-locals may be unfamiliar with.

The most popular night snack block in Hangzhou is the center part of Gongshu District in north of the city, where three food streets, Shengli River Street, Dadou Street and Xinyifang Street, are found. These streets are so close that a restaurant-hopping action is an option.

Shengli River Food Street

The picturesque 550-meter-long street along Shengli River features everything from donkey meat and chicken feet to spicy Sichuan food and delicate local dishes.

The Shengli River gives the street a charming watertown feel, and orange and yellow lights decorate antique one and two-story buildings housing numerous restaurants. Prices are reasonable.

Dadou Road

Just 100 meters from Shengli River Food Street is picturesque Dadou Road, another destination for foodies, yet not too crowded as it's away from downtown.

The 1-kilometer road adjacent to the Grand Canal used to be a warehouse street before being transformed into a food street decorated with red lanterns and lights that illuminate the waterway at night.

Restaurant interiors are traditional, stylish and sometimes elaborate. Most eateries on this street are labeled "high-end," with an average consumption for each person of about 100 yuan (US$15.8).

Xinyifang Street

Xinyifang Street is west of Dadou Road and Shengli River Food Street and has been a night snack street for a decade. At night it is bustling with visitors who cram its bars, restaurants and seafood stalls.

One recommendation is the seafood night market, containing more than 20 stalls. Vendors offer all sorts of fish, crustaceans and molluscs, mostly purchased from coastal Zhejiang Province areas,.

Bar streets

On the banks of West Lake, Nanshan Road is considered by locals as one of the most beautiful roads in Hangzhou, and is a bar street. Both sides of the road are covered with lush phoenix trees and dotted with high-end bars, where guests can enjoy a relaxing drink looking out over the lake.

Recommended bars there include JZ bar, which stages live jazz band shows every night; Night and Day, featuring Latin bands and a great place to dance; Park 1999 which offers high-end drinks; and Ibiza, where the bar is in a great garden.

Another bar street road facing the lake is Shuguang Road, where drink prices are in the main cheaper than that on Nanshan Road.

Among recommendations are Maya, a classical American bar where people can chat; You To Bar, which resembles a village bistro with performances by jazz bands; Traveler, which is known for excellent bands and singers; Old Captain, a quiet bar where patrons can enjoy cheap beer and chat; and Mint, which features a decent-sized garden and an indoor area with a good DJ.