HANGZHOU is not only a city renowned for elegance, the West Lake and the Grand Canal of China. It's also a region of natural beauty, a place to experience glorious and tranquil scenery - epitomized by "Two Sides of Three Rivers."

The three rivers - Qiantang River, Xin'an River and Fuchun River - combined with Qiandao Lake, link scenic spots, traditional towns and rural landscapes.

So what better way to wind down after enjoying the frenetic pace of the West Lake International Expo than relaxing in the countryside around Hangzhou?

Shanghai Daily introduces some of the gems scattered around the waters.

Xiaoshan

Xiaoshan where the Hangzhou international airport is located is also a tourist destination. People can explore its cultural relics, farmland and waters.

Meinu Dam in Xiaoshan is regarded as one of the best points to see the world's largest tidal bore on the Qiantang River. It is up to 9 meters high and travels at up to 12 meters per minute. Every year, tourists around the world come to see the spectacular sight. The peak usually occurs on the 18th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar.

The other popular sightseeing sites include Hangzhou Polar Ocean Park and Hangzhou Oriental Culture Park.

Hangzhou Polar Ocean Park is in the Xiang Lake zone. Visitors can see animals such as a polar bear, wolves, sea lions, arctic foxes and even a dolphin.

Hangzhou Oriental Culture Park is arranged according to the Eight Trigrams of ancient Chinese philosophy.

Tonglu

When you spend a night in Tonglu's Barbizon Garden, you awake to the dawn chorus, the trilling bird song sure to put visitors in a good mood. Even on dull, gray days, the whorls of lavender flowers that greet you on your way down the path to Barbizon radiate their own soft glow.

These purple blooms are found all over the mountains and plains, like a beautiful Provence landscape, creating French-style romance far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Tonglu is also renowned for its orchards, so visitors should seize the opportunity to sample locally grown fruit and dishes made with them.

Daqi Mountain National Forest and Red Lantern Countryside Homeland's orchards provide more than 20 kinds of fruit self-picking options. Remember to go and ask the growers for permission before starting to collect your own harvest.

Jiande

With a history stretching back thousands of years, the small county of Jiande offers a myriad of tourist attractions, from an ancient Buddha statue to a reservoir.

Also known for its beautiful mountains and rivers, Jiande has been selected as one of the first batch of 44 key national tourist attractions. In 2001, it was named one of China's model tourist cities.

Xin'an River, a tributary of the Qiantang River, runs through Jiande County and the attractions are situated near its banks. It is a popular getaway in the scorching summer as the water in the Xin'an River is said to remain at a temperature of 14 to 17 degrees Celsius all year round. There is always a thin mist covering the river.

Hot springs make for a soothing getaway in winter. A relaxing soak can rejuvenate the mind and provide health benefits to the body.

Visitors can have their neck and back soothed by small waterfalls, or enjoy therapeutic springs containing Chinese herbs, rice wine or even coffee.

In Jiande, there is a special community - Nine Fishing Families, who used to reside on the Xin'an River. Today, their wedding custom is adapted into a folk performance shown on the Xin'an River to attract tourists.

The male relatives of the bride, usually four of them, carry and throw the bride, while their counterparts in the groom's family, standing on the other boat catch her. The groom's boat will turn around when the bride is caught, and then the couple has the wedding ceremony on the boat.

Fuyang

Tranquil Fuyang City, dating back 2,000 years, is just 40 kilometers from Hangzhou and is famous for paper-making. Nearby at Longmen Mountain is the biggest waterfall in the Hangzhou area, its white cascades contrasting with the lush greenery.

This was the home of Sun Quan (AD 182-252), founder of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280). Sun is famous for his honesty in handling state affairs. About 90 percent of the 7,000 residents are surnamed Sun, all Sun Quan's descendants.

Longmen (literally means dragon gate) Town lies on the southern bank of the Fuchun River. The architecture there is some of the best preserved of its kind in the Yangtze River Delta. Each residence is connected by covered walkways or zigzagging cobbled pathways. A local saying goes: "If you visit your neighbors on a rainy day, you won't get your shoes wet."

The town contains pagodas, halls, gate towers and temples from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, some of which are very ornate. Around 30 ancient buildings remain intact - the most outstanding is Yuqing Hall in the southwest part of the town.

Chun'an

Qiandao Lake is famous for its clean, drinkable water. It was formed after completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station. The lake contains 1,078 large islands and a few thousand small ones.

Qinchuan Village in Chun'an is home to many old buildings, including one dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The village contains around 300 two-story buildings, including a couple from the Ming Dynasty, many from the Qing Dynasty and some from the Republic of China Period (1911-1949).

As a stream zigzags through the village, nearly every building has a natural fish pond and there are many waterside pavilions.

At the entrance of the village are several huge ancient camphor trees, known as "guest-welcoming trees," which are revered. People used tocall them "Mother Camphor" and "Father Camphor" and believed they protected the village. Near a hole at the root of Mother Camphor, people used to place coins, paste pieces of red paper and pray for good luck.