/var/log/hangzhou.log

I’ve been back in Hangzhou for a few weeks now, and the transformation since my last visit in 2015 is staggering. Seeing a city evolve over a decade is one thing; seeing it happen in China is an entirely different scale of change.

The Cultivated West Lake

The Xihu (West Lake) area, once a balance of nature and history, now feels almost overdeveloped. While it remains as pristine as I remember, it has lost some of its natural charm to a more "cultivated" aesthetic. Interestingly, the crowd dynamic has shifted; where it once felt like a hub for international and domestic tourists, it now feels much more for locals.

The Gold Standard of Rail

China’s high-speed rail remains a marvel, but the opening of Hangzhou West Station is a game-changer. It provides much-needed relief to the older Hangzhou and Hangzhou East hubs and opens up previously tucked-away locations.

The highlight, however, was the new Business Class experience. For only 239 RMB, the 90-minute trip from Shanghai felt like a luxury flight. Imagine a semi-enclosed suite—reminiscent of Qatar Airways’ first-class cabins—where you can fully recline. They provide slippers, an eye mask, and a snack box with nuts and jerky. It’s the kind of seamless infrastructure I’m already jealous I won’t have once I’m back in the US.

The Price of Progress: Homogenization

If there is a downside to this rapid growth, it’s the homogenization. Like many major Chinese metros, Hangzhou is beginning to look like Shanghai or Beijing. I found myself wishing for more architectural variation; at times, if you closed your eyes and opened them in a new district, you’d be hard-pressed to know exactly which city you were in.

Final Thoughts

Despite the urban "sameness," the quality of life here is undeniable. From the floor-heated apartments to the thoughtful interior designs and reasonable cost of living, Hangzhou is a remarkably comfortable place to exist. It’s a lovely city that has mastered the art of being "livable," even if it’s traded some of its old-world soul for modern efficiency.