INTRODUCTION TO HANGZHOU
Hangzhou was settled 4700 years ago, through evidence from archeological findings from
Liangzhu Civilization. During Song Dynasty, Hangzhou gained its popularity when Song
Imperial Court, escaping Jurchen and later Mongolian armies from the north, made the city its
capital, thus its ancient name Lin An, city of temporary peace. Hangzhou is one of the seven
ancient capitals in the history of China.
When the Italian traveler in the 13th century, Marco Polo visited Hangzhou when he served in
the Mongolian Court, he described Hangzhou as "the most splendid and luxurious city in the
world".
Hangzhou has 8 districts, with a total area of 16,596 square kilometers and a total population
of 6.4278 million, while Hangzhou's city proper covers an area of 3,068 square kilometers with
a population of 3.932 million. Hangzhou’s city flower is the sweet osmanthus. Its city tree is
the camphor tree.
Hangzhou’s best known feature is its scenic beauty. To the west of the hustle and bustle of
the modern city is the beautiful West Lake. Formed around 2000 years ago from a lagoon, the
West Lake has been one of the most visited attractions in China. Gardens around the lake are
best examples of Chinese public gardens. The three islands in West Lake are all gardens as
well. Small wooden boats and engine boats with carved latticed sides take visitors to the
islands and any destination around the lake. Two man-made causeways built in Tang and
Song dynasties connect east and west, and the other north and south, the construction of
each was overseen by a most well known poet in Ancient China, Bai Causeway by Bai Ju Yi,
and Su Causeway by Su Dong Po.
The Grand Canal is possibly the other major constructions in ancient China besides the Great
Wall. The oldest canal in the world, the Grand Canal was built by Sui Yang Emperor
(569CE—618CE) connecting Hangzhou and Beijing on the bases of a series of small old
canals constructed over the thousand years up till then. The Grand Canal was a major
transportation route to connect southern China to the capital Beijing in the last three
dynasties. Parts of it remain active water ways for transportation today.
Aside from its natural beauty, Hangzhou is also known for its green tea and silk. Longjing Tea,
or Dragon Well Tea is the most popular green tea in China. Tea bushes and tea farms adorn
the lake and the city outskirt. Enjoying tea with family and friends in a tea house is among the
most favorite leisure activities for Hangzhou residents. Hangzhou is also known for its silk,
and is the location of the national silk museum.
Hangzhou and Boston established the sister city relationship in 1983.
CHILDREN OF HANGZHOU: CONNECTING WITH CHINA OVERVIEW
RATIONALE
Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China is an interactive 1200 sf exhibit that explores
contemporary Chinese life and culture through children in the city of Hangzhou. In immersive
environments, children 5-12 years old and their families will engage in culturally relevant,
inherently interesting activities that will encourage curiosity and exploration of Chinese life and
culture.
Four children will serve as hosts through the exhibition, introducing visitors to important
elements and settings of their daily lives. Through these children, visitors will explore the
main messages of the exhibition.
Within the last two decades, China’s modernization has made a tremendous economic, social,
political, and environmental impact on the United States and the world. Consider:
 Every fifth person in the world is Chinese.
 More people speak Chinese than any other language in the world.
 Within the next decade, China will be the largest economy, surpassing the US.
 China’s policy decisions affect the whole world.
Yet, the level of knowledge and understanding of China in North America has not kept pace
with China’s development. School curricula offer little on China and most adults have only a
superficial understanding of China. In the absence of any serious education about China,
stereotypes and misconceptions control the popular imagination. Children of Hangzhou and
associated educational and public programs will help to address this gap.
EXHIBIT GOALS
Children in Hangzhou: Connecting with China will:
 Promote understanding and appreciation of China
 Demystify China and dispel stereotypes
 Encourage children and families to learn about China and Chinese people
 Provide opportunities for families to talk about their own culture and traditions
DESIGN APPROACH
The master concept for the exhibition draws on the ancient philosophy of Yin and Yang, a
core cosmological theory that forms the basis of ancient Chinese concepts of nature, man’s
relation to nature, social order and ethics. According to the Yin-Yang concept, the world is
understood as the interaction and balance between dualities. Thus, Yin-Yang is both a strong
image and theoretical underpinning for duality in the exhibit: between tradition and modernity;
between urban and rural; between local and global; between continuity and change.
MAIN MESSAGES
Through peer-to-peer communication, the Children in Hangzhou exhibition will convey the
following main messages:
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Chinese life today mixes ancient traditions with modern lifestyles.
Life in China is in some ways similar to and some ways different from other places.
Chinese children are a bridge to learning about China.
EXHIBIT SETTINGS
The entrance to the Children of Hangzhou: Connecting with China exhibition establishes the
geographic context, the concept of the journey, and the role of children as hosts, interpreters
and friends. The exhibition is modeled after the city of Hangzhou, which is built around West
Lake. Centuries of vigilant urban planning has resulted in the preservation and expansion of
Hangzhou’s natural beauty found in famed gardens, pavilions, pagodas, islands, bridges,
causeways, and pristine hills and mountains.
Commercial development has been limited to one side of the lake. The view from the center
of West Lake is stunning, with landscaped historical parks on one side and sparkling
downtown skyscrapers on the other. In order to convey this in the exhibition, we have
installed dramatic backdrops around the perimeter of the exhibit, suggestive of traditional
landscape painting on one side, and edgy photographic collage on the other. This sets up
one of the main themes of the exhibition: the interplay between tradition and modernity in
every aspect of Chinese life. Exhibit components are located strategically to represent its
dominant thrust: theater and countryside against the traditional backdrop, and the school,
apartment and Internet Café against the modern backdrop. The pavilion, with yin/yang
painted in the ceiling, commands the central viewing area from which the mingling of old and
new can be observed.
The exhibition is guided by Chinese children who “talk” directly to the visitors. Media diaries of
each child will give personal meaning to each component.
Here are the four children whose stories are featured in the exhibit:
Weicheng is a boy who lives in a middle-class Hangzhou apartment with his parents and
grandparents. Weicheng plays on the computer and practices the cello. Weicheng is helping
to prepare for his grandmother’s 62nd birthday celebration. Weicheng learns to make long life
noodles for his grandmother, as well as other Hangzhou dishes. Through Weicheng, visitors
learn about family structure, relationships, values, and history. They will see decorative
objects, including folk art, cooking utensils, games, and toys.
Doudou lives in the city of Hanghzou but goes to visit her grandparents in the countryside
weekly. Her grandparents are rice farmers who live an hour away from the city by car. When
Doudou visits, she learns about rice planting, weaving and rice pounding from her
grandparents. Visitors will learn that the countryside is the root of many Chinese families,
hence the endearing phrase “lao jia” in Chinese, the old home.
Gangzheng is a student at Baochuta Middle School. He studies hard but his true passion is
sports. Gangzheng is an expert in basket ball, ping-pong, badminton, and Chinese traditional
sports, such as jianzi, Chinese shuttlecock. We meet him in his school to learn about school
life in Hangzhou, and watch him play sports when school is over.
Qianyun is a young opera student. Much like an ordinary teenager everywhere in the world,
Qianyun hangs out with her friends and enjoys shopping and chatting on the phone. However,
following the example of her parents, Qianyun studies yueju opera professionally and hopes
to become an outstanding performing artist in a very traditional art-form. She introduces
Chinese opera to visitors, about its music, movement and costumes, through White Snake
Lady, a popular folk tale set in Hangzhou.
The exhibition is organized into the following components:
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Bus Stop, where visitors “enter” Hangzhou, China and meet the four children;
Wu Lin Men Apartments, where visitors meet Weicheng and his family in their apartment,
and learn to cook a birthday meal for his grandmother;
Yellow Dragon Theater, where visitors meet Qianyun, who is studying Chinese opera, and
can join in a performance of White Snake Lady or play traditional instruments;
Bao Chu Ta Middle School, where visitors meet Gangzheng at school, learn about the
Great Wall, and count on the abacus.
Pavilion, where visitors learn about Chinese writing, poetry, and yin and yang, the
traditional worldview of balance and dualities in nature
Hangzhou Children’s Library, where visitors can check out the latest software and learn
about China.
Huang Tian Fan Village, where visitors meet Doudou, help her plant rice seedlings with
her grandfather, and learn how two thirds of people in China live – on the land.