Allure of Lin'an includes lush mountains and cool climate

Bamboo-rafting in Lin'an

If Hangzhou is Shanghai's backyard, then Lin'an, with its comparatively unspoiled surroundings, is a secret tree house for the metropolis.

Dubbed a green pearl on the southern tip of the Yangtze River Delta, the city under the administration of Hangzhou has no crowds, no skyscrapers and no trash on the ground - and it's only a four-hour drive from Shanghai.

For many Lin'an is the perfect starting point for a day spent on exploring the mysterious and green Tianmu Mountain before heading back into town after dark to take in its curious and compelling nightlife.

In the northwestern part of Zhejiang province, Lin'an sits between the prestigious tourist city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang and Huangshan in Anhui province.

It is the only mountainous city in the Yangtze River Delta region - fully 86 percent of its area is covered by mountains. About 500,000 people live within its boundaries that encompass 3,126 sq km.

With 77 percent of the city covered by forests, Lin'an has a robust natural environment rich in biological resources, abundant rainfall and a moderate climate.

It has such an advantageous ecology that more than 4,700 species are found there, earning Tianmu Mountain the reputation of "the gene bank of east China".

With little doubt the mountain is the biggest attraction in the city.

Source: China Daily