Huzhou

A beautiful view of Nanxun, a water town in Huzhuo

Huzhou is well known for its natural scenery and ancient cultural heritage. It is especially known for its silk, calligraphy brushes and tea culture. For centuries, Huzhou has been a place with a booming sericulture business; local silk products have traditionally been popular in Japan and southeast Asian nations. At the Great Exposition of 1851 in London, Huzhou silk products displayed by Chinese businessman Xu Rongcun(1822-1873) were awarded a gold prize because of their excellent quality. The calligraphy brushes produced in Huzhou are supposed to be the best in China. The brushes are produced with the highest quality goat hair; creating the brushes requires a complicated process of over 100 steps.

Huzhou is also where Chinese tea culture originated. Lu Yu(733–804), the father of Chinese tea culture, wrote Cha Jing, or Tea Classics, the world's first work on tea culture in Huzhou. Zisun Tea produced in Changxing and White Tea produced in Ji'an are both well-known brands in China.