Yi Yin Japanese Restaurant (Photo/Shanghai Daily)
If you wander through southern Hangzhou, you can tread on the same ground where royalty once walked.
Almost 1,000 years ago, the Song Dynasty (960-1279) court established its capital at Lin'an (now Hangzhou) as it lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen people in the Jin–Song Wars.
During the century of peace that followed, the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) court built a sprawling palace complex at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Unfortunately, most of these royal structures were burnt to ashes during later conflicts.
Today, much of the area once occupied by palace structures has been converted into space for residential or commercial use.
The area around Wuliu Lane, once home to the imperial Wuliu Garden, has been a residential neighborhood since last century.
It's also home to a bustling food block, located on Hefeng Street, which was recently renovated by the local government. Shanghai Daily visited this block to scope out some of its best eateries.
In Coffee
In Coffee is a multi-story complex that functions as a cafe, a game room, a shop, an art school and an office area.
The menu of the first-floor cafe is what you'd probably expect, yet the sofas, tables and lights are available for sale. "Everything you see is buyable," as the slogan there goes.
Classrooms on the second floor are used for lectures of oil painting and silver-accessory making for adults.
Address: 60 Zhijixiang Lane
