The 12th G20 Summit held earlier this month in Hamburg reminded people of the last G20 Summit that took place in Hangzhou.
During the summit in Hangzhou, the city presented the grand expo center to the world, a spectacle coupled with fireworks, as well as its great hospitality. Today tourists can visit the sites where the heads of states got together, enjoyed the gala show and taste the food they had.
Shanghai Daily lists the sites.
Louwailou Restaurant 楼外楼
During the summit the first ladies visited several sites and had lunch at Louwailou Restaurant.
Louwailou was founded by a local couple during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Started as a small restaurant near the West Lake, it quickly earned a name for itself essentially due to its delicious aquatic dishes. In its cherished history, the restaurant has served notable figures such as Dr Sun Yat-sen, former Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek and famous writer Lu Xun.
From the 1950s it began welcoming foreign heads of state during visits to scenic Hangzhou. To this day, it is considered one of the most famous restaurants in the city.
When Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping, invited the spouses of G20 leaders for luncheon, they were served classical Hangzhou cuisine at Louwailou.
The chefs served five main courses for their distinguished guests. One dish, Sister Song’s Fish Broth, was made according to the thousand-year-old recipe. First, the Mandarin fish is steamed, and then the meat is boiled with ham, shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and chicken soup.
Another Hangzhou classic that was served to the guests was “Beggar’s Chicken.” This dish was said to have been invented by a starving beggar during the Qing Dynasty. According to popular legend, the beggar stole a chicken, wrapped it with lotus leaves and then stashed in the mud along a riverbank.
Another favorite local dish is Crab-flavored Fish Vermicelli, which features boneless noodle-like strips of sautéed fish meat.
These dishes are now on the menu of Louwailou, and the tablewares specially designed for the luncheon are on display.
For better dinning experiences, it is suggested to go to the second or the third floor to avoid the crowd. The second floor has great views of the West Lake. The third floor is private dining rooms without charging service fee or setting minimum consumption. But it would be better to book a month in advance.
Address: 30 Gushan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8796 9023
Hangzhou International Expo Center 杭州国际博览中心
Hangzhou International Expo Center was where the G20 Hangzhou Summit was held. It is a commercial complex that includes conference and exhibition service, hotel and office building.
Open to the public after the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the center stands in the east of the city and holds exhibitions and meetings, and welcomes visitors with a touring route that the G20 leaders traveled.
