Hangzhou’s Running Trails: Where Nature Meets Urban Energy

In Hangzhou, a city where misty mountains hug skyscrapers, locals like Tang Xiaofang are redefining fitness culture—one sunrise run at a time. The 28-year-old designer hits the pavement four mornings a week, weaving through trails that blur the line between urban playground and natural sanctuary.

‘It’s like living inside a breathing painting,’ Tang says of West Lake, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that serves as her track. Her crew has mapped routes with poetic names like the ‘Grand Rose of Hangzhou’ and ‘Double Roses’—GPS art that transforms exercise into a creative act. Think Pokémon Go, but for marathon trainees.

The possibilities? Endless. Enthusiasts are now plotting courses stretching over 100 kilometers, combining lakeside paths, bamboo forests, and riverside boardwalks. For Hangzhou’s 12 million residents, these runs aren’t just workouts—they’re love letters to a city that thrives on balancing ancient tranquility with modern verve.

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The city where tranquility and vitality coexist

cgtn.com