Your journey at Shangri-La, Hangzhou, has begun. You did well to rent a bicycle at the Hotel Concierge. You can now explore this around 40-acre property at your own pace. Scenes of the placid lake greet you whenever you emerge from the greenery and hillocks. The view of graceful Xiling Bridge is reminiscent of classical Chinese paintings. You glimpse the National Silk Museum, the world’s largest of its kind, and are excited about your visit tomorrow. Cycling back to the hotel, you admire the traditional lines of its architecture silhouetted in the setting sun. Within its walls, elegant touches of luxury and refinement make you feel like an erstwhile Mandarin in his mansion. You could spend hours here, admiring the surrounding beauty.   Night falls. Back at the hotel, the expert hands of the spa’s masseuse ease all tightness from your bicycle ride. It’s half an hour to your reservation at Shang Palace and a taste of signature Hangzhou cuisine, of delicately seasoned seafood and vegetables. Your heavenly abode is just five minutes away from downtown Hangzhou. Your last minute shopping includes souvenirs that will join your bounty of Chinese tea from the Long Jin Tea Plantation, reputed for its exceptional tea leaves.  "Beyond dispute, the finest and noblest in the world," was how, centuries ago, Marco Polo described Hangzhou. Amid sumptuous surroundings and hospitable service, it seems his words portray the splendour and magnificence of your stay at Shangri-La, Hangzhou.