Hangzhou Xixi Investment & Development Co., Ltd.: An International Tourism Complex Rooted in the Cultural Heritage of Xixi Waterways

“Leaning against the railing, drunk on the scenic beauty, we share a banquet by Xixi.” The Xixi Banquet has come to a perfect close—five top-tier restaurants at Xixi Paradise make their debut as a unified culinary ensemble!

“Ten miles of clear streams wind their way, and towering bamboo groves rise up before the eye. The warmth hastens the early blossoms of plum and bamboo, while as the waters recede, deep traces remain in the grass.” For thousands of years, Xixi in Hangzhou has drawn upon the spiritual essence of the Tianmu Mountains and the vast, sweeping winds of the southeastern coast, brimming with lush greenery and exuding a sense of lofty beauty and graceful lightness. On August 26, a grand culinary celebration showcasing the natural and cultural beauty of Xixi—“Leaning on the railing, intoxicated by the scenery, feasting together in Xixi”—the Xixi Banquet Launch Event came to a perfect close at Xixi Paradise, dazzling Hangzhou’s food scene and leaving all in awe.

Initiated by Xixi Paradise, five top-tier restaurants in Xixi jointly released a statement.

This Xixi Banquet Launch Event was hosted by the Hangzhou Xixi Paradise International Tourism Complex and jointly presented by five establishments: Xixi Sheraton, Xixi Banyan Tree, Xixi Paradise Xixuan Hotel, Qihé Restaurant, and Huafang Private Kitchen.

Five restaurants—Sheraton Caiyue Xuan, Banyan Tree Baiyun Chinese Restaurant, West Xuan Hotel West Yue Restaurant, Flower House Restaurant, and Qihé Restaurant—have meticulously crafted distinctive West Creek Culinary Journeys, each reflecting the unique cultural themes of West Creek: “Buddhist, Secluded, Leisurely, Folk, and Wild.” These include the West Creek Aesthetic Feast, the West Creek Charm Feast, the West Creek Red Mansion Feast, the West Creek Fishing Lights Feast, and the West Creek Rural Feast.

In the culinary exhibition area, chefs from various establishments enthusiastically showcased the preparation process of their dishes and the cultural origins behind them, further highlighting the diversity and uniqueness of Xixi’s food culture.

The dishes showcase “Xixi Four Seasons,” revealing the charm of Xixi.

The “Xixi Scenic Banquet,” jointly created by Xixi Rongshengzhuang and the Craftsman Academy of Hangzhou No. 1 Technician College, takes Xixi’s famous scenic spots, culinary culture, and seasonal food customs as its theme. It selects local specialties from Xixi, carefully balances their flavors, and strives to highlight the characteristics of lightness, freshness, crispness, and tenderness, while showcasing exquisite knife skills. Through delicious cuisine, it awakens artisanal craftsmanship; through craftsmanship, it revives cherished sentiments, creating an artistic ambiance where dishes seem to emerge from the scenery and the scenery seems to be woven into the dishes.

From Sangshen Baota Meat and Xixi Eighteen Fish Head Royal, which represent the spring and summer of Xixi, to Qiuju Xixi Fish and Gaozong’s Lamb Hot Pot, which embody the autumn and winter of Xixi… coupled with the now-blooming lotus pods and newly sprouted lotus roots, at Banyan Tree you can savor the four seasons of Xixi through its cuisine, experiencing the refreshing or warming flavors unique to each season.

The Ten Scenic Views of Xixi – “Ten Flavors,” the Culinary Essence of Hangzhou’s Local Cuisine Over a Decade

The “Xixi • Culinary Journey” meticulously crafted by the Caiyue Pavilion at the Sheraton Xixi Hotel draws inspiration from Xixi’s Ten Scenic Views, blending the elegance of mountains and waters while embracing the strengths of various culinary traditions.

Chef Miao has visited all the renowned landmarks of Xixi Wetland—Gao Zhuang Chen Ji, Fishing Village in Misty Rain, Jiao Lu Farmhouse, Autumn Reeds in Flying Snow, Meandering Waters in Search of Plum Blossoms, Dragon Boat Festival Extravaganza, and more. By integrating the area’s unique landscapes, cultural heritage, and local ingredients with decades of expertise in Hangzhou cuisine, he has crafted ten exquisite dishes that capture the essence of Xixi’s flavors.

Paired with meticulously crafted, uniquely ingenious pieces, each step reveals a new scene, each scene a new flavor—ten scenic culinary experiences that together present diners with a gastronomic masterpiece embodying “color, aroma, taste, form, meaning, vessel, and nourishment.”

Dreaming back to the Red Mansion, creating a supreme culinary and cultural art experience.

The Xixi Honglou Banquet at Xixi Tian Tang Xixuan Hotel is a reimagining rooted in the broader realm of Honglou culture, aiming to celebrate and expand upon the cultural traditions, aesthetic sensibilities, and profound cultural connotations embodied in “Dream of the Red Chamber.” Through comprehensive design encompassing the restaurant, music, tableware, attire, cuisine, and tea offerings, the experience is meticulously recreated, transporting guests as if they were truly immersed in the Grand View Garden of “Dream of the Red Chamber.”

Red Mansion cuisine excels in its deliciousness, abundance, and refinement, offering diners a high‑level culinary and artistic experience.

Own a farm and bring “Xixi Countryside” back to the dining table.

The restaurant’s theme is the Xixi Rural Feast. With its own farm in Jiande, every ingredient is fresh and traceable—back to its very origins.

Fish leap from the water’s surface, white dew warms fruits and vegetables—living in harmony with nature, planting according to the seasons and eating seasonally. Dedicated hands diligently tend to and harvest these crops day after day, all so that diners can savor the fresh, vibrant flavors on their tongues.

In terms of cuisine, it combines the gentle, graceful elegance of Jiangnan cuisine with the traditional local flavors of Xixi. By stripping away complex, heavy “seasonings,” it seeks to highlight the pure, authentic taste of the ingredients themselves, bringing diners back to the countryside and reliving the warm flavors of childhood.

The fresh flavors that leap to the surface—these are the fiery memories unique to old Hangzhou cuisine.

At the Xixi Fishermen’s Fires Feast, meticulously prepared at the Flower House Private Kitchen, you can fully savor authentic Hangzhou cuisine.

From slow-cooked, delicately simmered drunken crabs and tea-scented river shrimp to fish soup and naturally air-dried ham and cured pork, the seasonal rhythms and local customs of Hangzhou echo one another over the long passage of time, coalescing into that tender, subtly sweet, light and refreshing flavor on the palate.

Can’t you savor this flavor? How can this be called home? In every corner of this world, among its people, the smoky, nostalgic memories of old Hangzhou cuisine quietly linger in the flower room, waiting patiently for “family” to return.

The Xixi Banquet Launch Event, hosted by Xixi Paradise, marks the beginning of a deep exploration into Xixi’s culinary and cultural landscape. The profound cultural heritage that has accumulated in Xixi over centuries cannot be fully understood within the span of just a few short days. We warmly invite everyone to come to Xixi, to experience the lush abundance of its flora and fauna, to savor the local customs and heartfelt human connections that lie behind Xixi, and to delight in the exquisite dishes that are deeply infused with Xixi’s unique culture. In the future, Xixi Paradise will continue to cultivate Xixi’s distinctive culinary and cultural IP, transforming Xixi into a representative culinary and cultural landmark for Hangzhou—and for Zhejiang as a whole!