The three pagodas - a scene from dreams

Of all the man-made structures in and around Hangzhou's West Lake, the three pagodas that loom over the water are among the smallest I have seen.

Global snapshot

Group of progress

Initiated in 1999, the G20, up until the global financial crisis in 2008, primarily involved meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors. These meetings focused on international financial and monetary policies, reform of global financial institutions and world economic development. The first G20 Leaders Summit was held in 2008 in the wake of the crisis. In September 2009, the Pittsburgh summit announced the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, marking an important step in global economic governance reform.The summits have also invited guest countries and multilateral organizations.

China continues playing its role in global growth

China's economic growth has slowed in recent years, but its contribution to the world economy remains significantly more than that of other countries', which signifies the vital role it has played in maintaining global economic vitality, say analysts.

Economic restructuring a model for the world

Since the global financial crisis broke out eight years ago China has contributed greatly to and played a dominant role in maintaining global growth, starting with its $586 billion package to stimulate the domestic economy in November 2008. Although China's contribution to global growth has decreased to about 30 percent now, based on various estimates, analysts say that after restructuring its economy, it will resume its major role in the global economy in the middle and long term.

What they say

China's contribution to the world economy can be analyzed from three perspectives. First, China has become the world's second-largest economy and its GDP accounted for 15.5 percent of the global total in 2015, according to the IMF. It has become a major engine propelling the growth of the world economy and global economic recovery. Second, China's poverty reduction greatly contributes to the global efforts to reduce poverty. From 1990 to 2015, the number of poverty-stricken people worldwide decreased to 836 million from 1.9 billion and China accounted for more than 70 percent of the reduction. Third, China's economic links with the world have helped stabilize the world economy and contributed to the post-crisis recovery of the global economic and trade system. China's trade in goods has topped the world for three consecutive years and it is second in terms of trade in services. Although its foreign trade fell due to the decline in global trade, the decrease is significantly less severe

Volunteers find focus with English

Five years ago, Wang Meiling, now 60, was diagnosed with cancer. The disease took many things away - including her uterus and ovaries.

Her job: Light up dark side of West Lake

For eight months, Dong Yan, 49, did not take a single weekend off. Her goal was simple yet challenging: to brighten Hangzhou's West Lake for the upcoming G20 Summit.

Hangzhou abuzz over bike sharing

A week ahead of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, a bike-sharing service moved a step closer to embracing the mobile internet era by enabling anyone with a smartphone to rent a bike by simply scanning a QR code.

No cash? No problem

Thomas Derksen, a social media star known for posting fun videos that satirizes everyday life in Shanghai, was recently given a challenge of spending a day in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, without any cash or credit cards on hand.

Alipay sets sights on serving overseas customers

Alipay, one of China's most popular mobile payment apps, took a big step toward globalizing its services when it secured a third-party payment license in Hong Kong on Aug 25.

Hangzhou a model of innovation

Why Hangzhou? The question might have entered the minds of many people since President Xi Jinping announced at last year's G20 in Turkey that Hangzhou will host the 2016 Leaders Summit.