Hangchow

On February 16, 1927, Chiang met the northern forces in open battle before Hangchow, and inflicted a smashing defeat. The middle-Yangtse war-lord fled north.

Source: wiktionary

In addition, he was banished to Lung-chʻang in modern Kuei-chou, which was then inhabited by the barbarian Miao tribes, to become an insignificant executive in a dispatch station, whose duty it was to provide horses for rapid transportation. He started the journey in the spring of 1507 and arrived a year later, stopping over on the way to visit his father. Liu's agents pursued him and he escaped assassination only by throwing his clothing away by the Chʻien-tʻang River near Hangchow, thus suggesting suicide. Some accounts, to make the event more dramatic, have him escape by sea from Hangchow to Fukien and thence to Kuei-chou. More reliable chronicles, however, have recorded his trip overland from Hangchow to Kuei-chou. In Kuei-chou he taught the Miao aboriginals to build houses and live in them.

Source: wiktionary

Hangchow is built around large lakes and gardens. In the days when the emperors used it as a summer resort, it was known as the most beautiful city in China. I know that Mao enjoyed taking vacations there and staying in an exquisite old palace that had been turned into a government guesthouse. Even though we were in Hangchow in the cloudy off-season, it was easy to see why Mao was drawn to the city. Mountains rise mistily in the background, and the lakes are full of lotus flowers. The pagoda-like guesthouse, with its sloping green tile roofs, was set in the middle of a lake on an island called "Island of Three Towers^([sic – meaning Pools]) Reflecting the Moon." It was rather musty, but it was immaculately clean, and Pat and I later agreed that our stay there was the most delightful interlude of the trip.

Source: wiktionary

Green, I thought, did a good job of detailing the mechanics of the two-tier discussions that were held first in Peking and later moved to Hangchow and finally to Shanghai, where the communique was signed and released.

Source: wiktionary