Louwailou Restaurant in Gushan Road 02 2018-01

Lou Wai Lou () is a traditional restaurant in

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

, China, located on Gushan in the middle of the

West Lake West Lake (; ) is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China. It is divided into five sections by three causeways. There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and natural/artificial islands within the lake. Gushan (孤山) is the largest natural is ...

. It was established in the 28th year of the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(1848). It has been named a "

China Time-honored Brand China Time-honored Brand (Chinese: ''Zhonghua lao zihao'' 中华老字号 or simply ''lao zihao'' 老字号) is a title granted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China to Chinese enterprises that existed before 1956, sell pr ...

" by the Chinese government.

History

The founder of Lou Wai Lou was a man from

Shaoxing Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitants. ...

, named Hong Ruitang. After moving to Hangzhou, he set up a base of operations on Gushan Road, vending fresh fish and seafood. After opportunities arrived, he started a full restaurant in the same location. The modern Lou Wai Lou restaurant was established in 1980, dubbed one of Hangzhou's "ten establishments". Later, Lou Wai Lou opened another location not far from the original called Shan Wai Shan. In 2012, the restaurant was owned by Shen Guanzhong. Lou Wai Lou has been described as a world famous restaurant and the most famous restaurant in Hangzhou. The restaurant has been named a "

" by the Chinese government.

Notable diners

Before 1949,

Wu Changshuo Wu Changshuo (, September 12, 1844 – November 29, 1927, also romanised as Wu Changshi, ), born Wu Junqing (), was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and seal artist of the late Qing Period. Life Wu was born into a scholarly family in Huzho ...

Sun Zhongshan Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

, Soong Ching-ling, Lu Xun, Zhu Kezhen, and Yu Dafu had all dined at Lou Wai Lou. After 1949, the state leaders Zhou Enlai, Chen Yi, and He Long, and the celebrities Feng Zikai,

Pan Tianshou Pan Tianshou (; 1897–1971) was a Chinese painter and art educator. Pan was born in Guanzhuang, Ninghai County, Zhejiang Province, and graduated from Zhejiang First Normal School (now Hangzhou High School). He studied Chinese traditional paintin ...

, Zhao Puchu, and

Jin Yong Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia (" martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong d ...

had all dined at Lou Wai Lou.

Notable menu items

* West Lake vinegar fish *Lady Song's fish soup *Longjing shrimp * Beggar's Chicken *Mizhihuofang * Dongpo pork *Crab roe oranges *Turtle broiled lamb *West Lake vegetable soup Lou wai lou fish

References

External links

Official website

{{coord missing, Zhejiang 1848 establishments in China Buildings and structures in Hangzhou Restaurants in China