Avenues bring coolness to pedestrians in scorching summer. In Hangzhou, urban avenues refer to the urban public roads lined with at least one row of shady trees on each side in downtown area. The avenues are mainly used for transportation with supporting landscaping, recreation and ecological functions. Hangzhou has planted 20,810 roadside trees (it plans to plant 30,000 roadside trees in 2022), and will have around 500 avenues, with a total length of 1,900 km, by 2035.

Hangzhou started construction of avenues in the period of the Republic of China, which was basically in synchronization with the construction of urban roads. At that time, people mainly travelled by bicycle or on foot and the trees provided shades for citizens in hot summer. Now, these trees, together with many buildings of the times, have become a part of the nostalgic memory of the city.