HANGZHOU
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Hangzhou,
the capital of Zhejiang province in east China, lies
close to the mouth of the Qiantang River at the western
end of the Gulf of Hangzhou. The city was a small fishing
village until late in the sixth century, when the extension
of the Grand Canal southward, which led to the development
of a busy commercial center in town.
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Hangzhou underwent
dramatic development when the Song Dynasty, pushed south by
the conquering Jin, established its capital  there.
In a short space of 100 years, the population grew to almost
a million and the town flourished as a major trading center.
Although the city was partly destroyed by the invading Mongols
in the late 13th-century, it appeared impressive to Marco
Polo when the famous Italian traveler visited the city shortly
afterwards. According to Marco Polo, Hangzhou was "without
doubt the finest and most splendid
city in the world. As for the West Lake, Marco Pole wrote:
"On one side it skirts the city... and commands a distant
view of all its grandeur and loveliness, its temples, monasteries,
and gardens with their towering trees, running down to the
water's edge. On the lake itself is the endless procession
of barges thronged with pleasure-seekers... their minds and
thoughts are intent upon nothing but bodily pleasures and
the delights of society."
Today, the city remains renowned for its beauty, which some
claim is unsurpassed in China. Many sections of the town have
not changed for centuries, while the famous West Lake region
retains its reputation as one of the most beautiful spots
in China, with landscaped gardens on its banks, tree-shaded
walks, and in the nearby hills, temples, pagodas, and monasteries.
West Lake
Hangzhou's fame
rests mainly with the picturesque West Lake, so named because
it is located in its western fringe. Covering about four square
miles, West Lake is surrounded on three sides
by rolling wood hills. At the center are three isles--Lesser
Yingzhou, Mid-lake Pavilion and Ruangong Isle. Solitary Hill
stands by itself on the northern lakeshore. It can be reached
from the city by Bai Causeway, with Su Causeway bisects the
lake from north to south. The blue, often rippling, water
is dotted with elegant stone bridges and charming pavilions.
Lingyin
Temple
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 It
is believed that the temple was first established in
336 A.D. by a monk known as Hui Li. It was destroyed
on a number of occasions, the last time during the Taiping
Rebellion, and the latest rebuilding was in the early
part of the 20th century. It was then restored in 1956.The
temple sits at the foot of the Northern Peak in a wooded
area, with a stream running in front
of it. Some of the trees in front are believed to be
more than 1,000 years old. The foremost temple houses
a laughing Buddha carved in camphor wood and covered
in gold with a carved gilt figure standing behind as
a guard. Both figures are set under a two-eaves wooden
canopy decorated in red and gold. Ornate lamps hang
on either side.
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Six
Harmonies Pagoda
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Six Harmonies
Pagoda, highly erected by the Qiantang River and to
the south of the West Lake, is a perfect symbol of brick- and-wood
structure built in the ancient China. It is first built
in 970 AD in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), in
a way to press down the evil of the river tidal bore
in Qiantang River. The name "six harmonies"
comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies
of the heaven, earth, east, west, south and north".
The pagoda has fallen into ruins and gone through reconstruction
many times. The original pagoda is nine storied with
a light on the tip, serving as a navigation tower in
the river. The present tower was the restoration in
1156. Seen from outside, the tower, with a height of
59.89 meters, have 13 stories while in fact only seven
stories inside. The core of the present pagoda was built
with the bricks left over from the Southern Song dynasty.
The upturned wooden multi-eaves and
wrapping structure were first built in the ending years
of the Qing dynasty and have been refurbished many times.
Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang
River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old
majesty. Looking out from the top of the pagoda, sightseers
can see as far as the misty horizon, enjoying an unforgettable,
breathtaking experience.
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China
National Tea Museum
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Located
in the West Lake Dragon Well Tea planting area, China
Tea Museum is a national specialized museum dedicated
 to
tea culture. With a total construction area of 3500
square meters, five buildings, respectively for exhibition,
tea drinking, tea performance, multiple functions and
international exchanges, are sitting in the compound,
connected by zigzagging paths, punctuated and colored
by lawns and flowers and evergreen tea trees. No. 1
building is exhibition area, displaying systematically
the history of tea, the varieties and distribution of
tea in China, various tea utensils used in the old dynasties,
tea-drinking habits in different parts of China with
tea-related culture, and the scientific and technological
aspects of tea-making and processing. No. 3 and 4 buildings
serve as tea drinking and performance sections, which
not only introduce you the way to drink tea in detail
but also display various drinking rituals seen in different
provinces and foreign countries. The museum has been
a fine locale for a number of cultural activities on
tea, including a series of international seminars on
tea culture and exchange. Each year, countless tea professionals
and aficionados from all over the world would meet here
in the name of tea, drinking and talking about tea.
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Qiantang
Tidal Bore
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If you are
visiting in September during the autumn equinox, you
may be able to see one of the most unusual sights in
the world. A tidal bore gathers momentum in the Gulf
of Hangzhou, surges into the mouth of the Qiangtang
River, and races up the river, at a height of up to
30 ft. and a speed of more
than 15m.p.h. In ancient times, governors of Hangzhou
used to have arrows fired at the waves in an attempt
to quell their destructive forces. Nowadays more effective
methods are used.
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