Day 14, March 29, 2018, Thursday:
It was a Day of Poetry painted by Peach
blossoms and Weeping Willows... an array of stunning picturesque
frames paraded in front of us and we were so thrilled!
Hangzhou:
Hangzhou is about 170 kilometers (105
miles) from Shanghai.
Hangzhou is one of the Seven
Ancient Capital Cities, with a history of about 2,500 years.
Hangzhou's history can be traced back
over 2,200 years to the Qin Dynasty (221 BC). It flourished after
being linked with the Grand Canal, which starts in Beijing and ends
in Hangzhou. southern terminus of the Grand Canal, the city is
located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River
It was originally the capital of the
Wuyue Kingdom from 907 to 978 during the Five Dynasties and Ten
Kingdoms Period. Then it became the capital of the Southern Song
Dynasty in 1132.
Marco Polo, a famous European traveler
and explorer from Venice, visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century.
He was overwhelmed by the city and spent one fifteenth of his travels
describing the spectacular city of Hangzhou.
He described it as "the city
of heaven" and "the finest and most splendid city in the
world".
Hangzhou is famous for its tea and
silks.
Hangzhou boasts enchanting natural
scenery. West Lake, the symbol of Hangzhou, is considered to be
one of the most beautiful sights in China and is a UNESCO heritage
site. We could only schedule a day trip to this city and we focused
on only the West Lake for our visit.
Hangzhou Railway Station ( "杭州
Hangzhou" on tickets)
Hangzhou East Railway Station ( "杭州东
Hangzhou Dong" on tickets)
Shanghai Railway Station ( "上海
Shanghai" on tickets)
上海火车站
Shàng hǎi huǒ chē zhàn
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station (
"上海虹桥 Shanghai
Hongqiao" on tickets)
Yes, it's easier to go to the West lake if we arrive at Hangzhou Railway Station and it's easier if we can take high speed train from
Shanghai Railway Station. But there are many high speed trains from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou east. So the latter was our only option. Of course the metro in Hangzhou makes it easier even when we land in the East station
gave many options from Shanghai
Hongqiao to Hangzhou east (we decided to go for D trains)
G 1321 6.11 52 M;
$11.54
G 7331 6.17
G 7333 6.29
G 7301 6.35 Shanghai Hongqiao to
Hangzhou 1 hr $12.25
D 3145 6.40 Shanghai Hongqiao to
Hangzhou east 1H 1M; $8.85
G 1383 6.45
1h 1m; $11.54
G 7501 6.50
G 1651 6.56
D 379 7.02
1H 1M; $8.85
G 7543 7.07
G 2365 7.12
G 1371 7.22
We decided on the 7.02 D train.
For return, we chose the 19,04 D train:
Hangzhou east to Shanghai Hongqiao
G 7550 18.30 52 M, $11.54
G 1388 18.43
G 7588 18.48
G 1372 18.54
G 1302 18.59
D 3108 19.04 55 min;
$8.85
We had already bought these tickets on
our 1st evening in Shanghai.
We had an early start on line 2 and
reached the train station. It was an easy ride to Hangzhou east. We
had already downloaded the metro map for Hangzhou.
We took LINE 1
LONGXIANGQIAO STATION , got out of exit C4 and walked west for a few
hundred meters and reached Hyatt hotel. We entered West lake park
there and started our lake side walk.
WEST LAKE, XIHU:
Measuring 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) in
length, 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) in width, and 2.3 meters (7.5
feet) in average depth, the lake spreads itself in an area totaling
6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles).
Embraced by mountains on three sides,
the West Lake knits itself into the North Inner Lake, the Yuehu Lake,
the West Inner Lake, the South Lake and the West Outer Lake by the
Bai Causeway, the Su Causeway and the Yang Causeway.
"Ten West Lake Prospects" are
the most frequently visited attractions around the lake
Between the North Inner Lake and the
West Outer Lake lies the largest natural island called the Solitary
Hill. In addition, three man-made islands stand in the West Outer
Lake: the Lesser Paradise Island, the Mid-lake Pavilion, and the
Ruangong Islet; and two famous pagodas by the lake: the Leifeng
Pagoda to the south and the Baochu Pagoda to the north.
There are battery cars plying but we
did not hit their starting point Yongjin gate. We had started from much further north, Walking was indeed the best way to
enjoy the sights. The whole perimeter is 10 km
We would have enjoyed a boat ride... there are so many different types to choose from... but
there was no time.
We missed the musical fountains too and of course
the Westlake show.
There were several performances going
on and we enjoyed them. I'll post the video soon
We spent hours on the lake
Photobombed! Kids were fascinated by us and stared at us long and hard! Adults took plenty of pics of us, directly and sneakily!!
Lovely koi pond with a fountain
Water buffalo enjoying a dip
Dual colored blossoms... white and pink in one tree
Tasty yogurt, anyone? and yay, no added sugar!
Wild flowers...
This is the Double Suicide Bridge where lovers committed suicide... oddly frequented by bridal couples on photo shoots.
OOps, walked past one couple and right onto another
One more for luck here...
The Leifeng Pagoda:
The Leifeng Pagoda was constructed by the king of the Wuyue Kingdom to celebrate the pregnancy of his concubine during the Five Dynasties and Ten Sates Period (907-960). It was damaged and renovated several times.
We took a lift to the top floor and then walked down enjoying the displays in each floor
Standing on the pagoda over 70 meters (230 feet) in height, we enjoyed the panoramic view of the lake.
Then we walked down enjoying the lower floors
Legend of West Lake:
Of all the legends, the most touching
one is the love story between Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian. Bai Suzhen was
a white snake spirit and Xu Xian was a mortal man. They fell in love
with each other when they first met on a boat on the West Lake, and
got married very soon.
But the evil monk Fa Hai attempted to separate
the couple by imprisoning Xu Xian. Bai Suzhen fought against Fa Hai
and tried her best to rescue his husband. But she failed and was
imprisoned under the Leifeng Pagoda by the lake.
Years later the
couple was rescued by Xiao Qing, the sister of Baisuzhen. Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian lived together happily ever after...
The basement holds sacred relics... Buddha's hair
After enjoying the pagoda, we went on toward Su causeway and the Fish pond. Both AWESOME.
Then we decided to turn back. It would have been easier to go out to the road, catch a taxi or bus, but we decided to walk back the way we came.
It was a long walk more than an hour.
We came out onto the road, showed the
metro map to a security guard and he pointed us in the direction of
our subway station. We reached the station, rode to our train station
and went back to Shanghai.
It had been an AMAZING day!
Report on our China vacation is concluded here:
VIDEO LINK:
Hangzhou
West Lake:
Hangzhou
west lake Xihu music, dance buskers:
Report on our China vacation is concluded here:
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