Note: As a guest of CNTO Sydney, Mark Barratt-Boyes visited Hangzhou Zhejiang Province on Sept. 2010.
I’ve carried an image for years of an idyllic Chinese scene – a lovely lake with temples and villas dotted among lovely parks and gardens reaching down to the shore, Rolling hills in shades of grey disappear to the horizon, each a lighter shade of pale than the one nearer. Little islets break up the expanse of water, and colourful boats transport people to various gardens and scenic points.
West Lake
At my first glimpse of the West Lake in Hangzhou, I realise this dream-like image that has been with me since I first read about the wonders of China as a young schoolboy has come to life.
As I walk along the Su Causeway, willows cast their dappled shade across our path, while late summer blossoms hang heavily from old, gnarled branches. The causeway is crowded with Chinese people, for whom the lake is one of the country’s major attractions, but my guide, Yang Jinfei, or Peter Yang, says we are lucky to have struck a quiet day.
“There are four islands, three causeways, two pagodas, one lake,” he says. The mountains are on three sides, while the city of Hangzhou takes up the western edge.
Peter leaves me for a few moments to arrange tickets for a ride on the lake on an old cruiseboat. As we sit on the stern I point out a two-storey, ornately carved vessel tied up to a nearby jetty.
“That’s the Dragonboat. It’s very expensive, about 8000 yuan ($1620) to go on board and the meal is extra. It’s mostly for VIPs,” he says.
Chinese say the West Lake is the perfect size, and so it seems. It is about 3.5 kilometres wide by two kilometres long. Surprisingly, the maximum depth is three metres, and most of it is shallower. Swimming is forbidden, as the bottom is thick, sticky mud, although fishing is popular. The lake is dredged regularly and fresh water is flushed through every day.
The lake was originally a lagoon adjoining a river, until the city governor had it dredged in the eighth century. The silt was used to create the causeways and three of the islands, two of which are open to the public.
Peter points out some exclusive restaurants and a villa where Chiang Kai-Shek, the first chairman of the Nationalist Government of China, used to stay. Chairman Mao Zedong also had a retreat here.
Up on the skyline is the striking Leifing Pagoda, with its golden spire. It has steps up to the top, great lake views and is relatively new. The original pagoda was built in 977 and collapsed in 1924.
Our boat stops for a moment and I notice three ceramic pagodas on the water that were built during the Ming Dynasty. These are famous, as they are on the one rem Chinese banknote. During the Moon Festival in late autumn, when the moon is full, candles are lit in the pagodas. Each pagoda has five holes, and their shining lights and the reflections on the water create the 33 moons famed in Chinese culture.
The West Lake has Ten Top Scenes, all with wonderfully poetic titles such as Cloud-Sustained Path in a Bamboo Grove, Inquiring about Tea at Dragon Well, and Precious Stone Hill Floating in Rosy Clouds.
There are other attractions, like the Broken Bridge, the Long Bridge and the Solitary Bridge. “Except the Broken Bridge is not broken, the Long Bridge is not long and the Solitary Bridge is not solitary!” says Peter.
He explains that the Broken Bridge is an optical illusion after a snowfall. The Long Bridge is named after a Romeo and Juliet-style love story, and the Solitary Bridge used to be the only one, but isn’t any more.
Snack Street
As we leave the lake, the road begins to climb through a narrow valley and within a few minutes we are in a rural landscape of tall, deciduous trees. Breaks in the foliage reveal tea plantations where Longjing tea, some of the best green tea in China, is grown. There are 130 farms in the district, each about four hectares in size. The oldest son traditionally inherits the property.
We pull into the China National Tea Museum, a simple structure with displays describing the history of tea in China and how it is made. I am invited into a room and Jean Yan, who describes herself as a tea consultant, takes me through the ritual of preparing a perfect cup of green tea.
“The first glass is for smelling only. It tastes like spinach. Pour it out and add more hot water, but not boiling, over the tea leaves. Then wait five minutes for it to cool down,” Jean says. A little honey can be added if desired.
The tea leaves have swelled to fingernail size, and can be strained out or eaten. The taste is subtle, not bitter, with a hint of tannin to clear the palate.
“Steam from the tea relieves dry eyes, and tea leaves mixed with egg whites make a good skin moisturiser,” she says.
Later, Peter explains that the best tea in China must have the best water, and it comes from the Tiger Running Spring, located not far away. It’s not on our itinerary but I’m keen to taste some.
First we must visit the Lingyin Buddhist temple, among the 10 most famous Buddhist temples in China, with a history going back over 1300 years. We enter down a lane called Incense Street, where people from the city come to pray and buy their incense before heading for the temple grounds. On the left we pass 400 stone carvings, some of them 800 years old, cut into a cave and a cliff face.
Over 200 monks live on the complex, although I only see one, as the others are meditating or asleep at the time of our visit. They have two ceremonies every day, where they kneel on cushions to chant and pray.
Lingyin is not one but five huge Buddhas, rising one behind the other up a steep hillside, each in their own, ornate temple. In front of each temple is a huge iron bowl filled with glowing charcoal so the faithful can light their incense and make their offering.
The 17m high Sitting Buddha is carved from camphor wood which has been gilded. He is only 60 years old, as the original was burnt down in the Second World War.
The camphor tree is an emblem of Hangzhou city, says Peter. “When parents have a girl, they plant a camphor tree in the front of the house. When the tree is tall enough she can marry. Then they cut the tree down to make a special piece of furniture.”
Our final destination for the day is Tiger Running Spring, up the top of a pleasant walk through a glade. Legend has it that 1200 years ago a Buddhist master visited Hangzhou but could not stay, as there was no fresh water nearby. One night he dreamt a god told him about a fountain. “I will dispatch two tigers to deliver water from there,” the god said.
Sure enough, the next day the master saw two tigers running. He dug at the spot and water has flowed from that day to this. It is clear, cool and a refreshing end to the day.
That night I stroll around Hangzhou, a city of four million people located 80 minutes by fast train from Shanghai. Like many large cities in China it is undergoing a rapid transformation. I peep behind a huge billboard advertising a new tower complex and see four rows of half-demolished terraced houses.
I mention the site to Peter the next day and suggest they could have been converted into an attractive area of boutiques, cafes and studios.
Buddhist Temple Site
He is all for modernisation. “The city is developing. We have to build up. We must build up,” he says.
The West Lake transforms Hangzhou and gives its residents an enviable lifestyle. Peter farewells me with an old Chinese saying: “Up above is paradise. Down below is Suzhou (the city of silk) and Hangzhou.”
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