Hangzhou - Part 2

SUNDAY

After catching up on some much needed sleep, we left the hotel in late morning and had the taxi driver drop us off on the south-east corner of the lake. As expected, tourists were out and about in full numbers and although people had warned me off their overwhelming presence in Hangzhou, it seemed very natural to me – after living in China long enough, the masses become unexceptional.

Starting at 10:30 am we began our extensive stroll around the massive West Lake. The haze had made the opposite side of the lake disappear, thus adding a mystical appeal as you looked across into an infinite vaporous void. Along the lake, there were walkways, lush parks, sporadic pagodas, small food vendors, and many places where one could set sail in boats of all sizes – ranging from large tour boats to those you paddle with your feet. I can not express how divine it was to meander around these dewy parks, go stone hopping down uncharted brooks, and imagine that you were in fact surrounded by endless wilderness. The Chinese tourists are not known explorers, mainly sticking to the beaten paths, following guides with loudspeakers, or taking full advantage of shuttle golf carts that almost ran me into the lake more than a few times that day. I also found these tourists exceptionally interested in the most mundane of wildlife – I can not count how many times I saw people photographing a frog or a squirrel.

As we headed north we found that a few commercial establishments had somehow acquired waterfront property, including a cluster of modern and trendy eateries and coffee shops, an Indian restaurant, and a high-end hotel that forced the lakeside pathway to become a boardwalk around the property. This boardwalk had no rails and would not have seemed that treacherous if not for the hundreds of people marching on it in both directions – I am certain that a least one pour soul falls into the water every day.

Eventually, we made it to where the lake and Nanshan Road practically intersect and where a large commercial area begins. A development facing the lake, called One West, houses a few patio bars and number of luxury-brand outlets such as Armani, Zara, and Gucci. In terms of high-end retail, Hangzhou is on par with Beijing and given the socio-economic contrast, I am fairly surprised. The retail industry in Hangzhou has experienced a major transformation in the last few years and according to the billboards that surround empty lots, many more retail properties will be entering the market in the coming years. The most logical rationale explaining this phenomenon is that the tourism industry has considerably accelerated its prime retail markets in West Hangzhou.

At this point, we had reached the north-east tip of the lake, and were determined to continue the trek. We walked over a long causeway that was connected to an island with teahouses, over-priced restaurants, and a museum. After making it back to shore, we finally decided to grab some lunch. At a small but raucous xiaochi (eatery) we let our legs rest for a while as he consumed local dishes and Xihu Pijiu (West Lake beer).

With satisfied stomachs we left the lake and took a bus into the woods until arriving at the bottom of a valley where the Lingyun Temple (The Temple of Soul’s Retreat) had been built1,600 years ago by an Indian monk. The Lingyin Temple is without a doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake environs and is notable also as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. The Lingyin Temple received it name from its tranquil surroundings provided by forested hills on three sides. Walking up the narrow valley to the temple, we were also treated with dozens of Buddhist rock carving along the cliffs and in the caves. The trails that lead to many of these impressive ancient works of art were slick and high up – a precarious future for anyone who dared to have a gander. The temple itself is probably the most extraordinary Buddhist temple I have seen in China, and believe me folks, I have seen more than I can count. I suppose the grand halls, the caldrons of fire (to light prayer sticks) and the massive golden statutes are to be expected. I, however, loved how this temple ascended the mountain with each massive hall looking over the last and the striking coexistence of nature and the temple as they seemed as one up in the trees. After living in a sometimes drab Beijing, this natural beauty reminiscent of home (minus the bamboo) combined with the spiritual overtones was just what the doctor had ordered.

On the bus ride back to the hotel, we passed through some amazingly beautiful country, especially in the valleys that grow Longjing Tea (a very famous brand of tea in China). Much of this area was rather secluded despite a few tourist traps (like the Longjing tea village) and given the opportunity to return to Hangzhou, I would definitely like to go hiking through the hills and valleys of this region. Before reaching the hotel, we stopped to take a quiet walk in a park full of cottages, broad slopping lawns and a pond that perfectly reflected the regal rolling hills from above – if my memory serves me correctly, this land once belonged to a British lord. Finally, after 8 hours of exploring the beauties of Hangzhou, we went back to our resort for a little rest and relaxation.

At the appropriate hour we returned to the city to see what Hangzhou had to offer in terms of nightlife. After checking out dozens of options, including a few interesting waterfront restaurants in a complex called Xihu Tiandi (West Lake Heaven on Earth) and after walking nearly the length of the lake (again) we found the perfect venue to satiate our appetites and the perfect food including fish, an array of well-prepared local dishes, and Qiandao Pijiu (One Thousand Island Beer) – a local beer slightly more alcoholic than water. We sat on the third floor of this lavish restaurant taking in the accomplishments of the day. To reward ourselves further, we stopped by a few bars on the way home: an up-scale patio bar next to the Armani store, a salsa bar, and a live-music/sports bar that ended up being the most fun. It was nice to hang out at a Chinese bar for once, listen to Chinese rock songs, and feel like a part of the community (not a subset). Certainly venues like this exist in Beijing, however, they are few and far between. And while the majority of social events still happen around the dinner table, the younger generation is transforming rapidly, and as shown here in a Hangzhou dive bar, drinking games, rock shows, and large screens showing football (soccer) games is the future of Chinese nightlife. My girlfriend and I found this bar most enjoyable, but when we both realized we don't care much for the teams in the European Cup, we made for the door.

Hangzhou exceeded my expectations and is truly worthy of the label “Heaven on Earth” or as the ancient Chinese saying goes:

“Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou”