Hangzhou is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. It sits at the head of Hangzhou Bay on China‘s coast between Shanghai and Ningbo. Hangzhou grew to prominence as the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and has been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities in China for much of the last millennium, due in part to its beautiful natural scenery. The city‘s West Lake is its best-known attraction. (Wikipedia)

Our trip to Hangzhou was definitely a memorable time!!! After searching for a water town in proximity to Shanghai, we settled on Hangzhou because of the mix of modern and ancient features, (and secretly because we knew we’d be able to find at least one person who spoke English if somehow our Chinese turned into a case of 听不懂 ting bu dong). Because Hangzhou is so close to Shanghai it makes for an awesome daytrip destination—the problem with it being so close is that everyone and their mom knows about it. While the train ride to Hangzhou is noticeably short, it is very crowded (so others contemplating making the same journey should probably book tickets at least 2 weeks in advance). Getting to the water from the train station is a 20 minute Metro ride, though a taxi ride is probably a little faster if you are in a hurry. When we arrived at the water we discovered that we were on the north end of the West Lake, so we set off on a walking journey that would span 5 miles – if this doesn’t sound epic, try doing it in huge boots (which we were wearing on account of the inclement weather). Our goal was to visit the Leifeng Pagoda, and though there were MANY opportunities to take a nice boat across the lake to our final destination we declined on account of the 150RMB fee. I can’t say that our feet appreciated the beating, though our wallets were certainly a little heavier at the end of the day. On our walk we encountered many interesting people, and had the opportunity to see many of the lakeside villas, gardens, and parks that the West Lake is so famous for. Perhaps the most interesting person we encountered was a 爷爷 yeye singing his heart out to no one in particular, from atop a lakeside balcony. We also walked through a park that doubled as a campsite, complete with hammocks and fire-pits. Overall it was a nice walk, though we never thought we’d have to walk back. Finally arriving at the Leifeng Pagoda, our feet breathed sighs of relief, we purchased our entrance tickets 40RMB. The Leifeng Pagoda is more of a compound, replete with shops, restaurants, and even a double-wide escalator that ferries tourists up to the base of the pagoda. I won’t spend too much time describing our experience here except to say 不好bu hao. While the pagoda is advertised as an ancient monument, let’s just say that there were still painters putting on the finishing touches. Besides the glass encased elevators, this entire structure is a bit of a scam. It’s only redeeming quality was the view from the top, which is pretty spectacular. On our way back we tried to hail a cab, but to no avail. The one cabbie that did stop swore that he could only drive in one direction, which turned out to be opposite of any direction we were headed. Oh well…we got a bit of a workout, and we were no worse for the wear. Overall we’d recommend this as a place to visit in China, but definitely take the boat. It’s much nicer, no traffic, and you’ll see everything from the lake. It’s worth the 150RBM – we know that now.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

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