Second day in Hangzhou!
Our destination this morning is the famous West Lake. I didn't know what to expect but I'd heard & read that it's beautiful and a 'must see'.
We decided to get there on foot, it being so close by......just about 10 mins from our hotel.
"Rippling water shimmering on sunny day, Misty mountains shrouded the rain; Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi; West Lake is always alluring." |
These are the words composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) when he compared the West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China.
copied from www.travelchinaguide.com: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/zhejiang/hangzhou/west_lake.htm
I found the above site by chance while researching for my trip to Shanghai & Hangzhou and it has proven to be very informative and helpful. I even used this site to book my hotel in Hangzhou.
Photos from our visit to West Lake:
Entrance to LeiFeng Pagoda
In the background behind us is the escalator
taking visitors up to the base of the pagoda
Excerpt from Wikipedia on LeiFeng Pagoda:
The original pagoda was built in 975 AD, during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, at the order of King Qian Chu (born Qian Hongchu) ofWuyue. It was built to celebrate the birth of Qian Chu's son, born to his Huang Fei. The Leifeng Pagoda was an octagonal, five-story structure built of brick and wood and with a base built out of bricks.
During the Ming dynasty, Japanese pirates attacked Hangzhou. Suspecting the pagoda contained weapons, they burned its wooden elements, leaving only the brick skeleton, as can be seen from Ming paintings of the West Lake.
Leifeng Pagoda was one of the ten sights of the West Lake because of the Legend of the White Snake.
Later, due to a superstition that bricks from the tower could repel illness or prevent miscarriage, many people stole bricks from the tower to grind into powder. On the afternoon of September 25, 1924, the pagoda finally collapsed due to disrepair.
As for whether there was a mausoleum below, this was debated for years until finally radar was used to investigate. On March 11, 2001 the mausoleum was excavated and many treasures were found, most notably a gold and silver coated hair of the Buddha.
What's left of the old pagoda. Beneath this, a secret chamber was discovered.
A silver & gold container housing the Buddha's relics (his hair) was found.
A picture of the old pagoda & the special container housing Buddha's relics (on the left)
Bricks from the old pagoda.
The local superstition/belief at that time was that these bricks could ward of illness & protect pregnant women from miscarriages. Because of this, most of the stones were carted away by the locals. Only a few rare pieces are left.
Ceiling decorations at the base of the Pagoda
(the dark spots at the centre of the motif are cctv cameras)
View of the entrance from the top of the Pagoda
View of Hangzhou city skyline from the Pagoda
Ceiling decor on the topmost floor
Close up of the motif on the ceiling
One of several wall plaques with very intricate wood carving
depicting scenes from Sakyamuni Buddha's life
Another floor had various scenes from the legend of The White Snake carved out in 3D.
Check out the fine detail & delicate workmanship of the carvings.
For more about the legend, visit this link:
Descending to ground level after the pagoda
The building where the small pagoda containing Buddha's relics is displayed
The silver & gold 'pagoda' housing some of Buddha's relics
Touring the entire circumference of the lake on a buggy.
The driver explained the sights along the way, but it was entirely in Mandarin... :(
The buggy similar to the one we were on
Views of the lake & its surroundings from different locations along the buggy ride
A quaintly designed boat ferrying tourists to the islands on the lake
One of many bridges we crossed
Lotus pond, but not many lotus flowers in sight
According to our buggy driver, the building in the background
was where Soong May-Ling & her husband Chiang Kai Shek stayed
during their honeymoon (as translated by my husband)
I love looking at the willows all along the drive around West Lake
The famous Lou Wai Lou restaurant in the background
This is where Impressions of West Lake is performed every night.
A stage has been built 3cm below the surface on which actors dance & move about
By the time we completed the tour, we were famished. Allan had earlier spotted a restaurant offering buffet lunch when we first entered the West Lake area. So when the buggy drove by the restaurant again, he signaled to the driver to stop for us to alight.
Buffet lunch was RMB64 per head. We hesitated at first, but eventually made the decision to try and we weren't disappointed.
The dessert section with the main buffet line in the background
Noodles, rice & much more.....
Only tiny plates & bowls were provided. Good way to avoid wastage.
Allan & Soo digging in
Close up of some dishes we tried
We really liked this one & went back several times for more
I loved this tea! The famous loong jeng tea I think
Drank so many glasses of it.
Enjoying the ambience & the tea :)
On the verandah outside the restaurant
View of the lake from the restaurant
A few last pics before we headed back to the hotel
My hero :)
1 comment:
Hangzhou looks really pretty! Too bad our guide didnt bring us to visit the West Lake! Hmmph! I was greatly disappointed! Good that u guys tour it yourselves!
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