We took a short flight from Beijing to Shanghai in order to get to Hangzhou without a long drive. From the airport it will take almost 3 hours of driving to get to the famous West Lake in Hangzhou.
West Lake is located to the west of Hangzhou, hence the name of "West Lake". It is said that there are totally 36 "West Lakes" in China, and the West Lake in Hangzhou is the most beautiful of 36 west lakes all of which carry the same name.
It was a lagoon, once a small bay at the mouth of the Qiantang River. At one time, eon years ago, it was a sea mouth that was blocked from the sea by river sediment and later became a lagoon lake.
West Lake is mesmerizing and methodical prettification has weaved some cunning magic: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift slowly through a vignette of leisurely charm.
We got there still mid morning local time. This was he first time since we arrived to China a few days ago that temperature were actually hitting in the mid 10s without the minus. It felt so much better than in Beijing even though it was still cold, but it was manageable with a medium-heavy jacket.
The scenery was so beautiful and peacefully quiet with mountains covered the far away surrounding area, and forest covered nearby.
There was a musical water fountains by the east shoreline of the lake. And the show wouldn't start until 7:30 at night, but we had other attractions to keep us from staying here until then so we skipped it.
Anyways, we didn't want to miss other attractions higher on our list for just a 15 minute musical fountain show that similar to many water fountain shows around the world.
Liuhe Pagoda was a beautiful view from the lake.
Our next stop was the Tomb of General Yue Fei. Occupying an area of four acres, the tomb is located at the southern foot of Qixia Hill near the West Lake.
Entering the gate with double eaves, a patio with towering trees on both sides is found. The Shrine of Remembrance, the main hall, is right in the center. A sculpture of general Yue is set in the middle of the hall.
The statue of this general is in a colorful embroidered round cushion cover. Looking solemn and mighty, he has a sword in his hand and looks as if he is ready to protect his country. At the back of the hall are large pictures depicting his life stories.
General Yue Fei was a hero of the Southern Song Dynasty who fought against Jin invaders during the Song Dynasty. Yue Fei was framed and murdered for crimes he did not commit. In 1163, Song Emperor Xiaozong exonerated Yue Fei and his corpse was reburied at the present site. The tomb was built in memory of this great hero.
Facing the tomb are four iron sculptures, including Qin Kuai the chief plotter, in kneeling position. Concerning these sculptures, people wanted them to atone for their crime forever.
We stopped by and enjoyed some tea in the same fashion as the longest serving Emperor Chien Long on the way. It is a lovely outing that introduces us to the ancient tea-drinking culture of China.
The scenery of the village is picturesque and one cannot help but gain a soulful experience in the open green fields.
There was plenty of tea sampling then came a very high pressure sales pitch for green tea and green tea pills, all of which were super expensive to American standard. We've had enough traveling experience to fall for it and we are pretty picky in where to buy our tea. The only tea we prefer is either in B'lao or Taiwan.
We came here for the most famous show in China today, The Romance of Song Dynasty. We had to leave Tea Town early in the afternoon to make sure that we reserved good seats.
The Romance of the Song Dynasty boasts as being one of the three best shows around the world. It is an indoor, panorama style, large-scale performance, with hundreds of actors and actresses performed on stage. The show based on Hangzhou history and mythology and is intermixed with singing, dancing and acrobatics.
The performance did gave us a pleasant and impressive feeling and can be compared in beauty with the “Moulin Rouge” in Paris and “O Show”in Las Vegas. It is a must see for tourists coming to Hangzhou. We can easily and happily to give it a 9.5 on the scale of 10.
The show will take you back thousands of years, in time to explore the ancient culture and history of Hangzhou. Admire the vibrant costumes, spectacular laser lights, a variety of excellent stage props and the magnificent acting and dancing.
After an opening acrobatic act entitled ‘Legend of the Monkey King,’ you will be presented with four acts of scenes representing the Southern Song Dynasty, many of which are also depicted in ballet and traditional folk dances in various parts of Asia.
Live horses and real cannons used in a battle scene will take your breath away as legends are brought to life against backdrops of water fountains and a spectacular light show.
After the performance, we went sightseeing outside the theater around Song Dynasty Town to experience the vibrant Hangzhou nighttime atmosphere. On the set up of an old town, thousand years back, there were plenty of actors and actress wearing costumes for you to take pictures with. There were also plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants to serve as well.
It was well worth the money (about $45.00 to $120.00 depends on the seating locations).
Taking a tour during the winter has its pros and cons. The best part is we don't have to fight with the large crowd, likewise, everything is wide open for us to enjoy. The worst part is the cold weather in certain countries, unfortunately, in this eastern part of China, the winter weathers are brutally cold most of the time.
Overall, it was a great day on our trip. We headed back to our hotel and ready for a short trip to Suzhou tomorrow.
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