Hangzhou: the mountains and lakes
that Chinese poets cling to
copyright@茶酒小镇雅韵茶酿
Hangzhou’s city centre is situated on the west bank of the West Lake and is centred around two adjacent metro stations, Longxiang Bridge and Fengqi Road. These two metro stations are located on the ground floor of large shopping malls and are surrounded by cafes, bakeries, Chinese restaurants, international cuisines, buyer’s shops, cultural and creative shops and so on, making this area very popular. However, despite the hustle and bustle of this downtown area, the West Lake next to it remains uniquely calm, like the water of the West Lake that embraces all things, soft and stable.
1. Duanqiao Canxue
Located on the West Lake, Duanqiao is a long, thin bridge that connects the White Causeway across a portion of the West Lake. The name Duanqiao means broken bridge in Chinese, but in reality it is not broken.
The origin of its name is very interesting and there are many different stories.
One is due to the high temperature in Hangzhou, winter snow days, when the bridge is still snow-covered on the negative side of the bridge, the bridge on the positive side of the snow has been melted, from a distance, the bridge looks like from the middle of the break in general, so the name of Duanqiao.
The view from the Broken Bridge is very open, with no trees or buildings in the way, and the West Lake is right in front of you. The right side of the Broken Bridge is planted with many lotus flowers, which are very beautiful in the evening in summer, and the colourful sunset will be reflected in the water together with the mountains in the distance, and the blooming pink lotus flowers complement each other.
A love story about Duanqiao:
This is a love legend about a Chinese monster. The monster named White Snake is a small white snake cultivated in the mountains and fields. One day, the small white snake was caught by an old man who caught snakes and almost suffered from killing, but fortunately was saved by a small shepherd boy. After 1,700 years of training, the White Snake finally took human form. After being instructed by the Goddess of Mercy, she came to the West Lake in Hangzhou to look for the little shepherd boy who saved her life in her previous life. During the Ching Ming Festival, the rain and smoky sky, Goddess of Mercy said, ‘If you are destined to meet each other, you have to go to the high place of West Lake to find him. On Duanqiao at the West Lake in Hangzhou, the snake finally found Xu Xian, the saviour of her past life, and they fall in love gradually.
2. Xiling Bridge
The purpose of going to Xiling Bridge is to appreciate the West Lake at the end of the road, because the road here seems to disappear into the West Lake, giving people the illusion of seeing the sea. Beishan Street, where Xiling Bridge is located, is lined with very thick sycamore trees, with a dense canopy that is green in summer and orange-red in autumn, which is very pleasing to the eye along with the West Lake in the distance.
3. Qu Yuan Feng He
Qu Yuan Feng He is a good place to see the water of the West Lake, but the most famous scenery here is the summer lotus. The lotus flowers close at hand here are a sight to behold, especially with the Su Causeway and Yuehu Lake as the background, like an oil painting ‘painted’ into reality. Not far away from the Yudai Bridge is also a viewing point, this is a rare multi-view viewing platform. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Quyuan Fenghe, Xili Lake and Leifeng Pagoda. Take advantage of the flower season, bring a good mood, let’s go!
Baoshi Hill: a hill overlooking the panoramic view of West Lake
Baoshi Hill is located between Duanqiao and Xiling Bridge, you can enter the hill near Runlu, follow Baoshuta Qianshan Road , and then go down towards Beishan Street. The mountain is not very high, and the whole journey takes about two hours. The best viewpoint is at Toad Peak, where you can see not only Baoshu Pagoda, but also Duanqiao.
