A trip to Hangzhou in raindrops
- By Wu Jin
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 4, 2016
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Mountain Stone [China.org.cn] |
A trip to Hangzhou in late autumn is of a great fun, as visitors can catch the last smell of sweet-scented osmanthus lingering among the woods near West Lake.
Despite the fact that the stone steps covered with dots of lichens become slippery on rainy days, a hike to the tops of mountains abutting West Lake is a unique experience, as the precipitation enhances the force of gurgling creeks and falls while the mist resembles a smooth white canopy.
Starting from a northern highland known as Mt. Stone, people may soon get to the mountain top, which is no more than 80 meters high. The rocks on the mountain are maroon due to ferric oxide.
Amid the woods and rocks sits the Baochu Pagoda, an ancient Buddhist structure that can be traced back to as early as 976 in China’s Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The original pagoda, a complete wood-brick building, was destroyed, and the current pagoda at the site was restored in 1933.
Down from the Mt. Stone comes the Bamboo Garden (Zhusu Garden), one of the 18 most famous local sceneries listed in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Water from transparent springs zigzags through the thick coverage of bamboo in the garden.
The scenery located at the western end of Bai Causeway is called “Autumn Moon on the Calm Lake” and is along with “Spring Dawn of Su Causeway,” “Lotus in the Breezes at Crooked Courtyard” and “Lingering Snow on the Brocken Bridge,” all named after their changing appearances through the alteration of the seasons. The place is also only several blocks away from the site of the splendid nocturnal gala staged for the G20 summit several weeks ago.
Yet the beautiful sceneries are not only confined to the banks along West Lake. A town accommodating about 160 hedge fund firms, such as DH Fund Management and Cybernaut Group, sits among layers of bungalows mimicking the ancient southeastern architecture composed of white walls.
Near the hedge fund area extends the Eight Diagram Field, which can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Expelled by the nomadic troop of Jin in 1127, the imperial family of Song abandoned Kaifeng, the capital in northern Henan Province and rebuilt the empire by withdrawing to Hangzhou, known as Lin’an at that time. To inspire the people to overcome the panic of losing territories in the north, the first emperor of the South Song Dynasty paved the Eight Diagram Field, planted crops, such as rice, wheat, millets and beans, with the pious hope that the empire might become strong again with the hard-working spirits in the agricultural fields.
Hangzhou never lacks the green hues of foliage, even in late autumn. Nor does it lack the ancient camphor trees, which live for more than 500 years. Among the woods and terraces grow tea trees, whose sprouts can turn into Longjing tea.
In addition to its beautiful natural scenery, Hangzhou is also a city where the legacies left by ancient heroes and celebrities are well preserved. The tomb of Su Xiaoxiao (479-502) at the Xiling Bridge of West Lake reminds people of the talented woman, even though she was a show girl during the Six Dynasties extending between the famous Three Kingdoms and Sui Dynasty (581-618). Meanwhile the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei in South Song Dynasty attracts flocks of visitors paying homage to the legendary general who retrieved vast lands from the Jin armies and brought hope to the residents of the besieged cities until he was executed for unclear reasons.
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