West Lake

I’d like to take some time to tell you all a bit about the city I am in. Hangzhou is about a three hour drive inland from Shanghai, the capital of Zhejiang province and home to about 6.5 million people (I’m not sure how the census works here; like any Chinese city there are lots of unregistered workers who are officially country peasants and travel home every new year). The city has been in continuous existence for over 2200 years, and was once the home to the emperors of the Southern Song dynasty. Hangzhou has long been an exporter of tea and silk. Marco Polo famously declared it to be the most beautiful city in the world, and though he embellished his descriptions somewhat, it is still known today as a city of great beauty.

Of course, due to rapid modernization and the utilitarian lack of architectural aesthetic, most of this beauty remains concentrated around West Lake, the landmark which truly sets Hangzhou apart. Located in the Central, Southern part of the city and backing up against the mountains that take up Hangzhou’s Southwestern edge, the lake was once home to the emperors, courtiers and merchants who held Hangzhou’s wealth. Today the Eastern bank holds a paved tourist walkway with benches, pavilions, teahouses, tour boat docks, etc. Across the street are Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and several other Western Chains and high-priced international restaurants. This part is also home to the Xihu Tiandi, roughly “West Lake Heavenly Place”, a park-like set of sidewalks that sits on the lake and houses upscale restaurants and bars, and yet another Starbucks. On weekends I like to wander through the pedestrian parks, watching old men argue or listening to street performers with traditional instruments.

I hadn’t spent much time along the other parts of the lake, and this weekend the weather was spectacular, so I decided to change that, partly because my literature class is reading a story set in 1920s Hangzhou and centered mainly around West Lake. On Saturday I rode my bike (yes, I used the pedals, not the battery) around the lake. I started off going over a bridge and tree-lined road to an island in the Northern part of the lake, which is home to several historic villas and a Chinese restaurant called Louwailou that has been around for over a century and is mentioned in the story. I then went on to the street that runs along the North shore, which was beautiful and lined by parks along the lake, and fancy hotels along the other side. There are two artificially constructed causeways that go down the West side of the lake, but one is pedestrian only, so I biked the beautiful Yanggongdi, home to more historic villas and parks and museums. Around the South end I passed the pagoda I visited several weeks ago, and then on to Nanshan Lu and the wide sidewalks I’d walked so many times. Along the way I saw lots of couples posing for wedding photos (a big part of Chinese weddings is the photos, taken in different scenic locations and in traditional as well as modern outfits). One pavilion had at least four couples, just standing around in their wedding garb. The ride was a great way to get outside for the morning, and I discovered some very pretty looking parks I’d like to go back and visit.

In all, I was left with a great sense of mixing the old with the new; with the exception of the smorgasbord of brand-name store fronts, which are presented tastefully, West Lake preserves a sense of peaceful beauty, and even the boats are more picturesque than tacky, though I don’t anticipate getting on one any time soon. The lakefront is undeveloped except for the landscaping, and almost entirely public (there are a few villas and places like the pagoda that have entrance fees). I think my favorite thing to do is sit at a park bench or outdoor teahouse, casually perusing my Lonely Planet, reading or playing cards.