Hangzhou: Heaven on Earth

by+Cecile+Zehnacker

Hangzhou， capital of Zhejiang Province in eastern China， is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Praised for its natural beauty and numerous cultural heritage sites， it has served as an endless source of inspiration for many poets and artists. From 1127 to 1279， Hangzhou was the capital of China under the Southern Song Dynasty， and when Marco Polo visited the city at the end of the 13th Century， it was considered the biggest and most beautiful city in the world.

West Lake is without a doubt the citys most renowned scenic spot. The beautiful 6.5-square-kilometer lake has a total circumference of 15 kilometers. It was originally the center of the city—in ancient times the city first sprouted around it before expanding further. The lake is surrounded by abundant vegetation and numerous heritage sites. Although one can randomly stroll along its banks or boat across it， 10 surrounding scenic landmarks are known to attract heavy attention for their scenery during various seasons. The top spot is the Su Causeway which features amazing peach tree blossoms during spring. The blooming lotuses at crooked courtyard are best in summer. When autumn comes， the moon over the western end of Bai Causeway offers the best view， and during chilly winter， the most romantic views are found amidst snow melting on the Broken Bridge.

Northwest of the lake is Lingyin Temple， also known as “Souls Retreat Temple.”Dedicated to Zen Buddhism， Lingyin Temple was founded in 328 by an Indian monk called Huili. During its heydays in the 10th Century， its facilities included nine buildings with several floors each and over 3，000 monks were permanent residents. Although the temple is not as key a structure as it once was， many monks still live there. While visiting the impressive temple， I was lucky enough to find the chance to witness a ceremony involving monks chanting in front of a massive Buddha image.

Inside the temple， one building in particular surprised me： The Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats. It is a swastika-shaped hall with larger-than-life bronze statues of 500 arhats （in Buddhism， an arhat is someone who has reached the highest level of wisdom） with four-directional bodhisattvas statues in the middle.

Just up the hills from Lingyin are three other temples： Yongfu， Taoguang and Lingshun. Taoguang Temple is surrounded by tea plantations—famous Chinese Longjing tea is grown in this region. The three temples are stunning and Lingshun on higher ground offers an amazing view of the city and West Lake.

Although Lingyin Temple is probably the most impressive， other spots are also worth checking out such as Six Harmonies Pagoda， another famous Buddhist site， Leifeng Pagoda and Meijiawu Tea Village. The Six Harmonies Pagoda （Liu He Ta） is a 13-floor wooden pagoda that faces the Qiantang River. It is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture first built and destroyed during the Northern Song Dynasty （960-1127） and then rebuilt during the Southern Song Dynasty， when Hang- zhou was the capital of the country.

Leifeng Pagoda， located south of West Lake， is a five-floor pagoda first built in 975 that collapsed in 1924 due to neglect. It was rebuilt in 2002 with modern features to make it a nice tourist attraction. The sunset over Leifeng Pagoda is also one of the 10 scenic landmarks of West Lake. Meijiawu Tea Village to the west of West Lake is one of the four famous spots for Longjing tea in Hangzhou. The tea produced there is considered the best of all West Lake varieties of Longjing tea. Villagers pick tea leaves four times every day.

Longjing tea is also used to cook one of Hangzhous signature dishes： Shelled shrimp with Longjing tea. Other famous dishes in Hangzhou are West Lake fish with sweet and sour sauce， Dongpo pork and shallot stuffed pancakes. Around West Lake， as well as in many places， it is also possible to taste Hangzhous favorite snack： “beggars chicken，” a tasty snack， which according to legend， was invented by a beggar who stole a chicken， wrapped it in a leaf and cooked it on a fire. Tourists shouldnt miss local delicacies when visiting the city.