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Published: December 16th 2013
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Pagoda at Lingyin Temple
Containing the ashes of founding monk Hui Li As fall arrived, I found myself with an unexpected amount of free time and unexpectedly low funds. This meant no epic trips, no winging off to Thailand or Japan.
We did get to travel a bit in mid-September thanks to a long holiday for the Moon Festival. This festival, my students tell me, has several significances. First, it celebrates the love story of Chang O, the wife of a legendary hero who was whisked away to live on the moon after eating her husband’s immortality potion. It is a time for visiting family and missing loved ones who are far away.
It is also time for eating the ubiquitous gut-wrenching mooncakes that appear on shelves across China. My boss has a theory about the mooncakes. He is convinced that every mid-autumn, people recycle there leftover moon cakes to be sold and gifted again the following year. I had one mystery cake that was foisted upon me by friends. It was egg and maybe…sugar? Initial revulsion aside, many of the flavors aren’t bad. I’ve heard that the coconut variety are particularly good, so maybe next year I’ll lean towards the gourmet.
For the long weekend, we joined throngs of
mooncake carrying holidaymakers on the train to
Hangzhou. This time we stayed at Mingtown International Youth Hostel, which were literally a few steps away from
West Lake. The first day we spent by the lake watching the boats chug back and forth. The air was much cleaner than on our previous visit and the crowds weren’t too overwhelming. It was, in fact quite romantic.
After dark we wandered over to
HeFang Old Street. The moon was clearly visible above Mt. Wu and in the alleys below people shopped and nibbled on traditional snacks. There is a lot of delicious stuff. During my visits to Hangzhou, I usually live on street food. Pancakes stuffed with garlic, some type of sesame chips, and a delicious ice-cream crepe with shaved peanuts.
The next day we returned to
LongJin (meaning Dragon Well) Village, the picturesque town that is home to some of China’s most famous green tea. To get there we walked from the Jiu Xi Bus stop (#504 and #808 will take you there, among others). We took a slightly different route this time, passing some plum forests. In the village we found a lovely café with a panoramic view of
the tea-covered hills. From there a network of trails spreads into the surrounding hills and we hiked for quite a while with views on either side of the ridge. On one side was the lovely West Lake, surrounded by green hills and on the other, the city sprawling along the river.
The next day we went to the famous
Lingyin Temple. From town it was an easy 20 minute ride on bus Y2 Through a beautiful forested area. It costs Y50 to enter the grounds and more to get inside the temple. Being quite famous and a must-do on the national tourist itinerary, the area as swarming with hoard of flag-following Chinese tourists. We had come to see the
Fei Lei Feng Grottoes, a series of Buddhist carvings rumored to have flown on their own accord all the way from India a thousand years ago. It was a pretty fantastic setting; balmy mud-caked hills and grottoes above a meandering stream. The round-bellied, laughing Maitreya Buddha reminded me of a good natured fellow we’d just seen on the bus.
On the last day of our trip, a group of friendly, middle-aged performers dragged us into a pagoda for a
Full Moon
West Lake during the Mid-Autumn Festival free show. They demonstrated some of their traditional songs and tried to get us to dance. We awkwardly declined (for their own safety), but I think they were happy with a few photos and compliments.
We made it back to Hangzhou again in October. The enrollment at my school was low and I’d promised to teach an upcoming Saturday class in exchange for some coveted time off. C was still quite swamped with work, but he managed to bring some of it with him. We spent a lot of time wandering around the leafy trails of Mt. Wu, watching old men play animated games of cards at stone tables and passing through quiet temples. Crossing over the mountain one day, we even stumbled on the
Grand Canal, the most famous water passage of ancient China. It had linked Hangzhou to Beijing, though I’m not sure what the status is now.
We spent a lot of time at the lake, of course, and even rented a rickety motorboat to take us around the area in front of
Lei Feng Pagoda, drinking beer and gawking at the wedding parties lined up for photos on the bank. While C worked one
day, I headed out to the
Hangzhou Botanical Garden. It was really lovely and there were some gorgeous flowers and extensive waterways connecting the park to the famous, lily-strewn causeway. Tons of school kids shouting made for a slightly less relaxing atmosphere, but who could blame them? I thought about my students in Shanghai and wondered when the last time was they were able to let loose and run around on some real grass.
We also made a return trip to LongJin Village and did another long hike, this time ending up at the fantastic
Dreaming of the Tiger Spring. There’s a statue there of the famous tiger-taming monk and a gorgeous temple as well…perhaps one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. At the base of the steep hill are the white buildings, complete with graceful rust-colored maples, koi ponds, and delicate arched doorways. C told me, “I wouldn’t mind being a fish here. Think about how peaceful it would be.” I have to agree. It seems like the perfect place to meditate your way to Nirvana. There is also a legitimate spring. You can fill your water bottle at a special fountain said to have some
of the purest water in China. I took the risk and lived to tell the tale.
Writing this, I really miss Hangzhou. Our visits are always too short. Looking at my photos, I see that I’ve chosen to highlight the green spaces. The mountains, the trails, the flowers, the tea…those are the reasons I enjoy the city so much. Of course, it’s not perfect, but it’s still much easier to find a quiet corner for contemplation than in the giant, dynamic megalopolis of Shanghai.
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Dad
non-member comment
Beautiful Blog
Hannah, A very beautiful blog. It looks like you and Craig are having too much fun. But, I'm thinking that isn't right. There is never too much fun. Lovely photographs. You are a lovely daughter. Dad