Saturday, May 24, 2008

Saturday morning we packed it up and headed for Hangzhou around 8:45. The drive out was interesting. Along the roadside we noticed that every inch of land was either planted, cultivated, or somehow in use. Nothing was left to grow wild. It is a big difference compared to the view from our highways in the U.S. outside the urban areas.

Another difference was the size of the farm plots. Unlike the mega-farms we see that are all of one type, like corn or soybeans, the Chinese plots were very small and a mix of different crops. The largest single plots were flooded rice fields, but we also saw wheat, mulberry, corn, garlic, onion, and leeks. The leaves of the mulberries were being harvested as a cash crop for silk production, and it was the larger houses that featured this plant. Farming in the area we drove through was much higher income versus the western part of China. We saw no machines! We even had a contest to see if anyone could spot any machine in the fields, but alas, there was only hand labor for the acres and acres of farm.

We arrived in Hangzhou early afternoon and met our new driver and guide for lunch. Our first site we visited was the Ling Yin Monastery. The Monastery was by far the most crowded place we had visited. The place featured many carvings in the surrounding mountains and immense statutes in the temples. Some chose to climb vine- covered paths to the top of a nearby mountain to take in the view. All of sub-tropical Hangzhou is very lush, much more so than Shanghai or Suzhou.

After Ling Yin we visited the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Most Pagodas mark the tomb of Buddhist monks, but this one served the purpose of flood control. Some Chinese believe that the nearby river contains a dragon, so the Pagoda was built to subdue him. For a small fee we climbed a set of steep, winding stairs 13 floors to the top. Hangzhou is a very humid place, maybe an average of 80 percent relative humidity since we have been here. The view, although hilly and lush, was masked by hazy fog, as I'm sure will turn out in the pictures you will see.

While at dinner in a hotel we witnessed a Chinese wedding that I am going to take the liberty of labeling bizarre. In Chinese culture, a couple is not married until they hold a big feast, which was the occasion we saw. The couple walked past fountains of sparkling fireworks (indoors!) and exchanged rings. The ceremony was markedly unspiritual. After the exchange the newly wed couple sat a a head table that was round- so members of the head table actually had their backs to the party. It was very interesting, and not like any wedding I have ever seen.

Hangzhou-Water, Tea and History

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Hangzhou-Day 2:

Today was not necessarily an early day for us, but it sure was a busy day. Leaving the hotel at about a quarter to 9 this morning our fist stop was West Lake. Hangzhou is famous for this very large body of water on the Western side of the city...thus the name: West Lake. This lake covers about 3 square miles and is half man-made and half natural. The natural portion was once part of the China Sea, but now is a reservoir. The lake itself is quite shallow with an average depth of 6ft. I found it interesting to note that every 2 weeks the entire body of the lake is pumped and replaced with clean water from which they collect about 2 metric tons of garbage daily. It is also home to the Broken Bridge which is referenced in the Tail of the White Snake Lady. It was named the Broken Bridge for 3 reasons: 1. The snow on top melts faster than that underneath so the bridge appears "broken" 2. The bridge is located at the end of the causeway 3. Broken is the family name.

Our next stop was at the Tea Garden. This is located in a small city that is home to more than 1000 teahouses, most of which are privately owned. Hangzhou's specialty is Green Tea and the specific type grown here is Dragon Well Tea (Longjing). I did not know much about tea before the visit as I myself am not an avid tea drinker but I was stunned to learn that it took 80,000 sprouts to make 1 kilo of tea. (And if that is any indication this Garden was HUGE!) After the sprouts are picked from the plant they are then air dried for about 4 hours and then are dried in a chinese cooking pot at about 110 degrees Celsius. The average drying time for 200g is 45 minutes so the procedure is very labor intensive. We also learned about a few types of tea available here in China. The first is Emperor's Tea. This has a very light color and is picked very early in the season, about February or March. Next comes the Daughter's Tea in March to April, followed by the Daughter-in-laws tea in April-May and finally the Mother-in-Laws Tea at the end of the season. It was also very surprising to know that the only tea that is exported is the mother-in-laws tea (the darkest and last picked) and it is usually ground and put into tea bags. The other three types are only available here in China.

After the Tea Garden we decided that it was time for lunch so we traveled over to The Hangzhou Botanical Garden and stopped at a restaurant by the entrance. After filling our stomaches we made our way out to view the garden. The garden is divided into several sections including, but not limited to, a medicinal garden, a landscape garden and a systematic section. The garden is located on the western outskirts and is quite peaceful as there is not much foot traffic compared to other places we have visited. (Well with the exception of wedding season as we saw many couples dressed up to take their wedding photos.)


After the Garden we were off to the China National Tea Museum. The museum was opened in April 1991, and covers 4.7 Ha with floor space totaling 8000 square meters. The museum is famous because it is the only museum to be specialized in tea and tea culture in China. The museum is not only home to the history and description of tea, but it also provides a location for training and research and is used as a basis to maintain culture. "In 2003, China Tea Culture Exhibition won the fifth session of National Top Ten Exhibition Awards, which was the most valuable award in terms of museum exhibitions in China." This museum has been visited by many in the government including leaders, members of the Communist Party, and friends from all over the world.

After the Garden we stopped back at the hotel to cool off and freshen up for a bit and then made our way to Old Street. Old Street, also known as Hefang Street, is a representation of "old Hangzhou." This street is designed for pedestrians and along both sides there are a numerous amount of shops offering various things such as, tea, silk, food, and many miscellaneous items. It is definitely a place for tourists to shop. Although this is not the real street ( it has been redesigned) the shops look like those dating back into the 1800s as well as the 1700s and possibly even earlier.