2nd LONG LOST POST: Hangzhou XiHu Legends

SOMEHOW I ALSO FORGOT TO POST THIS MOST IMPORTANT BLOG ACCOUNT FROM MY TRIP IN CHINA.  THIS RECOUNTS A DAY-LONG ADVENTURE EXPLORING THE ANCIENT LEGENDARY SITES AROUND WEST LAKE IN HANGZHOU…

I am living in the city of Hangzhou.  This is one of China’s ancient capitals.  During China’s Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou was the centre of power and culture.  Even before that time, Hangzhou was famed for its natural beauty.  They say that “in heaven they have paradise, on earth we have Hangzhou.”  And the city is indeed quite beautiful.  Here, we have the famous West Lake (西湖) plus the ring of small mountains that surround the lake.  There are wonderful forests and garden parks all around the city.

This famed beauty of Hangzhou has been celebrated for centuries, by mortal men as well as by immortal, heavenly beings.  There are countless tales of powerful dragons, spirits, and other gods who had been drawn to the beauty of Hangzhou, and particularly West Lake.  For good or ill, these beings participated in the history of this city.  And today legends of magical events are still told to young and old.  I bought a book of West Lake Legends, and since reading it I can really imagine the stories as I walk around the lake shore and its gardens.

Last week, I mad a special trip to visit some of the sites mentioned in the stories that I read.  Most are still celebrated and widely visited today. Hangzhou is one of China’s best tourist cities, and they have done a great job making the lake and parks accessible to those interested in nature, culture, history, and exercise.

So here in this post, I’ll briefly summarize my day-trip visiting the legendary sites, and then provide a link to some pictures I took at each of the sites and give some more details in the captions.  This was an all day event, and it was fun to wake up early and take the bus to the lake. Throughout the day, I travelled on foot, I rode bicycles, and I climbed mountains.  All while seeking ancient, legendary places and thinking about dragons, spirits, and magical talismans.  It made for a magical day.

See the photos below, and read the captions about the legendary sites I visited.