Hangzhou - 12,000 Bridges

Peter and me at Leifeng Pagoda

My friend Peter met me at the train station and took me to Zheijiang International Hotel to stay. The next day he picked me up in his car at 9:30 and we went sightseeing.  Hangzhou is one hour south of Shanghai but has a lot of history.  It dates back to the Qin dynasty (221 B.C.).  Marco Polo passed through in the 13th century, saying that Hangzhou had a 100 miles of water vaulted by 12,000 bridges.  When the Mongols took over, they established their court in Beijing but Hangzhou remained as a prosperous commercial city.   It is famous for West Lake, originally a lagoon adjoining the Qiantang River, the lake didn't come into existence until the 8th century when the governor decided to develop the area.  It is quite magnificent and without a car it would take hours to travel around. Plus it was hot and humid and the air conditioning in the car was wonderful!!  Never thought I would like air conditioning but China has changed my mind!!  We went to the Leifeng Pagoda first, this Pagoda was built in 977 AD but collapsed in 1924.  During the renovations in 2001, Buddhist scriptures written on silk were discovered in the foundation.  Beautiful and amazing view of the lake but overcast  and muggy.  Next we went to a very famous restaurant called "Louwailou" founded in 1838, it's specialty is chicken and fish cooked in bag.  Story has it that a beggar found a chicken and wrapped it up in paper and bury it in the sand.  His friend was hungry and he came back to cook it and give it to his friend.  The chicken was so tender that the Emperor found out about it and came looking for the beggar and gave him the position of  the royal chef.   Well, I don't know about the story, but the chicken was excellent!! I have pictures!!  After we went to Lingyin Temple, famous Buddhist Temple, built in 326 AD and has been restored no fewer than 16 times due to war and calamity. During these 5 dynasties about 5000 monks lived in these temples. They have several temples and at least a thousand of the smaller Buddha statues.  I was told that these Buddhas are the largest in China.  So enough said, here are the pictures:

Entrance to the Leifeng Pagoda

Going up the escalator 

Inside showing the remains of the earlier Pagoda

A view from the Pagoda

Another Temple I think Jingci Temple

The chicken in a "bag"

So tender and favorful

Our lunch shrimp, and lotus root with rice very sweet

One of hundreds of Buddhas carved in stone

River  from the West Lake

Another Buddha

This one was in a cave

One of the ones in the Temple, HUGE

Another HUGE one

These were smaller but so colorful

Thousands of these with different faces

Life Challenge:  Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow....  Helen Keller