The hills just back from the West Lake were beautiful but it was difficult to see them because of the smog
My first impressions of Hangzhou weren't favourable. I arrived on Friday night, tired and grumpy after the bus trip and was confronted by another big, busy, noisy and smoggy Chinese city. I had visions in my mind of a serene lakeside town, a vision which was greatly at odds with what I saw. By Saturday morning, my thoughts had not changed as I found my way to the marathon site to collect my running things - there seemed to be more traffic and more smog that even Wuxi had! But, after being dropped off at the lake, I went for a wander and found myself a quiet place to relax under a tree.
A smoggy but beautiful lake
The view from my resting spot in the park
Qinhefeng Old Street was interesting to stroll along. A pedestrian street, with many stores selling Hangzhou's prized commodities of silk, tea and believe it or not ..... scissors! There were also several traditional Chinese medicine stores, where shoppers could purchase a variety of plant and animal parts to cure all sorts of ailments. Here, I also found some of my favourite Chinese snacks that I had discovered in Anhui province - rice flour sticky pieces with sesame seeds, a type of peanut brittle and some kind of seed museli bar - yum!
Lakeside
You can see the West Lake by various forms of transport - foot, bicycle or boat
As I spent more time wandering around the lake and exploring the small streets around my hotel, Hangzhou seemed to grow on me. The lake, while smoggy and busy with tourists, was relaxing and re-energising and the streets proved to be sophisticated and somewhat trendy, unusual for many Chinese cities. My hotel was located on a new street, where all the old factories are being renovated to house jewellery stores, expensive clothing stores and cafes. The most interesting part about the street was the plaques on each building, describing the history of the building.
Rehydrating during a cycle around the lake
Bike hire - there are hundreds of these hire bikes around Hangzhou
So, the moral of my trip to Hangzhou is that you should never judge a city based on your first impressions. You should always take the time to explore beyond the traffic and smog, and take a close look at the streets and people who make up the 'real' city.
West Lake - A great location for a wedding shoot .....
..... or a picnic in a tent
New but old street near my hotel
Qinhefeng Old Street
Tea on Qinhefeng Old Street
A pony in an alleyway off the new and trendy street near my hotel
Playing cards on a street corner
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