june-2010

TRAVEL HANGZHOU
Dragon tea
A Hangzhou speciality is
West Lake Dragon Well tea,
which has been cultivated
in the area for 1,000 years
and ranks among the best
in China. It is named after
a natural spring to the
south-east of West Lake
which, according to legend,
is inhabited by a sea dragon.
Traditionally, people would
come here to pray for rain
during periods of drought.
Visits to local tea
plantations can be
organised through
Hangzhou tour operators.
34 Holland Herald
RIGHT: The Su
Causeway is
famous for its
water lilies
FAR RIGHT: Twilight
falls over West
Lake
BELOW: A local
boatman ferries
his passengers
across the lake
“The Bai Causeway is named after Bai Juyi, a Tang Dynasty
poet, who also served as the local governor of Hangzhou from
822 to 824 AD,” she explains. “He oversaw building projects
around the lake, and constructed a dam to keep the water level
up. In the middle of the causeway is Solitary Island, where
celebrated Chinese writer Lin Bu (967–1028 AD) lived alone
for 20 years, tending 365 plum trees in his garden.”
“The Broken Bridge is well-known across China because
it features in a popular Chinese fairy tale: the legend of the
White Snake Lady. It’s a romantic saga with many twists
and turns, but typically it has a nice happy ending. At night,
the scenery from the bridge is also very beautiful, with the
illuminated Baochu Pagoda refl ected in the water.”
A little further down the causeway, a line of wooden tour
boats rises and falls on the gentle swell. Complete with canopy,
cushioned seats and personal rower, these make a relaxing way
to break up a cycle ride for an hour or two. “I charge RMB 120
(about €10) per hour for the whole boat,” explains boatman
Wang Wei from the comfort of his well-used deck chair. “Many
foreigners just lock their bikes here and carry on cycling when
they get back.”