Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page B6

October 30, 2013

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Four Seasons Hangzhou reflects West Lake beauty

By Yao Minji | October 30, 2013, Wednesday | Print Edition

Visiting West Lake puts one in dilemma. This is especially so after the inspirational lake and its surrounding scenery were inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2011, and the famous lake continued to attract larger crowds every year.

It is difficult to enjoy great views and greater personal space at the same time.

The scenes are utterly gorgeous, but the lakeside is crowded almost all year long. It isn’t easy to capture that sense of inspiration and tranquility that inspired so many famous poets, writers and painters since ancient times.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake stands out as a pleasant surprise, first for its location — only steps away from the much quieter inner West Lake.

With 78 guest rooms spread across the spacious resort-like hotel, one can stroll down the water garden and appreciate the meticulously planted flowers without bumping into other guests. The size of the rooms, starting at 63 square meters, is also pleasing.

Though opened in October 2010, the hotel doesn’t come across as a new creation, but rather possesses a presence that seems to have been there for a long time. It could convincingly fit into any legends about famous ancient artists who spent time in a relaxing lakeside garden near West Lake and were inspired to write or paint master works passed on through centuries.

Unlike Four Seasons hotels in big cities, this one has been designed like a typical southern Chinese garden, with pagoda-like peaked roof pavilions, water features including a lagoon and streams, as well as the traditional color scheme of white walls, black tiles, gray rocks and red columns, which blends smoothly with the lake, nature and plants.

The essence of Chinese gardens is to imitate nature within a limited space, and the best ones are those that switch to a different scene at every step. Garden designers often achieve this effect through good use of rockeries, a smooth combination of nature and design.

The hotel’s designers took advantage of its location near West Lake and extended nature into the garden with flowing water, grassy land, mist-covered lagoons, lush bushes and trees as well as subtly composed rocks.

The meticulously designed walkways and carefully arranged flowers allow an easy access for the guests to enjoy a variety of different scene combinations as one strolls down the garden.

Many of the guest rooms open to a terrace and each has a different view of the garden, the flowers and the streams among others. Although the rooms are well-equipped with advanced technologies, a peek from the rooms almost reveal nothing contemporary and can easily make one feel like having been transported to the lake in ancient times.

The three villas, hidden among nature, are reminiscent of a lakeside mansion that was built by a wealthy silk merchant in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The celebration of seasons is an important theme in Chinese culture, and the highlights and beauty of West Lake changes in different seasons. It is also an important concept in Chinese cuisines to use seasonal fresh produce.

Over 40 kinds of flowers and plants in the 13,000-square-meter garden of the hotel have also been arranged by seasons to create a picturesque Eden for those seeking relaxation and serenity.

Local folklore says osmanthus flowers suddenly fell down from the moon into the hill in the Lingyin area of the city one night in ancient times, and later grew into osmanthus trees whose blossoms perfumed the entire town. Local residents were charmed by the aroma and started growing different kinds of osmanthus trees. Passion for the flowers remains today and autumn is the best season to enjoy the scent.

The hotel’s garden is decorated with golden colored osmanthus trees in autumn, with distinct and romantic aromas. The Lobby Lounge also provides the golden osmanthus afternoon tea set as osmanthus has been considered a traditional Chinese herb that benefits the digestive system, soothes the liver and dissolves phlegm. The set includes an array of pastries and snacks with a special osmanthus twist such as osmanthus macaroons, a pleasantly surprising match of a quintessential French dessert and fresh osmanthus blossoms.

The hotel’s Jin Sha Chinese restaurant also includes two dishes that are cooked with osmanthus. Slow-cooked lotus root filled with glutinous rice and rock sugar, and sweet rice bread in fermented rice soup are both sprinkled with osmanthus petals, which tantalize one’s eyes and taste buds with a seasonal touch.

The Chinese idea of a great dish incorporates the senses of sight, aroma and umami. The signature Chinese restaurant provides a menu combining authentic Hangzhounese, Shanghainese and Cantonese dishes with a focus on locally sourced ingredients including freshwater lake and river fish, lake crab and vegetables cultivated by local farmers that are a treat for eyes, noses and palate. Another treat is the 11 private dining rooms surrounding the garden lagoon, allowing one to enjoy both food and nature at the same time.

Autumn special

Jin Sha’s harvest-time banquet

Traditional Chinese medicine suggests the nourishing of lungs in autumn, a stuffy and dry season. The restaurant creates the banquet that features steamed beef cakes with dried orange peel and double boiled melon soup with conpoy and frog legs, both filled with ingredients to provide necessary nutrition for the lungs.

Nourishing Spa journey

The hotel’s spa is designed much like an underground palace, offering an ambience of spiritual serenity through the large and intimate treatment rooms. The nourishing spa journey offers a package including use of Thai herbal packs during a hot compress massage to get one warmed up, followed by a Swedish massage consisting of various smooth, flowing movements that helps remove waste products through the lymph nodes, and use of Thai herbal facial balls that help eliminate dark circles around the eyes.

 

Hangzhou


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend