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Go west, young man, for the true beauty of West Lake
By Nancy Zhang |
April 20, 2009, Monday
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MAOJIABU is down a tiny lane off Longjing Road, but along with the surrounding serene, natural scenery, it makes for an ideal day out. Nancy Zhang explores a special area of Hangzhou beauty
The most serene and pleasant views of West Lake can be found on its western shores. Without the luxury brand shops, expensive coffee bars or overly fashioned parks along its banks, the west side of West Lake retains the natural beauty that has inspired Chinese poets for generations.
The Maojiabu area on the west shore also has interesting architecture, both old and new, to explore. Maojiabu is down a tiny lane off Longjing Road, but along with the serene, natural scenery, it makes for an ideal day out.
Arched bridges
The Maojiabu Scenic Area features a dense collection of waterways, ponds and causeways on the edges of the West Lake's misty western shore.
The area has been tidied up and turned into a park with convenient footpaths and pagodas for rest. It used to be a grassy causeway linking a number of small villages and gained fame during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) for its natural beauty.
Buddhist monks used to make pilgrimages through the area to pray at the temples in Tianzhu, and in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) they built the Tongli Bridge - an arched, stone bridge over one of the narrow waterways near the Yanggong Causeway.
Though only the basic structure and broken steps remain, the elegant arch over the green waters below makes an idyllic scene. More modern, arched bridges have been built throughout the area. But they are tastefully subtle and punctuate the swaying green willows and floating plum blossoms along the lake shore.
Slow boats can be hired for 80 yuan (US$11.7) an hour, and will take you on a relaxed tour through the winding waters and bridges.
Historic villas
There are two noteworthy historic residences in this area: Du Jinsheng's Residence and Guo's Villa.
Du (1898-1943) was a patriotic businessman of the last century who kick-started Hangzhou's modern silk industry. He founded the Jinsheng Silk Weaving Factory in 1922, and his brocades became famous domestically and internationally for their exquisite weaving and unique Chinese patterns. Today the Jinsheng brand is still respected.
In 1926 Du's multicolored silk landscape won a gold medal at the Philadelphia International Expo in the United States. Three years later Jinsheng silks participated in the first West Lake exhibition. By 1931 Du had 13 factories in southern China, producing 50,000 silk paintings a year and making 100,000 yuan (US$14,633) in profit.
Du's former residence consists of his living quarters, a workshop and a showroom of his most prized products. All the rooms are laid out like a museum with artifacts, period silk looms and wax figures of Du and his family.
Further along the Yanggong Causeway stands Guo's Villa. Built in 1851 it initially belonged to another silk merchant, Song Duanfu. Later it was occupied by Guo Shilin, from Shanxi Province whose name the villa now bears.
Unlike many other Chinese gardens, this villa and its gardens have not been reconstructed or rebuilt. It is famed for retaining the delicate flavor of imperial era's southern Chinese architecture.
It is situated perfectly to take advantage of its geography, and the water for its ponds comes from West Lake. According to tradition there are two parts to the villa - an outer section for receiving guests and an inner section for daily living where chess was played and poems composed.
The inner quarters were also where women spent most of their lives.
Guo's Villa
Opening hours: 8am-5pm
Address: 28 Yanggong Causeway
Tel: (0571) 8798-6026
Du Jinsheng's Residence
Opening hours: 9am-5pm
Address: Longjing Rd, Maojiabu Scenic Area
Admission: Free
Restaurants and teahouses
Near the entrance to Maojiabu there are a cluster of restaurants. Several are situated by the lake shore with tables placed precariously close to the water.
The Zuibai restaurant and teahouse is the best known as it was built on a spot where a famous Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) poet, Bai Juyi, regularly came to drink wine and admire the view. The restaurant has a nice patio down on the lake, but tea is pricey at 50 yuan a cup. The psychedelic, disco-like interior is probably unnecessarily glitzy.
The Huxi Qingshe restaurant nearby has more tasteful decor with a luxurious, modern update on traditional Chinese motifs. Opened in November last year, the restaurant serves high-end Cantonese food.
It features a lotus pond and bridge, lattices screening the tables are intertwined with roses, and an antique silk loom and horse trough collected by its owners stand reminding visitors of history. There's also a courtyard decorated with a countryside theme.
When one of the owners converted to Buddhism, the monks gave him some calligraphy and an ornate screen as a present. These also stand in one of the private dining rooms.
Huxi Qingshe
Address: Longjing Rd, No. 2-5 Lower Maojiabu area
Tel: (0571) 8577-9777
The most serene and pleasant views of West Lake can be found on its western shores. Without the luxury brand shops, expensive coffee bars or overly fashioned parks along its banks, the west side of West Lake retains the natural beauty that has inspired Chinese poets for generations.
The Maojiabu area on the west shore also has interesting architecture, both old and new, to explore. Maojiabu is down a tiny lane off Longjing Road, but along with the serene, natural scenery, it makes for an ideal day out.
Arched bridges
The Maojiabu Scenic Area features a dense collection of waterways, ponds and causeways on the edges of the West Lake's misty western shore.
The area has been tidied up and turned into a park with convenient footpaths and pagodas for rest. It used to be a grassy causeway linking a number of small villages and gained fame during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) for its natural beauty.
Buddhist monks used to make pilgrimages through the area to pray at the temples in Tianzhu, and in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) they built the Tongli Bridge - an arched, stone bridge over one of the narrow waterways near the Yanggong Causeway.
Though only the basic structure and broken steps remain, the elegant arch over the green waters below makes an idyllic scene. More modern, arched bridges have been built throughout the area. But they are tastefully subtle and punctuate the swaying green willows and floating plum blossoms along the lake shore.
Slow boats can be hired for 80 yuan (US$11.7) an hour, and will take you on a relaxed tour through the winding waters and bridges.
Historic villas
There are two noteworthy historic residences in this area: Du Jinsheng's Residence and Guo's Villa.
Du (1898-1943) was a patriotic businessman of the last century who kick-started Hangzhou's modern silk industry. He founded the Jinsheng Silk Weaving Factory in 1922, and his brocades became famous domestically and internationally for their exquisite weaving and unique Chinese patterns. Today the Jinsheng brand is still respected.
In 1926 Du's multicolored silk landscape won a gold medal at the Philadelphia International Expo in the United States. Three years later Jinsheng silks participated in the first West Lake exhibition. By 1931 Du had 13 factories in southern China, producing 50,000 silk paintings a year and making 100,000 yuan (US$14,633) in profit.
Du's former residence consists of his living quarters, a workshop and a showroom of his most prized products. All the rooms are laid out like a museum with artifacts, period silk looms and wax figures of Du and his family.
Further along the Yanggong Causeway stands Guo's Villa. Built in 1851 it initially belonged to another silk merchant, Song Duanfu. Later it was occupied by Guo Shilin, from Shanxi Province whose name the villa now bears.
Unlike many other Chinese gardens, this villa and its gardens have not been reconstructed or rebuilt. It is famed for retaining the delicate flavor of imperial era's southern Chinese architecture.
It is situated perfectly to take advantage of its geography, and the water for its ponds comes from West Lake. According to tradition there are two parts to the villa - an outer section for receiving guests and an inner section for daily living where chess was played and poems composed.
The inner quarters were also where women spent most of their lives.
Guo's Villa
Opening hours: 8am-5pm
Address: 28 Yanggong Causeway
Tel: (0571) 8798-6026
Du Jinsheng's Residence
Opening hours: 9am-5pm
Address: Longjing Rd, Maojiabu Scenic Area
Admission: Free
Restaurants and teahouses
Near the entrance to Maojiabu there are a cluster of restaurants. Several are situated by the lake shore with tables placed precariously close to the water.
The Zuibai restaurant and teahouse is the best known as it was built on a spot where a famous Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) poet, Bai Juyi, regularly came to drink wine and admire the view. The restaurant has a nice patio down on the lake, but tea is pricey at 50 yuan a cup. The psychedelic, disco-like interior is probably unnecessarily glitzy.
The Huxi Qingshe restaurant nearby has more tasteful decor with a luxurious, modern update on traditional Chinese motifs. Opened in November last year, the restaurant serves high-end Cantonese food.
It features a lotus pond and bridge, lattices screening the tables are intertwined with roses, and an antique silk loom and horse trough collected by its owners stand reminding visitors of history. There's also a courtyard decorated with a countryside theme.
When one of the owners converted to Buddhism, the monks gave him some calligraphy and an ornate screen as a present. These also stand in one of the private dining rooms.
Huxi Qingshe
Address: Longjing Rd, No. 2-5 Lower Maojiabu area
Tel: (0571) 8577-9777
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