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Historic river leads to cool coffee houses, spicy food
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In ancient times, almost every city in China had a moat, helping to protect the city in wartime and providing an easily accessible source of water to put out fires.
The Tiesha River, dug in AD 861 during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), originally was Hangzhou’s moat. In modern times, its function has switched to water conservation.
The local government has invested billions of yuan in cleaning up the environment in the river area, including dredging and increasing green space. The river is now an ideal place to take a stroll, fly a kite or go fishing.
Huancheng Road E. runs along the Tiesha River, connecting with Huancheng Road N. to the north and Qingtai Street to the south. It was one of the thoroughfares leading to Hangzhou Railway Station, which dates back to 1909.
At the intersection of Fengqi Road and Huangchen Road E., Hangzhou Ren’ai Hospital was built between 1922 and 1928 by Sister Hacard, a French Catholic nun from the Sisters of Charity. Ren ai means kindheartedness in Chinese, and it was the first Western hospital in Hangzhou.
The old buildings are characterized by red bricks, stained glass and Gothic architectural style and was listed as protected relic in 2005.
After renovation, the former Ren’ai Hospital has become part of the Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital. A new statue of Sister Hacard has been erected to replace an earlier one lost to history, paying homage to the kindhearted French nun.
Shanghai Daily walks along the road and discovers a couple of worthwhile places to grab a coffee or have a meal.
Ba Guo Bu Yi Restaurant
This is one of Hangzhou’s most noted Sichuan cuisine restaurants. Must-orders include fuqi fei pian and dan dan mian.
Fuqi fei pian, or lungs in chili sauce, is a classic Sichuan dish. Actually, the name is somewhat deceptive: It contains ox organ meats, not the lungs.
It is said that in the 1930s a couple surnamed Guo operated an eatery in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, selling ox organs. They sliced the meat and boiled it with seasonings.
After years of development, their food gained fame for its tenderness and tasty flavor. It became a time-honored brand and a signature dish of Chengdu.
Dan dan mian is a famous noodle variety from Sichuan. Dan dan in Chinese means shoulder pole. It was created by Sichuan vendors who used a shoulder pole to carry a small stove on one end and a pot on the other. They cooked their spicy noodles on the side of the street. The noodles have become a specialty of Sichuan.
The restaurant also features authentic Sichuan face-changing performances. Performers wear vividly colored masks, which they change from one to another almost instantaneously with the swipe of a fan, a movement of the head, or wave of the hand.
Address: 32 Jiefang Rd (at the intersection of Huancheng Rd E. and Jiefang Rd)
Tel: (0571) 8721-8999
Daisy Café
This café serves mainly Italian espresso, so owner Zhou Chen named it after daisy, one of the symbols of Italy.
The logo of the café is a cat face shaped like a daisy, which is a clue to another feature of the store. Zhou raises three cats in the café, attracting a lot of animal lovers. The cats are tame and you can pet them while having your coffee.
The café is decorated in a simple and plain style. The second floor is a tranquil place from which you can see the Tiesha River.
The signature dish is the strawberry muffin. It is dotted with cream, ice cream and strawberries and is served hot from the oven. Zhou says it’s the only place in Hangzhou that serves this type of muffin.
Address: 102 Huancheng Rd E.
Tel: 137-7785-5349
103 Warehouse Café
The building where the café is located is the former warehouse of the Hangzhou Machine Tool Group. The owner transformed it into an elaborately designed loft. The coarse brick walls and wooden windows have been preserved. Fashionable pictures and paintings have well adorned the place.
Ordinary chairs have been replaced with barstools, and there are stylish wooden tea tables and canvas sofas. A Christmas tree has been trimmed and lit, adding a festive feel to the café.
The signature dish is Italian pizza, oven baked on site. The kitchen is visible to the public, and customers can watch how the chefs knead dough and bake.
Address: 176 Huancheng Rd E.
Tel: (0571) 8709-8123
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