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Historic sites mingled with cafes make for perfect visit
By Wu Huixin |
July 24, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HANGZHOU is a city where you can feel the weighty presence of history and just around the corner, take a load off and relax at a delightful cafe.
Take the Fengbo Pavilion, the highlight of Huancheng Road W., which is famous for the tragic end of patriot Yue Fei.
Yue was a military general best known for leading the defense of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) against invaders from the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty in northern China.
During Yue's lifetime, the once-glorious Song Dynasty in the northern part of the country had been invaded by the Jurchen people, and the southern part of China continued to hold out as the Southern Song Dynasty in Hangzhou.
Yue was brought up to be patriotic, and historical documents say his mother tattooed four Chinese characters, jing zhong bao guo (精忠报国, serve the country with the utmost loyalty), across his back.
Yue advocated the expulsion of the Jurchen from northern China and the reunification of China under the Song.
Yue fought a long campaign against the invading Jurchens, but he was imprisoned and executed through the machinations of treacherous court official Qin Hui on false charges.
The Fengbo Pavilion was the judicial facility of the Southern Song Dynasty, where Yue, his son and subordinates were executed. Though the original building was lost, it was restored at the urging of Hangzhou locals, given that Yue became a symbol of loyalty in Chinese culture.
Beside the pavilion is the Xiaonu Well. Xiaonu in Chinese literally means "filial daughter." Yue's daughter Yue Yinping drowned herself in the well when she heard of her father's death. The present-day Xiaonu Well was restored during the Republic of China (1912-1949). Today, the pavilion and well are popular tourist attractions.
Huancheng Road W. connects with Huancheng Road N. at the north and Qingchun Road at the south, and the southern part of it traces the east side of the West Lake.
Shanghai Daily wandered on a refreshing afternoon after a rain, finding out two cafes and a celebrity former residence.
A to Z Cafe
The cafe is hidden in a residential building and has a low-profile fa?ade, but the mellow chocolate cakes served here have made it very popular. All the cakes sold at the cafe are transported from Shanghai every day.
The decor is very simple and plain. The highlight is the balcony, where there are floral canvas sofas and guests sip coffee while enjoying the view from the window.
A bookshelf is provided for customers to thumb through books. Table games like chess and the classic Chinese board game gobang are also available.
Address: 66 Huancheng Rd W.
Tel: (0571) 8517-5182
L'amour Cafe
This cafe's name promises customers a French romantic style, and it doesn't disappoint. Owner Xia Zhiqing is a Francophile who has not only established a Gallic-themed cafe but also owns a French language study website.
L'amour is a rendezvous point for people interested of French culture. Dim light, old French and English books, paintings and old typewriters give the cafe a vintage touch. There are simple, gray fabric sofas and wooden tables.
Adorning the walls are posters of classic stars, such as Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley, reinforcing the cafe's arty credentials.
L'amour Cafe does not have a big menu - its specialty is coffees and cocktails.
There are four branches in the city.
Address: 28 Huancheng Road W.
Tel: (0571) 8725-3813
Former residence of Sha Menghai
The former residence of calligraphy master Sha Menghai (1900-1992) near the West Lake features elements of British architecture.
Sha is widely regarded as a major figure in modern Chinese calligraphy.
He was also a master of carving seals, a master of the Shanghai School of painting and a writer about the aesthetics of traditional Chinese art.
Sha was a professor at Zhongshan University from 1929, Zhejiang University from 1949, and the China Academy of Art from 1963.
The 1920s brick and timber residence is on a busy shopping street near the West Lake.
All the items in the house are original. The first floor is open to the pubic and visitors can visit Sha's study where he wrote calligraphy, as well as his bedroom and parlor. The second floor is closed.
Sha moved to Hangzhou in 1949 and lived in the house until his death in 1992.
Address: 15 Longyou Road (at the intersection of Longyou Road and Huancheng Road W.)
Tel: (0571) 8703-1616
Admission: Free
Take the Fengbo Pavilion, the highlight of Huancheng Road W., which is famous for the tragic end of patriot Yue Fei.
Yue was a military general best known for leading the defense of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) against invaders from the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty in northern China.
During Yue's lifetime, the once-glorious Song Dynasty in the northern part of the country had been invaded by the Jurchen people, and the southern part of China continued to hold out as the Southern Song Dynasty in Hangzhou.
Yue was brought up to be patriotic, and historical documents say his mother tattooed four Chinese characters, jing zhong bao guo (精忠报国, serve the country with the utmost loyalty), across his back.
Yue advocated the expulsion of the Jurchen from northern China and the reunification of China under the Song.
Yue fought a long campaign against the invading Jurchens, but he was imprisoned and executed through the machinations of treacherous court official Qin Hui on false charges.
The Fengbo Pavilion was the judicial facility of the Southern Song Dynasty, where Yue, his son and subordinates were executed. Though the original building was lost, it was restored at the urging of Hangzhou locals, given that Yue became a symbol of loyalty in Chinese culture.
Beside the pavilion is the Xiaonu Well. Xiaonu in Chinese literally means "filial daughter." Yue's daughter Yue Yinping drowned herself in the well when she heard of her father's death. The present-day Xiaonu Well was restored during the Republic of China (1912-1949). Today, the pavilion and well are popular tourist attractions.
Huancheng Road W. connects with Huancheng Road N. at the north and Qingchun Road at the south, and the southern part of it traces the east side of the West Lake.
Shanghai Daily wandered on a refreshing afternoon after a rain, finding out two cafes and a celebrity former residence.
A to Z Cafe
The cafe is hidden in a residential building and has a low-profile fa?ade, but the mellow chocolate cakes served here have made it very popular. All the cakes sold at the cafe are transported from Shanghai every day.
The decor is very simple and plain. The highlight is the balcony, where there are floral canvas sofas and guests sip coffee while enjoying the view from the window.
A bookshelf is provided for customers to thumb through books. Table games like chess and the classic Chinese board game gobang are also available.
Address: 66 Huancheng Rd W.
Tel: (0571) 8517-5182
L'amour Cafe
This cafe's name promises customers a French romantic style, and it doesn't disappoint. Owner Xia Zhiqing is a Francophile who has not only established a Gallic-themed cafe but also owns a French language study website.
L'amour is a rendezvous point for people interested of French culture. Dim light, old French and English books, paintings and old typewriters give the cafe a vintage touch. There are simple, gray fabric sofas and wooden tables.
Adorning the walls are posters of classic stars, such as Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley, reinforcing the cafe's arty credentials.
L'amour Cafe does not have a big menu - its specialty is coffees and cocktails.
There are four branches in the city.
Address: 28 Huancheng Road W.
Tel: (0571) 8725-3813
Former residence of Sha Menghai
The former residence of calligraphy master Sha Menghai (1900-1992) near the West Lake features elements of British architecture.
Sha is widely regarded as a major figure in modern Chinese calligraphy.
He was also a master of carving seals, a master of the Shanghai School of painting and a writer about the aesthetics of traditional Chinese art.
Sha was a professor at Zhongshan University from 1929, Zhejiang University from 1949, and the China Academy of Art from 1963.
The 1920s brick and timber residence is on a busy shopping street near the West Lake.
All the items in the house are original. The first floor is open to the pubic and visitors can visit Sha's study where he wrote calligraphy, as well as his bedroom and parlor. The second floor is closed.
Sha moved to Hangzhou in 1949 and lived in the house until his death in 1992.
Address: 15 Longyou Road (at the intersection of Longyou Road and Huancheng Road W.)
Tel: (0571) 8703-1616
Admission: Free
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