Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A8

September 8, 2011

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Moonlighters catch lunar fever in time for festival

By Xu Wenwen | September 8, 2011, Thursday | Print Edition

THE Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on next Monday this year, makes for a welcome three-day vacation. And for most Chinese, appreciating the moon is a nice tradition at this time of year.

In Hangzhou, there are many places where people can observe the golden full moon, which is considered the roundest of the year.

The perfect setting for moon appreciation is beside water, where the reflection can double the pleasure. Here are a few places in the city that are ideal for gazing at the moon.



Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (San Tan Yin Yue)

You may already know the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon without realizing it. It is depicted on the 1 yuan (15.6 US cents) note.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon is in the south central section of the West Lake. The name also refers to Xiaoying Island.

The three pools refer to the three pear-shaped pagodas arranged in a triangle in the water. Each pagoda is around 2 meters high with hollow interiors. The belly of each pagoda has five circular holes into which lamps or candles can be placed, especially on mid-autumn nights when the bright moon hangs in the sky.

When the circular holes are covered with sheets of thin paper, beams of light will reflect on the water through the holes, and the moonlight, lamp light and lake light add radiance and charm to one another.

The island is closed at night, but one can rent a boat and tour around it.



Tranquil Lake and Autumnal Moon Park (Ping Hu Qiu Yue)

Tranquil Lake and Autumnal Moon Park is one of West Lake's 10 scenic spots and is at the west end of the Bai Causeway with Solitary Hill behind it. The park is surrounded by water on three sides.

As its name suggests, the park is a classic spot to appreciate the moon in the fall because the surface of the lake appears to be calm like a mirror.

The Pavilion for Viewing the Lake was built more than 1,000 years ago in the park. Due to its height and location, it is considered the best spot in the park to watch the moon.



Xi Hu Tian Di

Xi Hu Tian Di is one of the busiest places around the West Lake due to its convenient location and great combination of natural scenery and modern architecture. It is good for moon viewing because of the wide view of the lake and sky.

Another advantage of watching the moon here is that you can sip a cup of coffee and have some snacks at one of the many upscale cafes or restaurants.

West Lake Culture Square

West Lake Culture Square is adjacent to D Mansion of Hangzhou Tower in the heart of Hangzhou.

Despite being downtown, the large square only features one tall building in the center while the rest are either mansions or museums that do not block people's view at all.

People are advised to go to Wulinmen Dock at the west of Hangzhou Tower's D Mansion. You can take a boat ride and gaze at the moon while floating on the water.



Jiangzhang Bridge

The bridge spans the Grand Canal and is at the crossing of Hushu Road N. and Hushu Road S. Although it's not as popular as Three Pools Mirroring the Moon or Tranquil Lake and Autumnal Moon Park, the bridge is a good destination for photographers, who can be seen here most nights during the fall season.

The photographers like to frame the full moon, a quaint restaurant named Qianlongfang that is built along the Grand Canal and the old bridge.

Colored lamps hang from the restaurant, trees along the road, the bridge and the Grand Canal, ensuring that the moon is not the only source of light for shutterbugs.



Hangzhou Grand Theater

Hangzhou Grand Theater is in the heart of Qianjiang central business district and is crescent-shaped.

The globe-shaped convention center next to it symbolizes the sun, thus, watching the moon from the theater allows people a "two-moon" scene. It's another popular spot among photographers.

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