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January 13, 2016

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Off the beaten path, natural beauty awaits

Source: Shanghai Daily | January 13, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

ASIDE from the West Lake, Xixi Wetland and Thousand Islands Lake, Hangzhou has several other, lesser known tourist attractions. Although they’re classified as second- or third-tier destinations, they’re still worth a visit. Shanghai Daily reporter Wu Huixin takes a look at four of these lesser known places.

Hangzhou Oriental Cultural Park

This park is a combination of traditional Chinese culture, religion and classical garden. The layout is designed according to the eight diagrams and buildings are designed according to Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist architectural styles.

The park is split into three parts. The first two parts mainly introduce the doctrines, history, culture and stories of Taoism and Confucianism.

However, the highlights can be found in the last part, which includes temples, pagodas, botanic gardens and an equestrian club.

Yangqi Temple, built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), used to be popular with pilgrims at the time, and even the Emperor Zhao Kuo endowed it with an inscribed tablet. The temple was later destroyed and the present-day buildings are replicas commissioned by the Hangzhou Oriental Cultural Park Co a few years ago.

Wanfo Gold Pagoda Underground Palace boasts exactly 9,999 Buddha statues, including a jade Sakyamuni statue originally from Thailand.

Besides religious cultural zones, the park’s Chinese
yews cover an area of more than 66 hectares.

The last highlight is the pedestrian street, which is flanked by Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasty style structures with stores selling local handicrafts, artifacts and trinkets.

How to get there:

Shangtang Elevated Road — Zhonghe Elevated Road — Shidai Avenue — Xiangjian Road

Gaoting Mountain

The mountain is situated in the northeast of Hangzhou and has been noted for its peach blossoms for centuries.

Throughout history, the mountain’s picturesque scenery drew poets and writers here, including Su Shi, Bai Juyi, Lu You and the contemporary author Yu Dafu.

The mountain was also the first frontline when Hangzhou was under attack from enemies. To date, a military relics here remind people of the turbulent past.

How to get there:

Desheng Road — Qiushi Road — Linding Road — Tianhe Road — Tianshi Road

Xiajiang Village

Formerly an impoverished village, Xiajiang is now a popular scenic spot for travelers. Three tiny towns comprise Xianjiang, which covers an area just under 10 square kilometers and counts 745 inhabitants who live in folk houses with black roofs and white walls. A little creek runs through the center.

This now idyllic village used to be poverty-stricken due to its remote location and bad infrastructure. Villagers made a living on raising pigs, which led to rather smelly air.

In 2001, villagers started to give Xiajiang a complete facelift. Old houses were demolished and replaced with two-floor villas designed in the original houses’ design, an effort to keep the village’s traditional looks. Infrastructure was improved, and the city is now accessible by asphalt road. Public toilets and garbage collecting points were also set up. However, that was not enough to turn it into a tourist destination.

Local authorities ordered villagers to take advantage of the mountainous geography and seasonal weather conditions, which make it an ideal place to plant grapes in the summer and strawberries in the winter. That has given farmers an income aside from raising pigs, and has lured tourists.

Visitors can now get a glimpse of rural farming life in pick fruits here. Locals run guesthouses that offer authentic food.

How to get there:

Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway — Hangzhou-Xin’anjiang-Jingdezhen
Expressway — 713 County Road

Jiangnanman Village

Jiangnanman is located at the border of Fuyang and Lin’an counties. It’s largely covered by vegetation, making the air seem fresher.

The village’s two famous scenic spots are Shiyu Temple and the Taoist Dongxiao Temple. The Taoist temple was built in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and was considered to be among China’s most beautiful Taoist temples until it was destroyed in the late Qing Dynasty. Some ruins can still be seen today.

In addition to the two religious relics, the village is now an agricultural tourism hot spot.

Bamboo resources are abundant, and locals use the natural materials to manufacture Chinese flutes.

According to statistics, the village’s flute production accounts for 80 percent of China’s flute industry. Tourists can pay a visit to local workshops and experience first hand how flutes are made by hand.

Family-run guesthouses are open as well as homestays, Outdoor BBQ and fishing is also available in the village.

How to get there:

Tianmushan Road — Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway — 102 National Road — Tiaotong Road

Hangzhou


 

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