Just an hour away, the myriad joys that are Hangzhou
Print Edition
One of the great things about living in Shanghai is that there is a myriad of travel opportunities near the city offering rich history and wonderfully beautiful landscapes.
Our first weekend getaway was in November to nearby Hangzhou. We traveled there with some good friends/co-workers of ours who have four children around the same age as our own.
A short, one-hour train ride took us to Hangzhou.
My husband found us a sweet little hotel (Tea Xiang Li She Residence) that had interesting outdoor spaces for the kids to explore and an indoor kid play room.
We headed to the park on the west side of West Lake to play. The east side of the lake seems like the place everyone goes. It is the side closest to the city and was packed with people. The west side has long stretches of parks and walk ways wrapping around the lake.
West Lake has long inspired the poets and artists of China. It is an inspiration for many Chinese gardens and picturesque temples, pagodas, and bridges wrap dot the landscape around it. There were far fewer people on the west side and the scenery was beautiful.
On the west side of the lake there was plenty of room for rambunctious kids. As they played, the parents talked, walked, sat and drank coffee.
We took a boat (not the Dragon) into the center of the lake to see the man-made island with Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, and then floated back to the east side after hours of playing and fun.
The following morning, we headed up into the mountains around the lake to hike through the tea plantations. We stumbled upon the China National Tea Museum. Once again the kids ran and climbed. Trails wove through rows of tea, trees changing color in the autumn sun, and up to temples that overlooked hillside tea plantations while the urban skyline of Hangzhou loomed in the distance.
After a nice lunch it was time to head back to the train station for the trip home. We left Hangzhou feeling refreshed and content.
We look forward to our next adventure around Shanghai.
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