When I wrote that last post, I had every intention of it being my last Light Fellowship blog post. However, I was asked to write a little something on Hangzhou as the only Yalie there, so I’m happily complying. I’d like to preface this post by saying that I really did fall in love with Hangzhou and China this summer, and wish I were currently on a plane back to 浙江工业大学 (Zhejiang University of Technology) right now instead of a train back to Yale (I love Yale an unbelievable amount, please don’t think otherwise).
When I first decided that I wanted to spend my summer in China, I wanted something completely new. I had already gone to Beijing a couple of times to visit my grandparents so Beijing was off the list. Of course, this meant I only had two options—Harbin and Hangzhou—
Both of which are home to CET programs. Ultimately, I decided that the Hangzhou program was a better fit for me and enrolled. And then a few months later, got on a plane with little knowledge about where I was going: all I knew was that Hangzhou was beautiful, hot, humid, and what little else there was in the Light Fellowship Guide on Hangzhou (very little since very few Yalies have participated in the CET Hangzhou program).
Nothing could have prepared me for Hangzhou’s beauty, and its endless supply of things to do. Located just an hour south of Shanghai by express train, Hangzhou has been rapidly developing, but has also managed to preserve much of its authentic Chinese feeling. It’s also the place where all of the Chinese tourists in China go, so naturally it’s an exciting place to be.
The two main places where all tourists will go in Hangzhou are Xi Hu (West Lake) and Lingyin Si (Lingyin Temple). West Lake is a massive lake, surrounded by pagodas, forests, restaurants, shops, and tourists. In the summer, you can find endless patches of lotus flowers. Boats drive people around the lake, passing by the famous floating stage and other small docks. Despite it being a tourist-filled area with overpriced restaurants, walking along the lake is a calming experience. Just as how West Lake is filled with beauty, Lingyin Temple is filled with history and culture. Considered to be one of the wealthiest Buddhist temples in China, Lingyin Temple is filled with pagodas and Buddhist grottoes. Ducking into dimly-lit caves, you’ll find smiling stone Buddhas and intricate carvings all along the walls.
Aside from these two major attractions, Hangzhou has numerous other fun places to explore. Longjing Road plays host to the famous Tea Museum and Green Tea Restaurant, and you can climb small mountains filled with tea bushes along the way. Yuhuang Shan Temple is another great mountain, complete with more Buddhist temples and a great view of the bagua below. Along West Lake, there are numerous pagodas with stories, and other small mountains, like Baochu Mountain, that can provide you with a great view of the city. For good souvenirs, head over to Hefang Street for traditional Chinese medicine, custom carved stamps, and other small antique-like goods or Silk Road for some of China’s finest silk-manufactured products.
Aside from the tourist areas, Hangzhou is just a fun place to be. There’s day-markets and night-markets everyday for the shopping-aficionados (bargaining definitely required), smaller Buddhist temples, myriads of hiking paths, and delicious food all around. Even after exploring Hangzhou for six weeks, I still had uncharted territory to cover.
Of course, no city is without its flaws and Hangzhou is no exception. As I’ve mentioned before, Hangzhou has hot, humid summers, and when it’s not one hundred ten degrees outside with the blistering sun beating upon you, there’s probably torrential rain that soaks through all of your shoes and drenches your clothes that had been drying outside in the sun. Mosquitoes don’t just come out at night. They will bite you at any hour of the day, even during 6 AM gongfu classes if you forget to spray bug repellent. Despite my use of bug spray, I was still bitten, constantly. On the bright side, I eventually learned to get used to and ignore all of the bug bites.
Despite the city government’s best attempts to reduce traffic congestion, Hangzhou roads are overcrowded. Hailing a cab is near impossible during the day, especially around 3:30 PM when all of the taxis decide to relocate to one end of the city and refuse to take you anywhere else, no matter how much you beg. Getting on buses can often be a struggle: finding a seat is even more of a struggle. Hangzhou pollution is not as bad as Shanghai or Beijing’s, but blue skies with fluffy clouds are not a common occurrence.
Despite its flaws, Hangzhou wooed me and loved me as much as I loved it. And now, as I gaze outside my window at the clear, blue sky, I can’t but daydream about the day that I will be able to return.
