Above is a video scene of a high-speed train (HST) pulling to a stop at the Suzhou North Railway Station. Taking high-speed train is common nowadays in China. Almost all the big cities are connected by HST. Most big cities have multiple train stations depending on which way you are going. Second-class is the common car that most ride in. If you pay a little more you can ride comfortably in first class, or even better in business class.
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| Settling down in 1st class |
I took a HST from Suzhou to Hangzhou. Here is the train schedule:
It went from Suzhou to Shanghai, then to Hangzhou. Anyway I was picked up by a driver from the local tour company and promptly taken to the Zhongwei Sunny Hotel.
I was free that afternoon so I asked my guide to find an acupuncturist for me to treat my lower back pain. She found one and I took a Didi (China's version of Uber) to this popular tourist area. The acupuncture is supposed to relax my body including my spine and relieve nerve pains in my legs. I was treated with needles and laid on a massage table. Well, it did relax me and I fell asleep for almost an hour. However, it did not totally take away the nerve pain in my legs.
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| A clinic for TMC (Traditional Chinese Medicine) |
It happens that the acupuncture clinic is on one of the most popular tourist streets in Hangzhou. So I spent some time strolling Qinhefang Street. They sell mostly food items and is a popular tourist draw.
The next day I had a tour guide to show me around Hangzhou. Tina first takes me to a temple by West Lake. West Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hanzhou. Not only the lake is the attraction but there are temples and other attractions surrounding the lake. We first went to the Lingyin Temple, a traditional Taoist temple.
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| Lingyin Temple |
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| Famous Pagoda at West Lake |
We also took a ferry ride across the lake.
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| Ferry across West Lake |
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| A teahouse by the lake |
Later we visited a small tea planation and was given a short lesson on tea and drinking tea.
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| Tea leaf |
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| Tea Planation |
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| Lesson on how to drink tea |
Our last stop for the day is to a Center for
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM has been practiced in China for centuries. It uses herbs and acupuncture to treat illnesses. However, many of these treatments are not backed up by scientific evidence. Lately, they have been revived using more scientific principles. Example is the popularity of
Acupuncture, which has found a niche treatment for some illnesses.
I have the next two days free to roam around Hangzhou. Although it is a big city it does not have many tourist attractions like some other cities in China. I heard there is a musical fountain in a popular waterfront area. I walked about 30 minutes from the hotel and found the place populated with high-end shops like Apple, Hermes, Chanel, etc. It seems to be a popular hangout for the local residents.
I waited with a crowd for the start of the fountain show. There was a beautiful sunset. When it got dark the fountain started with the music. It is a mini-version of what you see at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.
After about 20 minutes I decided to leave and strolled around the plaza.
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| I Love Hangzhou |
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An Apple Store
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A Musical Water Fountain
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| Some of the shops and locals hanging out |
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| Sunset by the West lake |
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| Pedestrian Street selling all kinds of food |
It seems like the trend nowadays in some of the nicer hotels in China is to provide laundry machines for the guests. But that's not the case with the Zongwei Sunny Hotel. I asked my guide to help me find a laundry near the hotel and was lucky to find one about 800m away. That evening after dinner I took my usual walk but towards where the laundry is. It took me about 15-20 minutes. The next morning I dropped my bag of laundry. It costs 100 yuan for up to 3 kilos of laundry. I noticed a barbershop next door and decided to get a haircut. That costs 50 yuan or about $7.30, which is much cheaper than any place in Phoenix. Haircuts in Phoenix starts at US$25 plus tips!
I had read about the
Grand Canal in China somewhere in the past, linking Hangzhou and Beijing. It is one of the longest and oldest canals, started more than 2,000 years ago. It has been extended to different parts of China by different emperors. Today it is a network of canals linking the two major rivers of China: the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. It has gone through many changes over the years. Today with other alternative transportation of goods across China, the Canal plays a lesser role in commerce. Nevertheless, it was designated a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2014.
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| Gongchen Bridge over the Grand Canal |
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| Explanation of the Grand Canal |
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| Barge carrying good |
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| Grand Canal Museum |
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| Scene from the past |
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| Workmen working on the canal |
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| What the past looked like along the canal |
It was a nice four days in Hangzhou. However, there are not many interesting things to see. West Lake and other attractions around it are the main attractions. I am glad I can say I have been here.
