Memories of 15 July 2004

Hangzhou

Wake up at 6+ in the morning. As usual, we went for breakfast at 8am at the opposite block of our hotel. It was a buffet breakfast, got buns, porridge, noodles, eggs, coffee, pastries etc. After there we gathered around the hotel lobby at 8.30pm to board the bus to go visit the beautiful "Xi Hu".

[West Lake -Xi Hu]

Originally a shallow sea inlet, due to the laying down of silt this six square kilometres (1483 acres) of water became the famous West Lake. With an average depth of just five feet the lake comprises five distinct sections. The largest part is known as the Outer Lake and it is bounded by the North Inner Lake, Yuehu Lake, West Inner Lake and Lesser South Lake. Held in the embrace of hilly peaks on three sides, this water wonderland has been an attraction for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a favourite imperial retreat.

The lake and its environs have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden but on a grand scale. The natural setting of strangely shaped peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and a myriad of blossoms especially in springtime are enhanced by a treasury of sculpture and architectural features. Whatever the season, the panorama is pleasing to the eye and the nuances of light shade together with the moods of the weather present an ever-changing picture that justifiably has been described as 'intoxicating'.

A number of specific features can be singled out as worthy of particular note. To the south of centre of the Outer Lake is a man made island known as the Island of Little Oceans, that encloses four small lakes. From here one can view the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon when at night candles are lit in stone lanterns jutting out of the water thus creating the impression of the reflections of three moons. The scene is truly magical on the night of the Autumn Moon Festival. Solitary Hill Island lies between the Outer Lake and the north Inner Lake and is an ideal spot from which to admire the vista. The nearby Two Peaks Embracing the Sky is another impressive sight, especially when crossing the lake by boat.




We went for cruise on the "Xi Hu" at 9.30am. There was quite a lot of people on the cruise. We even saw another S'pore SA Tours group on another cruise. What a coincident! On the cruise, we saw the "Broken Bridge", "San Tan Ying Yue" etc. It was a cooling & relaxing cruise since it was a morning one. The brezze was just nice.

After the cruise, we walked around the "Xi Hu" for sometime before we went to the famous "MeiJiaWu Tea Culture Village". It was about 11am when we reached there. When we arrived there, we saw the huge tea leave plantation and someone demostrating how the tea was made. What welcomed us at the door was a statue of "Lu Yu" and the big teapot at the door. We went for the well-know "Longjing" Tea demostration n bought some 1st & 2nd class "LongJing" Tea and some tea sweets home, the tea sweets was real nice.

[Mei Jia Wu]

Mei Jia Wu is located in the Westlake District of the city of Hangzhou (located in Eastern China, a city so beautiful that Chinese consider Hangzhou the closest human habitat to heaven). It has been long established that some of the best Dragon Well teas comes from the Mei Jia Wu area. This medium sized tip green tea is full of fresh rich flavor with just the right amount of intensity. Mildly sweet and velvety, the finish is gentle and soothing.

They have sales talk which teach you how to identify the tea leaves. Tea leaves are pluck early in the morning before the sun rises.The better qualities tea leaves Gu Niang Cha (Miss/Lady). Xi Fu (daughter in law) leaves and Ah Ma (grandmother) tea leaves are lower graded tea leaves.

[Long Jing Tea]

This is China’s most famous tea and simply the best of all Long Jing variety. Xi Hu Long Jing has more than a thousand years of recorded history and was mentioned in the first ever tea book (Cha Ching) by Lu Yu during the Tang Dynasty. So popular that even Queen Elizabeth II, former US President Richard Nixon, and Henry Kissinger once tasted this tea during their visit to China.

Xi Hu is now a protected area. Only the leaves picked within the designated 168 sq km of Xi Hu area can be considered as Xi Hu Long Jing.

Following that, we went for lunch at "Hong Sha Guo" at 12.15pm. The lunch was a goodie one n we were told what were the additional places that we can go if we join the additional tour. The whole group joined the additional tour. After the lunch, we went to "He Fang Jie". I bought a hat & a fan here, cause the weather was too hot. Really need some stuff to hide the heat away from me.

[He Fang Jie]

Offically opened in Oct 2002. After re-building, "He Fang Jie" show 'End of Qing Dynasty and start of Ming Dynasty" style. It is a combination of commerical, medicine, structure, histocial values etc. It was a only people street which means cars were not allowes. "He Fang Street" is one of the street that shows off Hangzhou to foreginers and it is also important part in "Xi Hu" applying for world historical place.

Qinghefang Road, one of the most famous historic roads in Hangzhou, reflects features of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Most preserved buildings are from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Strolling on this street, you will be attracted by the antique buildings and local crafts, such as silk parasols, brocades, and Hangzhou fans.

Following that, we went to "Xi Hu Xin Tian Di". A place where u can sit down and have a leisure afternoon with a few friends. We went to the StarBucks there to have coffee. A real leisure afternoon. Being built around the "Xi Hu" and with "Xi Hu" as the main attraction, you will be able to see the "Xi Hu" from a different view.

At 5.00pm , we left "Xi Hu Xin Tian Di" for "Song Cheng". Upon reaching "Song Cheng", we were allowed to walk around before we proceed to the show at 5.30pm. Took some photgraphs around the "Song Cheng" before went in to watch the show. There were a lot of people but the tour guide manage to get us very good seats for the show.

[Song Cheng Qian Gu Qing-宋城千古情]

Ticket to [Song Cheng Qian Gu Qing]

“白天看庙，晚上睡觉”，这句曾经在杭州游客中流传一时的戏谑之词，真实地反映出一段时间内杭州旅游的尴尬。然而现在这种尴尬的局面已经得到改变，现在来杭游客的旅游菜单上夜游项目从以往的空白变成了观看大型歌舞《宋城千古情》。

《宋城千古情》八年前问世的时候，人们对它并没有报以多大的关注。宋城一直是以其丰富 的民俗演出，以及浓郁的古宋风格被人们所报道，《宋城千古情》只是一朵点缀的小花，悄悄开放在这个主题公园内。而当时的宋城董事长黄巧灵就指出，宋城景区的建设一定要坚持“建筑为形，文化为魂”的宗旨，而这个魂，除了要靠民俗演出来支撑之外，更重要的一个表现媒介就是《宋城千古情》。所以，《宋城千古情》从一开始就立志要成为杭州标志性掩护。它以杭州的历史典故、神话传说为基点，由序《良渚之光》和《宋宫宴舞》、《金戈铁马》、《美丽的西子，美丽的传说》、《世界在这里相聚》四场组成。融合世界歌舞、杂技于一体，应用现代高科技手段营造如梦如幻的艺术效果，给人强烈的视觉震撼，堪比法国的红磨坊和美国的拉斯维加斯。

《宋城千古情》剧情简介（二OO四年五月版）
几千年流长的吴越文明成就了杭州。早在九百年前，杭州就已被宋仁宗皇帝誉为东南第一州。悠久的历史给杭州留下了极为丰富的名胜古迹，“淡妆浓抹总相宜”的西子湖更使杭州享有了人间天堂的美誉。杭州，有无数神奇的故事，有许多美丽的传说……
序：良渚之光

时光倒流5000年，我们的先民就已在古越大地上创造了无比灿烂的史前文明，大阳之祭、原始的献祭舞、采摘舞、插秧舞、狩猎舞，见证了文明演进的足迹，让我们仿佛看到历史的脚步款款而来。

第一场：宋宫宴舞
南宋的杭州是四方辐凑、万物所聚的著名大都市。这一天，位于凤凰山麓的南宋皇宫内正在举行宋皇的寿宴，各种歌舞、杂技此起彼伏，笙歌管弦，热闹非凡，一派歌舞升平的景象。

第二场：金戈铁马
靖康之难后，宋皇室被迫南渡，最后定都杭州，建立南宋王朝。岳飞是这一时期的民族英雄，他率领的岳家军身经百战，志在恢复中原。岳飞一生精忠报国，他的英灵与日月同辉、万古长存！

第三场：美丽的西子，美丽的传说
梁祝化蝶、断桥相会、水满金山、荷花仙子舞翩翩……这是一幅幅流动的画面，这是一首首动人的歌，这是一个个美丽的传说。江南忆，最忆是杭州，山寺月中寻桂子，郡亭枕上看潮头，何日更重游？

第四场：世界在这里相聚
展望2006年，上百个国家和地区数千万游客将欢聚世界休闲博览会。日本舞、西班牙舞、康康舞、阿位伯舞……展示着各自民族的文化与风情。杭州人，也将以精致和谐、大气开放的人文精神和广阔胸襟，迎接来自世界各地的朋友们！
尾声：难忘今宵

在这美好的夜晚，在这欢乐的时刻，宋城深情地对你说：给我一天，还你千年！

宋城大剧院：是目前中国室内剧院舞台机械设施、固定的灯光音响设备最齐全的剧院。这里有国内剧院绝无仅有的全彩激光秀，国内罕见的美国伟丽莱、灯浪摇头电脑灯，上千只PAR灯组成魔幻灯阵，顶级烟雾机制造强烈梦幻效果。长达百米环形转画幕让你在画中畅游，上百人贵宾席移动式座椅、可藏人的雷峰塔、移动金山寺，使舞台跌宕生姿，使演出异彩纷呈。

The show was an excellent one, the staging, the costume, the dancers and the movable seats which brings us towards the stage. A real enjoying performance. The show was about 1 hour or so cause by the time I came out of the theatre, the sky was already dark. Had dinner at one of the hotels before we headed back to the hotel by 9.30pm. Need to pack up to leave for Suzhou tomorrow.

My Thoughts:

The sun was up in the sky at 5.30am or even earlier in the morning. When I woke up at 6.00am, the sun was already high up in the sky. Can't imagine if the curtain was not drawn up the previous night. Had an enjoyable 1st day and this 2nd day at Hangzhou was an even better one. U get to see the beautiful "Xi Hu", the tea culture, the famous "Long Jing Tea", their shopping street, their coffee house. At Hangzhou, they mainly have their attractions near the "Xi Hu" , so actually you can see "Xi Hu" from 10 different places and they reflect different feelings n different views. The scenary was a great view. Life in Hanzhou was different from Singapore, the slow pace and relaxing afternoon was something what u cannot find in Singapore. Their love for "Xi Hu" was somehow very strong, it's more than an attraction to them.

What really surprised me today was the performance at "Song Cheng". Even though the theatre was not really that cooling but the performance there was great. The grand performance makes up for the poor air-conditioning. A magnificant show. The storyline, the actors and many many others. There was even a "Water-festival" there, they danced & celebrated the "Water-festival" before the "Water-festival" started. Everyone poured water on each other, luckily we ran away fast else we were be very wet n drenched when we go for dinner. It's a tiring day but a fruitful day. Have to pack up cause we moving to Suzhou tomorrow.