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  Your Location:::Home>>Travel>>ChinaTravel>>West Lake & Suzhou Gardens
Top10 Scenery of China :
No.7 West Lake of Hangzhou No.8 SuZhou Gardens

West Lake of Hangzhou

Hangzhou West LakeHangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, lies close to the mouth of the Qiantang River at the western extremity of the huge estuary of the Gulf of Hangzhou, is one of the most beautiful cities in china.

Hangzhou's fame rests mainly with the picturesque West Lake, so named because it is located in its western fringe. Covering about four square mile, West Lake is surrounded on three sides by rolling wooded hills. At the center are three isles-- Lesser Yingzhou, Mid-lake Pavilion and Ruangong Isle. Solitary Hill stands by itself on the northern lake shore. It can be reached from the city by Bai Causeway, with Su Causeway bisects the lake from north to south. The blue, often rippling, water is dotted with elegant stone bridge and charming pavilions.

As for West Lake, Marco Pole said: " On one side it skirts the city... and... commands a distant view of all its grandeur and loveliness, its temples, monasteries, and gardens with their towering trees, running down to the water's edge. On the lake itself is the endless procession of barges thronged with pleasure-seekers... their minds and thoughts are intent upon nothing but bodily pleasures and the delights of society."

 

LingYin TempleLingYin Temple:It is believed that the temple was first established in 336 A.D. by a monk known as Hui Li. It was destroyed on a number of oWest Lakeccasions, the last time during was Taiping Rebellion, and the latest rebuilding was in the early part of this century. The temple fell into disrepair, but in 1956 it was carefully restored.

The temple is set at the foot of the Northern Peak in a wooded area, a stream running before it. Some of the trees in front are believed to be more than 1,000 years old. The foremost temple houses a laughing Buddha carved in camphor wood and covered in gold with a carved gilt figure standing behind as a guard. Both figures are set under a two-eaves wooden canopy decorated in red and gold. Ornate lamps hang on either side.

 

QianTang Tidal BoreQianTang Tidal Bore:If you are visiting in September during the autumn equinox, you may be able to see one of the most unusual sighs in the world. A tidal bore gathers momentum in the Gulf of Hangzhou, surges into the mouth of the Qiangtang River, and races up the river, at a height of up to 30 ft. and a speed of more than 15m. p.h. In ancient times the governors or Hangzhou used to have arrows fired at these waves in an attempt to quell their destructive force. Nowadays more effective methods are used.

 

The Terra Cotta Warriors

Suzhou GardensSuzhou is located in the south of Jiangsu province, about 50 miles west of Shanghai, on the old Grand Canal. The city has been famous for its scenic beauty for many centuries. A Chinese proverb says: "In heaven there is paradise: on earth Suzhou and Hangzhou". The city has also long been noted for its beautiful women.

 

 


GardensSuzhou is best-known for its landscaped gardens, over 150 in number. These are not large, but are fascinating in their delicate design, containing hills and ponds, terraces, corridors, towers, and almost everything that is needed in an "imperial garden". Of them, Liu Garden, which covers about 10 acres, is the largest in Suzhou, and certainly one of the most attractive. It was one of the few gardens that escaped destruction during the Taping rebellion in the middle of the 19th century, and this is symbolized in its name, the Chinese character for which means "to keep".

The garden was first laid out during the Ming Dynasty by a civil servant who also had the West Garden, or Xi Yuan, constructed. You will find a series of small lakes linked by bridges and numerous buildings, of which the most interesting is the Hall of the Mandarin Ducks (symbols of love). Others have windows offering good views of the landscape. You should also take time to visit the section of the garden planted with fruit trees. Ask your guide to take you to the section devoted to the cultivation of miniature trees. There are hundreds of them; one pomegranate trees is more than 300 years old. In this section you will also see numerous trays containing miniature landscapes and rockeries. The owners and residents of the private gardens in ancient China preferred not to leave their beautiful surroundings, and therefore had miniature landscapes made no remind them of other beauty spots.

 

Hu QiuTiger Hill, or Hu Qiu, a few miles north-west of the town, is very popular among visitors. It is supposedly the town, is very popular among visitors. It is supposedly the burial place of the King of Wu.

Two different reasons are given for the name of the hill. One is that the entrance gate resembles the mouth of a tiger, and the pagoda on the top of the hill its tail. The others is that when the King of Wu was buried on top of the hill, a tiger is said to have appeared there.

 

Cold Mountain Temple, or Hanshan Si, is located on the outskirts of town on a small canal crossed by an old humpbacked bridge. Green foliage hangs down over the saffron walls. When you visit this place you will understand why many poets have been inspired by the scenery there.

The temple's name comes from the hermit Han Shan, a Buddhist poet, sometime during the Tang Dynasty. And the temple owes its fame to the poem "Overnight Stay at Feng Qiao", by Zhang Ji, a Tang Dynasty poet

 

China Travel

Overview of China
No1.Great Wall
No2.Forbitten City
No3.Mt.Huangshan
No4.TerraCottaWarriors
No5.Three Gorges
No6.The Guilin
No7.West Lake
No8.Suzhou Gardens
No9.Sun Moon Lake
No10.Imperial Palace
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