Departure (July 17, 2025)
The high-speed train station where I departed is situated in the Dongguan sub-area. My parents view this as evidence of the government’s intent to leverage this infrastructure to stimulate prosperity in the surrounding regions.
Although the station is clean and brand-new, its considerable distance from my home meant the journey there took approximately two and a half hours.
The six-hour train ride provided ample time. I managed to read through a quarter of a novel and utilized the LLM Qwen to plan out my travel itinerary.
The First Impression
The staff were incredibly patient and welcoming to tourists. I arrived in Hangzhou quite late in the evening. Worried that there might be no subways running, I approached an attendant for help. She cheerfully assisted me, checking the schedule with a friendly smile.
It made me wonder: since I wasn’t her direct customer and she wouldn’t gain any personal benefit from helping me, why did she offer such kind and proactive assistance?
Witnessing the Power of the Weather (July 18, 2025)
My plan to walk along the street was interrupted by a sudden downpour. After watching the raindrops for about 15 minutes and doing a bit of window shopping at the in77, I decided to seek shelter and visit some museums, where indoor activities were available.
Fortunately, near the Zhijiang Culture Center subway station, there are three museums and a library conveniently located. Even better, an underground pathway connects all four of them.
The subway station is only an around 25-minute subway ride from the West Lake. Interestingly, by the time I got down there, the weather had cleared up completely, and I didn’t witness a single drop of rain.
The Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum is the country's first large regional comprehensive intangible heritage museum, presenting a complete picture of Zhejiang's intangible cultural heritage ecosystem.
I have some doubts about the designated ‘heritages’—which include silks, carving, and ship construction. While techniques or artifacts like these can be found elsewhere, even in neighboring Guangdong province, they are officially recognized as part of Zhejiang’s heritage. I suspect their uniqueness might stem from specific local characteristics that I overlooked during my browsing.
By the way, a major advantage of visiting this museum is that it doesn’t require any advance reservation.
The Zhejiang Literature Museum features nine exhibition halls, including six main exhibition halls and three temporary exhibition halls. Through activities such as lectures by renowned authors and public classes, the museum aims to preserve the spirit of literature.
It astonished me that a major museum was dedicated to showcasing renowned authors and promoting reading among citizens, given that literary pursuits are typically prioritized for their cultural value over their potential profit. Exploring the museum also revealed to me, for the first time, that Zhejiang is the birthplace, home, or inspiration for countless celebrated writers, including Lu Xun, Mao Dun, and San Mao.
My visit to the Zhejiang Library was dominated by the striking sight of its high, long escalators. Another heartwarming scene was in the children’s section, where numerous parents were gathered, reading to their kids. Predominantly mothers, they captivated the attention of about half the children, who sat patiently listening.
My journey then led me back towards the West Lake. Unfortunately, it appeared the lake wasn’t in a welcoming mood that day. The moment I exited the station, rain started to fall.
Prasing in Temples (July 19, 2025)
Being Hangzhou’s most renowned temple, Lingyin Temple draws thousands of visitors and devout Buddhists daily—quite literally, the place was packed!
Surprisingly, the sheer number of people had a benefit: I could catch snippets of the guided explanations just by walking past. In fact, I picked up several slightly varying accounts, all covering similar ground but with minor differences in detail.
On the downside, the oppressive heat and humidity that day quickly sapped my patience for reading every Buddha’s introduction. Thankfully, some memorable fun facts lingered in my memory, courtesy of guides or volunteers I’d encountered.
The Fei Lai Feng Scenic Area features three distinct points of interest: Fei Lai Feng, famously known as ‘Peak Flown From Afar,’ along with Taoguang Temple and Yongfu Temple. It’s important to remember that accessing Lingyin Temple within the area requires an additional admission fee.
Worship in Lingyin Temple
Taoguang Temple and Yongfu Temple sit nestled on mountains, accessible only by climbing stone steps, whereas Lingyin Temple doesn’t have this demanding approach. Because of this difference, it’s common for people to visit Lingyin Temple after taking in Fei Lai Feng. That’s exactly what I did.
Within Lingyin Temple, every Buddha statue is believed to oversee a particular kind of wish. As an example, in the Huayan Hall, Shakyamuni Buddha stands as the embodiment of practice, and Samantabhadra is revered for her profound wisdom.
The words on the plaque “狮子吼” means the scene of the boddha imparting knowledge to listeners is impressive.
I also observed numerous tourists touching carved words and metal objects, hoping to attract good fortune. Nevertheless, the official volunteers advised me that such actions are deemed disrespectful and are discouraged.
Worship in Taoguang Temple
The temple features white-walled, stone-tiled temple gates, exposed black brickwork, and maroon doors and windows, which is very special compared with traditional temples where yellow is the dominant color. It can be said that Taoguang Temple is a beautiful garden in the Jiangnan Region.
The landscape changes as you follow the mountain path among the bamboo groves to Taoguang Temple and climb the steps.
Worship in Yongfu Temple
With over one thousand ancient trees as its neighbors, the Yongfu Temple enjoys a quiet and peaceful environment.
In addition, there is a tea gardon in this temple.
Viewing Peak Flying from Afar
As I was leaving the Fei Lai Feng Scenic Area, I passed by the Buddha carvings and learned about their associated stories.
The buddha “多宝天王” is said to be the father of Ne Zha and the leader of four buddhas responsible for managing wealth.
Night Walking Along the West Lake
In the dark, the path along the West Lake loses its character; everything looks the same.
My walk along about one-fifth of the lake took around 30 minutes.
Oxygen Inhalation for My Lung and Brain (July 20, 2025)
I saw many hobbyists carring high-tech equipment to photograph birds.
It took about two hours to walk from the north center of the park to the southeast corner.
I planned to rest at the National Wetland Museum of China, which is located in the southeast corner of the Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou. However, the museum’s air conditioning was under maintenance. The indoor temperature was so high that I only spent 15 minutes there.
Absorb the Cosmic Energy
I met up with a younger schoolmate, now a PhD candidate at Zhejiang University. It was impressive that he had already published papers at both the AAAI and ICCV conferences, and he was about to study as a visiting student at the National University of Singapore.
He showed me around ZJU, and we grabbed a coffee break at 01 Coffee, savoring sesame lattes.
In onder to protect his privacy, I only show pictures shooting me.
Pray for Good Luck and Explore the West Lake (July 21, 2025)
Pray for the Love or Romance
According to my younger schoolmate, Faxi Temple is famous as a place where people go to pray for love.
Pray for the Wealth
Lingshun Temple on the top of the North Summit is known as “China’s No. 1 Temple of the God of Wealth” and one of the oldest temples in Hangzhou.
It is more than 300 meters above sea level and there is a ropeway up to the top of the North Summit, but most people still choose to walk up the mountain on foot.
So did I. The journey of walking up and down the mountain on foot was exhausting.
Walk Along the West Lake
Starting from the northwest corner of the West Lake and ending at the southeast corner, I walked along the attractions. Along the way, I visited several of the renowned “Top Ten Scenes of the West Lake”.
It’s worth mentioning that the plaque marking “Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow” isn’t located right next to the pagoda itself. Instead, it stands in a pavilion nearby. I suspect most tourists wouldn’t find this plaque.
On my way back to the hotel, I cycled across the Qiantang River.
Back to the West Lake Again (July 22, 2025)
Explore the Rest of the West Lake
I've lost count of how many times I've visited the West Lake. This time, I began my hike from the east center, heading towards "Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake," which is located on the Mid-Lake Island. Along the way, I happened upon the Zhejiang Museum, where I found the answer to a peculiar question by joining a volunteer-led tour.
The official purpose for building the Leifeng Pagoda was to honor Buddhism and commemorate the wife of the King of Wu. However, there's another story: the original inhabitants living on the hill where the pagoda stands had the family name Lei. To incorporate a famous Hangzhou landmark into his latest artwork, an artist asked citizens to recommend a well-known pagoda. "Leifeng Pagoda" was the popular choice, and this story was adapted and spread. Consequently, the name "Leifeng Pagoda" became widely recognized and remembered.
My Mother’s High Praise for ZJU
That afternoon, I took my mother on a tour of ZJU. She was deeply impressed by the students’ accomplishments and the vibrant campus environment. Interestingly, she compared the university to a company, specifically a successful and well-run one.
Reference
Top Ten Scenes of West Lake
- Spring Dawn at Su Causeway (苏堤春晓)
- Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden (曲院风荷)
- Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake (平湖秋月)
- Lingering Snow on the Broken Bridge’s beauty (断桥残雪)
- Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor (花巷观鱼)
- Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪闻莺)
- Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月)
- Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云)
- Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow (雷锋夕照)
- Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill (南屏晚钟)
PS
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