We finally have a free day. The truth is that we're located directly between two very different cities and I wouldn't mind seeing either one. The two cities in question are Shanghai and Hangzhou. You might know that Shanghai is the largest city in China and you'd probably assume that would be my choice. Well, I disagree. Hangzhou has a reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in China. It is the tea capital of the world. (China's famous "Dragon Well" tea is grown in the area) It is also the silk capital of China. About 8 centuries ago, is was also the capital of the Song Dynasty. That is, it was the capital until Genghis Khan and the Mongols showed up. Anyway, John and I chose to visit Hangzhou.

One of the most interesting places in Hangzhou is the West Lake. If you've ever been to Chinese restaurant and seen the landscape paintings on the wall, it is quite possible that you've seen this place before. It is well known in China as the place to make these paintings. It was raining when we went, but this was actually very fortunate. It meant that the mountains in the background we're covered in fog and looked EXACTLY as you are imagining. This lake is a photographers paradise! I took over 190 pictures which is far too many to post on this site.

There are islands in the center of the lake which once served as the personal playgrounds of the aristocracy. They are only reachable by ferry, so we had to take a boat ride over the lake to see them. Most of the islands are covered in gardens and they are magnificient. My favorite had four lakes built into it. One of the emperor's servants loved water, so he dredged a giant lake into the island which was already in the middle of the lake! They left a crisscross pathway on the island so you could see the water from any angle. (Hence, the need for the bridge in the photo) Since we are coming here on a holiday weekend (more on this later) the place was very crowded. It was still worth the visit, however, and made for a great day.