Hupao Spring (Tiger Running Spring)

Hupao Spring is located six kilometers from Hangzhou city, at the foot of Daci (Great Compassion) Hill which stretches between the West Lake and the Qiantang River.

Legend goes that there used to be a temple and a monk named Xingkong once lived in it during the Tang dynasty (618 - 907). Later, owing to lack of water, the monk had to plan to leave the temple. One night, he had a dream, in which an immortal told him two tigers would move a fountain here. As expected, in the next day, two mighty tigers from the Mt. Hengshan ran around the spot and dug a hole which caused the spring to gush forth. Hence the name Hupao Spring (Tiger Running Spring).

While as a matter of fact, Hupao Spring forms as the result of underground water seeping through veins and cracks within quartz sandstone that will not be eroded by acid materials. Due to its low content of mineralized ingredients and high percentage of radon, a radioactive element, the spring water, tasting pure, sweet and cold, is an ideal beverage for health. What is more, the spring water has high surface tension. Put a coin into a bowl filled up to the rim, and the water rises three millimeters above the bowl edge, but it does not overflow.

Since the ancient times, Hupao Spring and Dragon Well Tea, which born to fit each other and showcase each other's best, have been known as two wonders in the West Lake. Today, when locals pondered over all tourist attractions in Hangzhou for the new top ten scenic spots, Hupao Spring was chosen for its excellent temperament.

There used to be a Buddhist monastery near Hupao Spring. Now, the spring and the temple and the surrounding twisting valley have been turned into the Hupao Spring Forest Park.

Lingyin Temple

Situated at the food of Lingyin Mountain, aside from the West Lake, Lingyin Temple(Temple of Inspired Seclusion) is one of the ten most famous ancient Buddhist temples in China.

First built by an Indian monk Huili in 326AD during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317 - 420 AD), the temple was named Lingyin Temple (Temple of Inspired Seclusion) for its environment is very beautiful and serene and suitable for "gods rest in seclusion". In its prime, this temple, containing over 1300 rooms and 3000 monks, used to be a large monastery with a scale you just imagine. Due to war and calamity, the temple has experienced about 1700 years of repeated circles of prosperity and decline until its last restoration in the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911).

On the compound's central axle stand Hall of Heavenly Kings, Daxiongbaodian Hall (Precious Hall of the Great Hero), Pharmaceutical Master Hall and Great Mercy Hall.

Hall of Heavenly Kings

It is the first hall after entering the temple. A tablet inscribed with "cloud forest Buddhist temple", penned by Emperor Kangxi, who was inspired on one occasion by the sight of the temple in the mist and trees, was hung above the door, producing a sacred atmosphere here. More noticeable is a couplet hung on the door reading: Let us wait sitting on the threshold of the temple, for another peak may fly from afar. Smiles appear welcoming, for the brook is gradually warming up to the springtime. When tourists admire the couplet, they can't help but grin.

Inside the hall is a statue of laughing Buddha who can "endure everything unendurable in the world and laugh at every laughable person in the world." Four heavenly kings stand on both sides of the Buddha and Weituo behind.

Daxiongbaodian Hall

Daxiongbaodian Hall is the main hall of Lingyin Temple. It is 7 rooms wide and 5 rooms deep, with one story, double layer eaves and pinnacle roof 33.6 meters in height, famed as one of China's tallest one-story buildings. A statue of Sakyamuni, carved out of 24 pieces of camphor wood, stands 24.8 meters high in the hall. On the both sides of Sakyamuni stand 20 saints protecting justice and on the back wall sit his 12 disciples serving as guards. In front of the hall are two stone pagodas built during the Northern Song dynasties (960 - 1279) with 9 stories and 8 surfaces and sculptured Buddhist stories on four walls.

Scattered outside and inside the temple are numerous relics left from ancient times, in which Pavilion of Cool Brook erected in the mid Tang dynasty, stone pagoda and stone storage for Buddhist scriptures built in the Five dynasties, Pavilion of Greens first built in the Southern Song dynasty, the pagoda of Huili erected in the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) are especially worthy of viewing.

The temple also houses various Buddhist literature and treasures including the scriptures written on pattra leaves, the Diamond Sutra copied by Dong Qichang in the Ming dynasty, a wood cut edition published in the Qing dynasty.

Mausoleum of General Yue Fei

The green hill is fortunate to be the burial ground of a loyal general; the white iron was innocent to be cast into the statues of traitors.

Mausoleum of General Yuefei is situated at the southern foot of Qixia Hill and the northwest bank of West Lake.

Yuefei, born in 1103, is a great national hero of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) who distinguished himself in battles against northern invaders. During the 12th century, when china was attacked by Jurchen invaders from the north, General Yuefei was commander of the Song armies. His attempt to push north and recover all the lost Chinese territory was opposed, however, by a peace party within the capital headed by the minister Qinhui, who believed that further prosecution of the war would be too costly. Qinhui's faction proved more influential, and in 1141 Yuefei was recalled to the Song court and imprisoned, later executed after being framed by Qinhui.

In 1163, Song Emperor Gaozong exonerated Yuefei and had his corpse reburied at the present site. In 1221, a memorial temple of Yuefei was built here with statue of Yuefei enshrined inside.

The memorial temple have been destroyed and rebuilt for several times. The present structure was the product of the restoration in 1923. It contains a 4.54-meter-high statue of Yuefei, which was well armed with a sword in the left hand, seeming to prepare for fighting at all time. A calligraphy work of Yuefei reading "return the mountains and rivers to us" is hung on the wall, being a reference to his patriotism and resistance to the Jurchen. In the two side halls of the temple are 120 tablets; the tablets are engraved with Yuefei's poems as well as eulogies to him by noted figures.

To the right of memorial temple is the mausoleum of Yuefei. Four iron statues: Qinhui and his wife, Zhangjun and Mo Qixie are kneeling in front of the tomb, all cursed and spat by visitors for their guilt. On both side of the tomb are six stone figures, two horses, two tiger and two goats, symbolizing the guards of Yuefei.

Each year, moved by Yuefei's deeds and encouraged by his spirit, countless people come here to memorialize this patriotic general.

Qiandaohu Lake

Qiandao Hu, located in Chun'an County, west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province is one of the first-class national scenic spots and is the largest national forest park at present. The lake covers five hundred and seventy square kilometers including over one thousand islands of different sizes. Besides the surrounding green hills and large amount of animals and plants it is also famous for its water. The average depth of the water here is more than one hundred feet and the visibility in the water is twenty two to twenty nine feet. As national first-class water it is so pure that it can be drunk directly.

In recent years Qiandao Hu has developed over twenty travel sites, having six sections of different features.

Plat Blossom Mountain

Set in the middle of the lake; this is the best part of Qiandao Hu, named after five conjoined mountains. It resembles a plat blossom and gains fame for its beautiful natural scenery and perfect environment. The sight-seeing platform in this section is by far the best place to view the surrounding area. The other one is Ostrich Island. On this island visitors can feed ostrich, take photos with them or even ride on their backs.

Stone Forest

This section is located forty kilometers from town centre of Qiandao Hu and is made up of three parts: Xishan part, Turquoise part and Hawksbill part, covering ten square kilometers. It is called "the first stone-forest in Huadong Area". With strange stones, cliffs, elf caves and an ancient path, it characterizes quietness, glamouresness, wonderfulness and arduousness.

Dragon Hill (Long Shan)

It consists of Dragon Hill and Five-Dragon Island. Hairui Temple was built here by Chun'an people to commemorate Hairui, a famous official of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who once served as head of this county. Hairui Ci is the essential structural work piece, including carving of wood, stone and brick. There also is over twenty pieces of poem steles in Hairui Ci. On the top of the Dragon Hill there stands a bell tower.

Xian Hill (Xian Shan)

Xian Hill lies in the southeast area of the lake, including Xian Shan, Tian Chi (a pond), Guihua Island (Guihua Dao) and Mi Hill (Mi Shan). Xian Hill has trees which bear fruit all year round. Scenery on other parts of the hill is also charming and beautiful.

Animal-Series

Animal-Series section is mainly made up of three areas. Monkey island (raising over five hundred monkeys including Honghe monkey, Sicuan short-tail monkey, and red-face monkey). Peacock garden (raising white, blue, green and variegated peacocks) and Magic Dragon island (Shenlong Dao), which actually is an island of snakes, where visitors can play with them and see some special shows.

Folding Screen Section

It is mainly for entertainment and spending holidays. It includes some little wooden houses, entertainment on water, song and dance shows and Penglai Island.

Qiandao Hu is located in the center of tourist line of "Hangzhou--Qiandaohu--Huangshan" so it is very convenient to get there. Now there are more than thirty hotels providing over seventy-five hundred beds. What some people are most interest in is food - the forest here produces large amount of edible plants and people can get fresh-water fish too.

Qiandao Hu is also a place of historic interest. This is the hometown of the first Empress Chen Shuozhen who revolted in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Another famous peasant revolutionary is Fang La, who revolted in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). This is the hometown of Sun Quan, the King of Wu, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-265 BC). Another town here, Fuyang Longmen ancient town is the place where Sun Quan's descendants have continually gathered until the present day. It is reported recently the descendants of Liubei, the king of Shu during Three Kingdoms Period were also found in Fuyang. Now the descendants of Sunquan, Liubei, and Zhugeliang all gathered in Fuyang.

Qiandao Hu is not only a place of scenic beauty but also of historic interest.

Peak Flown from Afar (Feilai Peak)



Feilai Peak, also named Lingjiu Peak, stands in front of Lingyin Temple. It was said that an Indian monk by the name of Huili, upon his arrival in the valley, was surprised to see the peak towering in the valley. He wondered aloud "when did peak come flying all the way from India to this place?" Hence the name.

With a height of 209 meters, Feilai Peak, totally different from the surrounding mountains, is of pure limestone while the surrounding mountains are of sandstone. Many grotesque stones, in the shapes of charming dragon, prostrate tiger, walking elephant and scared ape scatter here and there on the peak, with queer colors, making this peak distinctive among all hills and peaks nearby. No matter, Yuandao, a celebrity of the Ming dynasty, praised that the peak came out number one if compared with all other hills and peaks around the West Lake.

The cliffs of the peak are dotted with over 340 stone statues in various gestures: sitting, standing or sleeping. Many of these stone statues are quite unique and have unparalleled values in the art history. The biggest Buddha image is the Maitreya with cloth bag on shoulder, otherwise known for Buddha of Joy. With exposed breast and belly, it sits on cliff along the brook, laughing from Northern Song (960-1127) up to now.

Legend goes that, the peak had flown all round and destroyed many villages before it settled down in Hangzhou. In order to prevent the peak from flying to other place and causing more damages, over 500 Buddha statues were caved out of the peak to suppress the peak.

It's true, Feilai Peak is so dissimilar from those hills near West Lake. No matter people would doubt if it is truly an extraneous guest.

Qiantang River Bore

No grand-looking in the world but the Qiantang River Tide on August 18th."

The extraordinary surging tide of the Qiantang River is a world-renowned natural wonder caused by the gravitation of the celestial body, the centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the earth and by the peculiar bottleneck shape of the Hangzhou Bay.

To the east of Zheshan Hill on the south bank of Qiantang River, there are about 500,000 mu reclaimed-land like a peninsula to keep off the river mouth, so as to make from the hill to the outside 12th section like a large-sized bottle with a small mouth. It is easy for the tide to come, but difficult to ebb. Hangzhou Bay's width is over 100km, but up to the outside 12th section is narrowed only several kilometers. However, the river east part of the riverbed is sharply raised. In this way, it becomes the riverbed high and water a little. As a great quantity from the Qiantang River mouth is reaching, the tide cannot be raised equally due to narrowed-down river area. Then, it is forced rear tides pushing front tides while the front tide is not fast enough, thus, one upon another, forming the most magnificent natural phenomenon in the world.

On the 18th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar, hundreds and thousands of tourists from both abroad and at home would come here to watch Qiantang Tide. A scholar in the history wrote: "The Tide comes in a little drum voice just like a silk thread across the River at far-viewing while reaches nearby in thunder just like mountains."

People have been keeping the tradition of watching the Qiantang Bore since the Tang dynasty. During the Southern Song dynasty, the tradition was observed in an unparalleled way. On August 18 in the lunar calendar, the court arranged marine inspection ceremony while tide-watching and tide-teasing is going on. This date is said to be the birthday of the god of waves. With the lapse of time, the tradition of tide-watching becomes a grand occasion. And the local people organize various kinds of festivals to celebrate it. When a tide-watching festival arrives, people come from all over the country and the world at large to watch the wonderful natural wonder. Yanguan Town in Haining is the most famous site for watching the Qiantang Bore and in recent years, Xiaoshan in Hangzhou comes to be regarded as another ideal place to witness the world wonder.

Qiantang Tidal Bore is very dangerous and if you are not careful enough. So you should obey the order and arrangement of the policemen who try everything to ensure your pleasant watching and your personal security.

Six Harmonies Pagoda (Liuhe Pagoda)



Six Harmonies Pagoda, highly erected by the Qiantang River and to the south of the West Lake, is a perfect symbol of brick-and-wood structure built in the ancient China. It is first built in 970 AD in the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), in a way to press down the evil of the river tidal bore in Qiantang River. The name "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, east, west, south and north".

The pagoda has fallen into ruins and gone through reconstruction many times. The original pagoda is nine storyed with a light on the tip, serving as a navigation tower in the river. The present tower was the restoration in 1156. Seen from outside, the tower, with a height of 59.89 meters, have 13 stories while in fact only seven stories inside. The core of the present pagoda was built with the bricks left over from the Southern Song dynasty. The upturned wooden multi-eaves and wrapping structure were first built in the ending years of the Qing dynasty and have been refurbished many times.

Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. Looking out from the top of the pagoda, sightseers can see as far as the misty horizon, enjoying an unforgettable, breathtaking experience.

The Six Harmonies Pagoda has been under the state protection since 1961 as a state-level cultural site.

Grand Canal



Canalized in the Sui dynasty (581-618), Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is one of the greatest projects constructed in ancient China as well as the longest man-made waterway in world.

In 604 AD, Emperor Yangdi of the Sui dynasty made a tour to Luoyang. In the second year, he moved the capital to Luoyang and ordered the canalization of the Grand Canal. This task lasted for six years and thousands of labors involved in it. Finally, those original scrappy canals were joined up and the Grand Canal formed.

With a total length of 1764 kilometers, the canal, communicating Yangtze River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Haihe River and Qiantang River, flows through Beijing, Tianjing, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang with Hangzhou at its southernmost end.

Since most of China's major rivers flow from west to east, the Grand Canal running north and south provides an important connector between several minor river systems, being restored as a water-diversion conduit. It has played an important role in strengthening economic and cultural intercourse between north and south and promoting the development of the country's economy.

Tangqi town in Yuhang county of Hangzhou is a famous ancient town on the Grand Canal. Till today, 300-year-old seven-arched Tongji Bridge and the ancient streets along the canal are well preserved. To take a boat ride on the Grand Canal here gives one a full view of the landscape of a typical river town in southern China.

Solitary Hill



With a height of 38 meters, this hill got its named for "stands alone in the West Lake". It is the lowest hill among all hills near the lake, however, the largest island in West Lake.

Solitary Hill is noted for its ingenious layout that combines artificial and natural scenery. The imperial abode for rulers of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) on the hill now serves as a park and a museum.

Plum in Solitary Hill has long been famous all over the world since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907). During the Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127), Linbu, a celebrity, had lived here for 20 years, devoting most of his life into planting plum blossoms and raising cranes here. Phrase "plum wife and crane son" originated from this story.

Fanghe Pavilion (Crane Pavilion) at its north foot is lovely with spring and winter plum blossoms of varied colors, pink, white, scarlet, etc. With Zhejiang Museum, Zhejiang Library, Wenlan (Flourishing Literature) Pavilion, etc. dotting at the south foot of the hill, Solitary Hill is also a place of cultural interest.