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10
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571
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You will find Ling Yin Temple in a long, narrow valley between Fei Lai Feng (Peak flown from Afar) and North Peak to the northwest of the West Lake at Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. The temple is without doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake environs and is notable also as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples of China. In 1961 the temple was listed for protection as a key provincial historical and cultural site and is considered a leading centre for research relative to Chinese Buddhist culture.

The Temple contains an important collection of Buddhist literature together with many other treasures. As a consequence it is a great centre of information for those who wish to study aspects of Chinese Buddhism in detail. The palaces, pavilions and halls together with their many figures of Buddhist deities represent in total a splendid and unique collection of architectural and artistic cultural relics. The various buildings and pagodas date from the Southern Song, Ming and Tang Dynasties. Among the ancient writings are scriptures written on pattra leaves, the Diamond Sutra copied by Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty and a wood cut edition published during the Qing Dynasty.

The Six Harmonies (Liuhe) Pagoda lies in Yuelun Hill on the north bank of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The name "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, north, south, east, and west". The pagoda was first built in 970 AD by the King of Wuyue State, who intended to demonstrate his authority by conquering the evil of the river tidal bore of the Qiantang River. The pagoda fell into ruins and went through reconstruction many times before being listed as one of the key national cultural heritages in 1961.

Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. The original pagoda has nine stories with a light on the top, which serves as a navigation tower. In 1156, the pagoda experienced a large-scale restoration. The artisans used carved bricks when reconstructing the inside of the pagoda. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the upturned wooden multi-eaves and wrapping structure was added to the pagoda and, in the eyes of the people, presented the soul and labor of ancient Chinese. The pagoda we see today is an octagonal structure 200 feet tall. Seen from the outside, the pagoda has the appearance of a 13-story building; in actuality, there are only seven stories.

The Six Harmonies Pagoda is definitely a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture that continually attracts visitors both home and abroad. Visitors here may be shocked and entertained not only by the long and splendid history of China but also the arts of Chinese calligraphy and seal-cutting. There are various sorts of stone tablets and stone statues both inside and out of the pagoda, left over from the past times. One may see relics such as a minister's tablet, a Buddhist scripture tablet, a god statue, a poem inscription, and similar artifacts from different dynasties. Moreover, the Center of Ancient Chinese Pagodas has opened near the pagoda. It features all kinds of the ancient pagodas erected in the different areas and different dynasties. One will have an appreciation of the quintessence of ancient Chinese pagodas.

The Six Harmonies (Liuhe) Pagoda lies in Yuelun Hill on the north bank of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The name "six harmonies" comes from the six Buddhist ordinances, meaning "harmonies of the heaven, earth, north, south, east, and west". The pagoda was first built in 970 AD by the King of Wuyue State, who intended to demonstrate his authority by conquering the evil of the river tidal bore of the Qiantang River. The pagoda fell into ruins and went through reconstruction many times before being listed as one of the key national cultural heritages in 1961.

Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. The original pagoda has nine stories with a light on the top, which serves as a navigation tower. In 1156, the pagoda experienced a large-scale restoration. The artisans used carved bricks when reconstructing the inside of the pagoda. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the upturned wooden multi-eaves and wrapping structure was added to the pagoda and, in the eyes of the people, presented the soul and labor of ancient Chinese. The pagoda we see today is an octagonal structure 200 feet tall. Seen from the outside, the pagoda has the appearance of a 13-story building; in actuality, there are only seven stories.

The Six Harmonies Pagoda is definitely a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture that continually attracts visitors both home and abroad. Visitors here may be shocked and entertained not only by the long and splendid history of China but also the arts of Chinese calligraphy and seal-cutting. There are various sorts of stone tablets and stone statues both inside and out of the pagoda, left over from the past times. One may see relics such as a minister's tablet, a Buddhist scripture tablet, a god statue, a poem inscription, and similar artifacts from different dynasties. Moreover, the Center of Ancient Chinese Pagodas has opened near the pagoda. It features all kinds of the ancient pagodas erected in the different areas and different dynasties. One will have an appreciation of the quintessence of ancient Chinese pagodas.

China's legendary man-made waterway, theGrand Canal, runs from Beijing in north to Hangzhou in south stretching 1,747 kilometers long. It is 10 times the length of the Suez Canal and 20 times of the Panama Canal. It's another wonder made by ancient Chinese.

Interconnecting five rivers, the Haihe, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River and the Qaintang River, the canal served as a significant mean of transportation over centuries. it offered much facility to transport food and goods from the south to north and boosted commercial development in the country. The section of Suzhou to Hangzhou now is still in active use. Vendors row their boats directly to households, shops in local townships.

Boat trip along the canal often offers tourists a nice view of China's typical water villages, arched stone bridges, riverside ancient buildings as well as country side.

The Tomb located on West Lake bank is a nice historical site well wortha trip. Yuefei was a well-known general in the war against the Jin invasion in the South Song Dynasty. Yuefei proved to be a brilliant general, repeatedly defeating northern incursions. So the minister called Qinhui was so jealous of him that he persuaded the Emperor, Gaozhong or order Yuefei back to the court. It was just the minister's conspire. No sooner as Yuefei stepped into the court, he was captured and then executed by a wrong accusation of disobeying military order during his mission. The Southern Song court was soon collapsed for the treacherous conspiracy.

The Song Emperor Gaozong Exonerated Yuefei and built a temple, Yue's Temple by the West Lake to commemorate this great patriot and his son (also killed). Subsequent dynasties all contributed to the compound, the temple now is composed of a group of buildings close to the tomb.

Yuefei's tomb bears the phrase"endless loyalty and devotion to one's country", which according to a legend was tattooed in his back by his mother when he joined the Song army. Several stone sculptures of men, horses, tigers and sheep guarded on each side of his tomb. Four statues of Qinhui, his wife and the other two betrayers were kneeling in front of the tomb.

The tombs saw serials of being destroyed and rebuilt over history. Now it has been well restored and became a well-known historical site.

Hefang Street is a well-designed old pedestrian street, which is the epitome of old Hangzhou. The original street has been ruined and it recently takes on a completely new look after lager-scale of restoration. Shops selling art crafts, souvenirs, silk, teahouses, and restaurants line on both sides of the street. Many famous century-old shops including Hu Qing Yu Tang, Wang Xingji Fans can be found along the street.

Hefang Street is otherwise known as the Snack Street for the diverse food it serves. The street clearly concentrates food from all around the country, while at some time highlighting the local flavors.

Located at the southern bank of West Lake, Hangzhou Xihu Tiandi is a leisure destination embracing the deep history and culture of the city of Hangzhou. Combining the superlative natural beauty in this area with modern living elements, Xihu Tiandi aims to create a public space. Boutiques selling international brands, up-market restaurants serving variety of local flavors, bars fill the area.

Capitalizing on the area's stunning natural beauty, Xihu Tiandi's designers innovatively combined modern elements and Hangzhou's traditional garden architecture by perfectly utilizing large-scale glass, which allows the setting's natural wonder to be fully on display for visitors to enjoy year-round. Virtually anywhere you place yourself at Xihu Tiandi, a glorious view of the West Lake scenery presents itself before you.

Most of the old houses have been transformed into attractive commercial venues- international standard restaurants, clubs and cultural spots -while maintaining their original charm.

A leisurely walk at night around this area will prove a surreal experience. Most of all it is one of the best place to enjoy the night scenery of the West Lake.

Located at Chun'an County, around 160 kilometers west of Hangzhou, Thousand Islets Lake is currently the largest man-made lake in China. It got its name from the 1078 islets in the lake. The lake is famous for its crystal-clean water and picturesque scenery. Covering an area of 573 square kilometers, the lake is more than one hundred times larger than the West Lake in Hangzhou. Forest covers nearly 93 per cent of the lake area, which is home to over 1,800 varieties of plants and 2.100 wild animals. With an average depth of 34 meters, its water visibility can reach 7 to 12 meters. According to the national water evaluation water from the lake can be directly drunk.

Apart from its tranquil natural scenery, Qiandao Hu also boasts a large number of historical sites. Tow ancient towns, both dating back to more than 1,800 years ago, were discovered under the lake in 2002. After preliminary investigation, experts believe they might be the biggest ancient building complex found in China. The two towns were submerged 40 years ago to make way for a reservoir. Historical records show that the town was filled with traditional Chinese architectures with bricks, stones and titles.

The Mountain was originally called Mountain Meicun for a man named Meifu in the Han Dynasty had once lived here. It got the sacred spirit after a Japanese monk who came to China to seek for help. The monk planned to carry a Guanyin sculpture obtained from Mountain Wutai back to Japan. But unfortunately he was stopped by a storm at this area. he believed that the Guanyin was reluctant to live, so he landed and built the "Unwilling to Leave Nunnery" to host the sculpture. Since ever, the mountain has been heavily visited by pilgrims.

Saturated with the fragrance of incense and strains of Buddhist chants, Mountain Putuo now offers a spiritual sanctuary contrast to the wafting, exhaust fumes and the din of auto horns that haunt many cities we live.