With only two nights and one full day in Hangzhou, we decided to skip all other sights and surrounded ourselves with Hangzhou's one genuine world class attraction. This was the playground of bureaucrats and literati in Imperial China, and heralded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in modern times. Imitated everywhere in China but never surpassed, this is the one and only West Lake of Hangzhou.
If you have enough time for only one lake in China, this would be my pick. Some China experts may frown at my suggestion -- foreign tourists often do the obligatory cruise expecting a wildly scenic trip and come away slightly disappointed. But that's completely missing the point IMHO. The West Lake is simply so much more.
Yes the natural scenery isn't bad, but I've seen a lot of prettier places even within the borders of China. What propels the West Lake to the pantheon of China's tourist attractions is definitely not the lake itself, but 2000 years of high culture refined by the literati of the ancient region of Jiangnan, or South of the Yangtze. The West Lake is so entrenched into the Chinese culture that you'll see its influence everywhere, if you look closely.
Take out any crinkled One Yuan bill out of the pocket, and you'll see the famous image of the West Lake's Three-Pool-Mirroring-The-Moon on the back. Sit down at any teahouse from Hong Kong to Shanghai to Beijing, and you'll likely see West Lake's Longjing Tea featured prominently on the menu. Walk into any traditional opera performance and you may see the West Lake painted in the backdrop -- after all two of the Four Great Folk Legends of China are set on the West Lake. This isn't just some body of water -- it's interweaved into the heart and soul of Chinese culture.
Marco Polo arrived in the 13th Century and declared Hangzhou the most splendid city in the world, which was no small acclaim coming from a traveler from Venice at the height of its maritime power. It was during these medieval times when Hangzhou was China’s cultural capital, and the West Lake the muse of the literati in poetry and prose. In fact two of China’s great poets, Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo, built the two long causeways on the West Lake when each served as governor of Hangzhou, several hundred years apart.
So we booked ourselves into one of the closest hotels to the lake shore to maximize our time for evening walks, and diligently set out at 09:00 in the morning to discover our own favorite corners of the West Lake. For the sake of flexibility we simplified our itinerary to only two spots: the Xihu State Guesthouse for lunch, and the Guo's Villa, both being on the western shore of the lake. The route we took at the end of the days was:
Hotel - Yigongyuan Park (walk) - Three-Pools-Mirroring-the-Moon (boat) - Viewing-Fish-at-Flower-Pond (boat) - Lunch @ Xihu State Guesthouse (walk) - Guo’s Villa (walk) - Yuehu (walk) - Gushan Park (walk) - Dinner @ Lou Wai Lou - Broken Bridge - Wushan Night Market (taxi) - Hotel (walk)
We started the morning on the 25-minute boat ride to the Three-Pools-Mirroring-the-Moon, a historic island of classical gardens so carefully manicured that one could draw parallels with great Japanese gardens such as Kanazawa's Kenroku-en. But the winding paths, pine trees and fiery maples surrounding the inland lake are where the similarities end. IMHO this island is one of the best illustrations of the subtle differences between Chinese and Japanese gardens, or ... I would venture to say, Chinese vs. Japanese philosophy towards nature in general.
You see ... the 400-year-old island is entirely artificial. Within the ring-shaped island is another lake, and within the small lake lies another even smaller island. One can see the crazy amount of efforts taken by medieval engineers just to create this miniaturized version of the West Lake within the West Lake. There is this great desire to cultivate a scenery of harmonious existence between mankind and nature, not unlike in theory to the ancient engravings of calligraphy and pavilions at the precarious cliffs of Huashan Mountain. Now compare this to the the desire to cultivate nature in Japanese gardens such as Kenroku-en. Yes the Japanese also put a lot of effort to tame nature and achieve their picture-perfect gardens (see the Adachi Garden for instance), but not to the extent of deliberately integrating the mark of mankind into the landscape.
Our next stop was the southwestern shoreline of the lake known as Viewing-Fish-at-Flower-Pond. This large, rambling garden used to be extremely unpopular when the government charged RMB 40 for entrance, but has now become a mandatory stop for all tour buses after becoming free-of-charge. Don't believe the tranquility you see in the photo, as the whole place was full of rowdy domestic tour groups. That's okay though -- we're only passing through on our way to the real destination ...
This is the most worthwhile of all attractions on the West Lake, IMHO, except it's arguably not an attraction at all. The Xihu State Guesthouse is a grand, state-owned hotel possessing one of the only stretches of private shoreline on the lake. There are no crowds to get in the way of pictures, no amplified megaphones to pierce the serenity, and most importantly, arguably some of the best food in Eastern China. This is such an awesome place that I'll need to dedicate the next article to it.
The best part of the Xihu State Guesthouse was its pristine gardens which, along with the excellent lunch, kept us for almost 3 hours. After this we continued north along a picturesque area of artificial causeways and wetland known as Yanggongdi towards our next destination -- the small but elegant Guo’s Villa with yet another rare stretch of private shorelines.
I can’t give Guo’s Villa enough praises as this is one of the true hidden gems on the West Lake IMHO. Organized tours are effectively deterred by the RMB 10 (CAD$1.6) entrance fee, leaving its immaculate garden and pavilions to the enjoyment of the few independent travelers stumbling in. Even on a clear Sunday afternoon the garden were relatively non-crowded, which definitely cannot be said of most other spots around the lake.
Like the Xihu State Guesthouse, Guo’s Villa started as the mansion and garden of a Qing Dynasty scholar-bureaucrat, and one who was powerful enough to acquire his own private section of the lakefront. Today the fish pond inside the garden still draws its water directly from the West Lake, though the resident white swans have recently been replaced by ugly plastic replicas. But that was the only speckle I could find in the otherwise perfectly manicured garden -- it could have rivaled the famous classical gardens of Suzhou, if only it was bigger in size.
But it was big enough to spend a leisurely hour between the pondful of orange Koi fish, zigzagging causeways with impeccable viewpoints framed strategically by window openings, two teahouses serving local Longjing Tea, and a pavilion atop a prototypical Suzhou-style artificial hill made of Taihu limestones. If you’re tired of doing the West Lake with the piercing loudspeakers of local tour guides constantly in the background, this would be a great place for a little quiet retreat.
The Quyuan Fenghe area just north of Guo’s Villa was also quite enjoyable, especially towards the later afternoon when large tour groups have move off. I haven’t seen an official English name for this place, though I would loosely translate it as Lotus in the Breeze at the Winery Courtyard. A modern replica of the old Imperial Winery has recently been erected with advertisements of wine tasting (though we didn’t indulge), and the lotus blossoms are still tousled by the breeze at the charming lakefront.
As the afternoon started to wind down we headed into the former realm of the Imperial Garden at Gushan. Facing the West Lake at the southwestern foot of the hill behind overgrown vegetation, is the Xiling Society of Seal Arts where the ancient arts of seal engraving and calligraphy are still practiced and refined to this date. This would be the best place if you ever want a genuine high quality seal made in your (transliterated Chinese) name. It was also our last rest stop before an early dinner, in the atmosphere of intellectual and artistic pursuits that has made Hangzhou famous for the past millennium.
Food Review: LOU WAI LOU (Hangzhou)
Address: Gushan Lu 30, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00
Website/Map: Official Site
Directions: It's on the shoreline of the Gushan Park along the northern shore of the West Lake. This is THE most famous restaurant in Hangzhou, so any taxi driver should know the place.
Despite its well-documented fame, Lou Wai Lou was NOT our first choice due to mixed reviews from the locals. We originally planned to go to Bailu Canting (ie. "White Deer") at the Xinyuanhua Mall, but gave up on the idea remembering the previous night when we were handed the 200+th spot of the ridiculous queue. Lou Wai Lou's convenient location convinced us at the end, though we went in without much expectation to be honest.
To be fair though, this place is a true Hangzhou institution, established in the 28th Year of Emperor Daoguang, or Year 1848 in the Western world. So it’s been standing on the shore of West Lake pretty much since the Opium Wars, serving the rich and famous of China through Imperial, Republican and Communist eras.
Lou Wai Lou’s main draw is about traditions, and so we ordered traditional Hangzhou dishes, starting with the local favorite Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup (Songsao Yugeng) pictured above. Like anything in the Geng category this was a very heavy, substantial soup, but tasted unexpectedly mild without any of the fishiness one might associate with fish soups. While the flavor wasn’t anything spectacular, the display of great knifework was evident with the extremely thin shreds of delicate fish meat. I would put this in the category of Shougongcai (“dexterity-based dish” ... my translation) where the appreciation of the chef’s nimbleness with the transformation of ingredients is as important as, and perhaps even trumps, the taste. When this dawned on me, I started to see why this restaurant gets such polarized reviews.
We also ordered the Fish Soup with Crab Caviar, which turned out to be a Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup plus a good dollop of crab meat and caviar. Now THIS was an EXCELLENT soup, infused with the richness of the umami flavors given by the crab caviar. The fact that we arrived during crab caviar season (usually late September to late November) probably helped. This bowl cost 50% more than the already expensive Mrs. Song’s Fish Soup, but it was worth every single Yuan.
For appetizers we started with the Drunken Chicken in Huadiao Wine (Huadiao Zuiji). While the chicken did have the typical texture and taste of a free-range bird, the depth of flavor in the rice wine marinate completely let us down. It actually didn’t taste bad ... but think about it ... When the mom-and-pop Shanghainese restaurant in my neighborhood can do this simple dish better than the most famous restaurant in all of Hangzhou, why should travelers waste their valuable time and money here? This is inexcusable.
Then we moved onto another cold dish, the syrupy sweet, glutinous-rice-stuffed lotus roots known as Guihua Tang’ou. This completely reversed the impression from the previous mess up, and turned out to be a very good dish. The lotus roots were crispy, the rice filling was chewy as expected, and the distinct flavor of Osmanthus flowers (ie. Guihua) provided good depth to the honey. While not everyone likes sweets before the entree, we really enjoyed this dish.
So far we had one unremarkable dish, one excellent dish, one poor dish, and one good dish. Now you can see the rollercoaster ride we’ve been taken by Lou Wai Lou as we await our final dish, a grand, classy dish in the culinary traditions of this Jiangnan region.
The Braised Cured-Ham in Honey Sauce (Mizhi Huofang). This is a classic dish that I’d previously only seen on TV and, due to the exclusivity of the main ingredient, typically served only in restaurants serving more posh clientele. I was expecting a price of RMB 200-300 for a dish of this level of prestige, and jumped to order when it was listed on the menu for RMB 108.
The soul of this dish should be a square of the best cut of Dry-Cured Ham, the Chinese equivalence of Jamon Iberico or Prosciutto di Parma, sourced from the black-headed, black-tailed pigs from the city of Jinhua just southwest of here. Pardon the messy appearance of the dish, but I failed to stop our server in time while she clumsily sliced our perfectly squared ham. The flavor was complex and savory as expected of quality cured ham of any nationality, and the indigenous saltiness had been perfectly countered by the Osmanthus-flavored honey sauce. If I’m allowed to nitpick, the texture of the meat was a little tough, meaning that they didn’t invest enough time into steaming the ham, and that the cut of ham was still not the best quality compared to Jinhua Hams I’ve had in the past. I did enjoy the way they meticulously softened the skin though, and how the little layer of fat remaining from the steaming process was well-balanced by the acidity of green plums in the sauce.
This dish was definitely above average, though not entirely spectacular. But at the relatively cheap price of RMB 108 for a generous square of Jinhua Ham (which went for RMB 48 per 500g at traditional delicatessen shops we visited), I’ve got no complaints.
My final verdict for Lou Wai Lou? In one word, inconsistency. I can completely understand how this place can simultaneously generate positive and negative reviews, possibly from diners sitting at the same table in fact, if their quality can oscillate from dish to dish like what we experienced. Would I recommend this place? Yes, but only if you’re staying for several days and have been to the Xihu State Guesthouse already. If you have time for only one dining experience in Hangzhou though, forget this place and just stick with Xihu State Guesthouse.
Bill for Two Persons
| Drunken Chicken in Huadiao Wine | RMB 32 |
| West Lake Honey-Stuffed Lotus Roots | RMB 22 |
| Mrs. Song's Fish Soup | RMB 19.6 |
| Fish Soup with Crab Caviar | RMB 28 |
| Slow-Braised Cured Ham in Honey Sauce | RMB 108 |
| Rice | RMB 1 |
| Large Beer | RMB 12 |
| TOTAL | RMB 222.6 (CAD$35.3) |
It was already dark outside after our long dinner. We had a night view of the lit-up Broken Bridge, then hopped on a taxi to the Wushan Night Market (located at Renhe Road and Yuewang Road, about a 10 minute way east of the Longxiangqiao metro station). We didn’t end up buying anything, but it was authentic, rowdy, and a perfectly Hangzhou way to wrap up a Sunday evening and work off that huge chunk of ham.
Being a serious (and hopefully well-rounded) foodie I can't limit myself to just formal restaurants. If the Xihu State Guesthouse is Hangzhou’s finest, Lou Wai Lou is the most famous, then the following place must be Hangzhou’s most popular eatery. Beware of this popularity though, as we had to WAIT 2.5 HOURS (!!!) just to get in.
Food Review: THE GRANDMA'S (Hubin Branch)
Address: Hubin Lu 3, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Hours: 10:00-24:00
Website/Map: Official Site
Directions: It's right at the corner of Hubin Road and Jiefang Road, facing one of the most popular sections of the West Lake. The closest metro station is Longxiangqiao, three blocks to the north.
The Grandma’s is undoubtedly among Hangzhou’s most recognized brand names. Synonymous for famously cheap food at consistently good quality, this local joint has now expanded as far north as Beijing and Shenyang, which tells you they’re doing something right. So right in fact, that when we arrived at their flagship branch on Hubin Road on a Saturday night, we were handed queue ticket #562 with more than 200 tickets in front of us! After heading to Bailu Canting, the main rival of The Grandma’s across the street in the Xinyuanhua Mall, only to find an even longer queue, we had no choice but to wander the nearby shops while waiting for The Grandma’s to call my cell phone. And close to 2.5 hours we waited, before finally getting seated. That had never happened to me before in China, Hong Kong or Japan.
If you’re asking what’s so attractive about this place, look no further than this Tofu with Sesame Oil (Maxiang Doufu). The tofu itself wasn't too sensational: slightly grainy mouth-feel, rich soybean flavors, and really nothing that would either wow or offend your tastebuds. But the price was ... get this ... an astonishing RMB 3 (CAD$0.5).
What else can you buy with RMB 3 these days, when a 500 mL bottle of juice costs RMB 4? It's no fluke that we had 561 tables ahead of us, and probably 700 in total, on the evening on our visit.
The Red-Braised Chinese Radish wasn't quite as miraculously cheap, but still a bargain at RMB 10. Again the flavor was just above average, but the radishes were quite well-simmered to thoroughly absorb the marinate. Who can complain about a RMB 10 dish at a sit-down restaurant next to the West Lake?
We did splurge ... well, for a relatively cheap RMB 45 ... on one of the more expensive dishes on the menu: an entire chicken slow-roasted inside an earthen pot and smoked with tea leaves (Chaxiangji). While I didn't really taste any tea in the chicken, the flesh was so tenderly roasted it practically fell off the bones. With a whole bird staring at the two of us, I was starting to think we ordered a little too much food.
We finished with an unconventional but delectable dessert. Our Green Pea Puree with Cream (Naixiang Qingdouni) arrived as a large tub of pureed pea, with the skin meticulously removed, mixed with the sweetness of honey and fresh cream. For a large enough portion for three to share, the price was an amazing RMB 10.
So our entire meal with two appetizers, one entree, a dessert and a large beer cost RMB 78 (CAD$12.4) in total. I'm sure I'm among thousands others who vouch for this place. As long as you're not expecting an exceptional dining experience, The Grandma's should be a pretty safe bet at a backpacker-friendly price. But one last word of caution ... remember to drop by a couple hours early to get your queue ticket!
Bill for Two Persons
| Tofu with Sesame Oil | RMB 3 |
| Red-Braised Chinese Radish | RMB 10 |
| Tea-Smoked Chicken | RMB 45 |
| Green Pea Puree with Cream | RMB 10 |
| Large Beer | RMB 10 |
| TOTAL | RMB 78 (CAD$12.4) |
Finally, a short review of our choice of hotel:
Hotel Review: NEW DONGPO HOTEL (Hangzhou)
Address: Xihai Scenic Area, Huangshan, Anhui
Price: RMB 278, including breakfast
Website/Map: Here's the Official Site, but we chose to book thru Ctrip.com.
Directions: Exit the Longxiangqiao metro station and walk south for a block to Renhe Road. The hotel is almost at the corner of Renhe Road and Yan'an Road.
This is the cheapest 3-star hotel we found within a block of the West Lake. While there were a few other cheaper 1- or 2-stars (eg.Elan Inn) nearby, none seemed as convenient and well-rounded especially considering the free (and quite decent) Chinese-style buffet breakfast here. The location just can't be beat -- 1 block from the West Lake, 1 block from the metro station, and a 15 minute walk to the Wushan Night Market. I wouldn't hesitate to return should I visit Hangzhou again in the future.
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