Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pavilion, Xi Hu
hillside paths. From Beishan Lu a small lane leads up behind some buildings to
the pagoda. Tracks continue beyond, and you can climb right up to Qixia Shan
(Mountain Where Rosy Clouds Linger) above the lake. About halfway along
this path you'll see a yellow-walled monastery with black roofs lurking below
to your left, the Baopu Daoist Compound . It's well worth a stop, especially
in the late afternoon, if only because you might be able to watch discreetly one
of the ancestral worship ceremonies that are held here, with priests clad in
colourful garb and widows clutching long black necklaces. If you climb the
stairs, you will find several smaller halls where old men practise their calligraphy
and young women play the pipa .
Continuing west, the Yu e fei Mu (Tomb of Yuefei; daily 7.30am-5.30pm;
¥25) is one of Hangzhou's big draws, the twelfth-century Song general Yuefei
being considered a hero in modern China thanks to his unquestioning patri-
otism. Having emerged victorious from a war against barbarian invaders from
the north, Yu e fei was falsely charged with treachery by a jealous prime minister,
and executed at the age of 39. Twenty years later, the subsequent emperor
annulled all charges against him and had him reburied here with full honours.
Walk through the temple to reach the tomb itself - a tiny bridge over water, a
small double row of stone men and animals, steles, a mound with old pine trees
and four cast-iron statues of the villains, kneeling in shame with their hands
behind their backs. The calligraphy on the front wall of the tomb reads, “Be
loyal to your country”.
Immediately west of Yu e fei's tomb is a lane leading away from the lake and
north into the hills behind. Thirty minutes' walk along here eventually leads to
the Huanglong Dong Park (Yellow Dragon Cave Park; daily 6.30am-4pm;
¥15), to the north of Qixia Shan. The park can also be approached from the
roads to the north of here, south of Hangzhou University. The main area of the
park is charmingly secluded, sunk between sharply rising hills with a pond,
teahouses, a shrine to Yue Lao (the Chinese god of arranging marriages), and a
pavilion where musicians perform traditional music.
165
Search WWH ::




Custom Search