Travel Notes | Visit the West Lake Again—Driving in Zhoushan (10)

On the 17th, continue to visit Hangzhou.

It no longer rains, the sun shines, and I feel refreshed.

I still went to West Lake to make up for the unpleasantness of swimming in the rain yesterday.

We went to Leifeng Pagoda, Su Causeway, Bai Causeway, Broken Bridge Canxue, etc., and then went to Lingyin Temple in the afternoon.

In late autumn, the sun is warm and it coincides with the weekend. The scenic area is full of tourists and bustling with people, just like a busy city.

Wander around the Su Causeway and watch the people coming and going and the rippling lake water; see Xiling Seal Society, Louwailou, Wenlan Pavilion, Pinghu Qiuyue... At the same time, keep pressing the shutter of your mobile phone to retain the beautiful scenery of West Lake.

While shooting, share on Moments. Soon, classmates commented: West Lake is not as beautiful as Erhai Lake. Without thinking about it, I replied: Each has its own characteristics! Immediately afterwards, a student who is engaged in music career replied: Erhai Lake and West Lake are different in type. Erhai Lake is a plateau lake with a large area and is characterized by the natural scenery of the plateau; although West Lake is small, its biggest feature is its history and culture. There are legends and ruins one step at a time, and there are many artificial gardens dotted among them.

Yes, it is precisely because of its rich history and culture (it is also the drunken graffiti by literati that taxi drivers disapproved of yesterday) that West Lake has demonstrated its unique cultural charm and attracted countless tourists. On the contrary, compared with the West Lake, no matter how superior the natural conditions are, plateau lakes such as Erhai Lake can hardly compare! This is a major distinction between the presence and absence of historical and cultural accumulation.

To be fair, purely from the perspective of natural scenery, West Lake is not large in area, and compared with other lakes and scenic spots, it does not have many outstanding features. However, it is precisely its rich historical legend (Xu Xian’s White Snake) and Su Shi’s dredging of West Lake to build Su Di, etc. This is what makes West Lake different from other lakes in scenery. Therefore, to appreciate the beauty of West Lake, simply staying at the natural scenery is obviously not enough. Of course, for those of us who drive by car, we only have a fleeting glimpse of the water. We have no time and lack of profound cultural literacy to explore and appreciate the humanistic beauty of West Lake.

I passed by the Yuewang Temple in the afternoon. Not only did I not have enough time, but the important thing was that Qin Hui and his wife had been kneeling there for thousands of years. It seemed that right and wrong were clear at a glance, but in fact there were many hidden secrets. Don’t even look at it! Then go to Lingyin Temple.

In terms of scale, Lingyin Temple is not small. We were a little tired, so we bought a package ticket and were unable to climb Feilai Peak. I can only take a quick look and check in. No matter how long the history of Buddhist monasteries and temples is, for non-Buddhists like us, they are still like flowers in the mist and the moon in the water.

In the evening, I went to Hefang Street again to see the Southern Song Dynasty Study House and watch street performances (similar to city promotional videos). I suddenly felt a bit more fondness and admiration for Hangzhou, the former Lin'an city. Just as Hengdian's "Bianliang A Dream" explains, although the prosperous dynasty passed away was peaceful and weak, the publicity and prosperity of its art cannot but be missed. As the capital city, Hangzhou's endless history and culture can dwarf ordinary cities with little cultural accumulation. This, of course, has become the basis for Hangzhou’s important tourism resources today.