Hangzhou and the West Lake

“Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.” -a Chinese proverb

I had heard about the virtues of Hangzhou and the West Lake, but I was not prepared for the town’s utter tranquility and beauty of poetic proportions. Perhaps a few years living in a landlocked Chinese metropolis, interspersed with occasional family visits to the hard-nosed capitalist enclave of Hong Kong, hardened me to the possibility that such a peaceful city exists in China. I am happy to report, though, that it does!

While there, I also had the opportunity to visit the renowned Dragon Well tea plants, one of the most well-loved green teas in China, that grow along the legendary West Lake. Poets through the ages have compared West Lake to beautiful women, and beautiful women to West Lake. I wish I had not lost my camera and could show you some photos, but, alas, you will have to use your imagination. I also took a visit to the National Tea Museum, which helped me appreciate more one of China’s gifts to the world. This visit to the source of one of my favorite beverages inspired a poem (see above).