Hangzhou in the eyes of foreigners
Owen Fishwick, from the United Kingdom
With its legendary West Lake, classic cuisine and richness in silk, Hangzhou was at the top of my list of places to visit when I arrived in China almost three years ago. And it didn’t disappoint.
Stepping of the carriage at Hangzhou train station for a three-day stay during Spring Festival, I told my taxi driver one of the few Chinese words I knew at the time, "Xihu" (West Lake). He knew exactly where to take me, and within a few short minutes I was standing on the lake’s shore, staring across the calm water at the ancient bridges and pagodas in the distance.
Over the next three days I got a real taste of Chinese culture, history and cuisine. It was the perfect introduction to China for me, and a time that I will remember fondly for many years to come.
An aerial view of the Gongchen Bridge over the Grand Canal, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, in Hangzhou city, East China's Zhejiang province, July 8, 2016.[Photo/IC]