Hangzhou. Oct 2011 We were returning back to Shangahi from Hangzhou via train. Bus stations, train stations and airports are always super-crowded during all public holidays. At other times they are just crowded. This is a fact that you have to accept if you plan to work and live in China: you have to get... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 It is quite often that we ordered room service at least once in every holiday trip. Especially for one of those days when we were too tired to go out for dinner or if the kids were cranky or not feeling well. This time we ordered what looks like a large pepperoni... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 I normally stay in Holiday Inn whenever I am travelling with my family, else I go for cheaper options if I am travelling solo. The reasons is that I found the quality and service levels of Holiday Inn quite consistent whichever city I visited in China. Previously I had stayed in Holiday... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 There was a section inside the Leifeng Pagoda where they have depicted the Legend of the White Snake via beautiful wood carvings on a long stretch of wall. The Legend of the White Snake is a very popular Chinese legend and has been the subject of many Chinese operas, films, television series,... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 The provincial and municipal governments decided to rebuild the Leifeng Pagoda on top of the ruins of the old one. This time they built it with a 1400 tonne steel structure with 200 tonnes of copper parts. The new pagoda opened in 2002 and is a huge tourist attraction in Hangzhou. We... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 The Leifeng Pagoda is an octagonal, five-story tower of brick and wood with a base built of bricks build in AD875. Japanese pirates destroyed the pagoda in 1550 leaving behind only a brick skeleton which eventually collapsed in 1924. The Pagoda was eventually rebuilt in 2002 and is one of the highlights... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 I have travelled to 22 countries so far in my life and none of that was within the last 10 years. Most of the traveling happened in a previous life when I was the marketing manager for 9 years for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia for the aftermarket activities of... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou. Oct 2011 They have an exhibition area inside the Leifeng Pagoda with a viewing gallery that shows the original pagoda's foundations and building blocks. I thought it was pretty cool that they decided to keep parts of the old foundations so that it serves as a reminder to the future generations that China can... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou, 2011 These food stalls are in the Song Dynasty City in Hangzhou. But they are quite typical of street stalls selling take away food in popular tourist locations throughout China. The food is mostly pre-cooked and pierced in sticks or given in a small paper bowl. This is easy to take around in your... Continue Reading →
Hangzhou, 2011 One of the attractions when in Hangzhou is the Song Dynasty City. It was really an amazing experience. You feel like you have been immediately transported to a city in ancient China. Its basically like a huge movie studio town where everyone are in periodic costumes and in characters. You can walk around,... Continue Reading →