Today is warmer but more hazy. There are lots of different works happening around the city including road works which delay the traffic. The G20 is happening later this year in this city and is contributing to the extra work going on in the city. The West Lake lies to the west of the city as the name suggests. Running north-south on the lake is the Su causeway which has 6 bridges. We got on a boat to do a circuit of the lake which looked very mystical due to the haze.
boat on West Lake
small temples in the water
boat on West Lake
There are beautiful gardens around the lake and the blossums are just starting to come out which is very pretty. Again moon gateways featured, zig zag paths and pagodas.
moon gate
willows in the gardens
beautiful blossums
Next stop was the Buddhist temple, caves and carved buddha statues in the rock wall.
buddahs carved in the wall
happy buddha
Then on to a tea plantation and a green tea tasting.
tea plantation
After to a market and the tradition Chinese Medicine Centre where prescription-based herbalmedicine was being packaged.
Chinese traditional medicine centre
ingredients for prescription
[BTW we went back to the same restaurant as the night before which has traditionalChinese food. We floundered around with the menu and used our language book to help a bit. We wantedto order some chicken an we did get chicken… however, it was a it off-putting when the dish arrived with a whole small chicken including the head with eyes staring and beak open! We covered the head and ate the chicken meat which ws very tasty.]
