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Hupao Spring

Daved Brosche — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:43:49 +0000

While visiting China, you will want to visit Hupao Spring. Located just six miles from Hangzhou city, at the foot of Daci Hill. Hupao Spring is considered one of the top ten scenic spots to visit in Hangzhou, chosen for it’s excellent temperament.

What is Hapao Spring?

Legend says that a temple stood at the sight of Hapao Spring. The temple was inhabited by a Monk during the Tang Dynasty. Realizing that there was no water available for drinking, the Monk had planned to move the temple. The night before the move, the Monk had a dream that a fountain would appear, thus solving the problem with the lack of water. Sure enough, when he awoke the next morning, two tigers appeared from Mt. Hengshan and began to dig at the spot. This caused water to spring forth, solving the Monks delema.

The fountain was named Hapao Spring which means Tiger Running Spring. Although this is a beautiful story, the fountain itself is formed by underground water seeping through cracks in sandstone. Considered an excellent choice of water to drink for health, the water is tasty, cold and sweet. The Buddhist monastery located near the spring and surrounding areas have been converted into the Hupao Spring Forest Park.

What to Expect
Along with the unique fountain, you can expect to see several tea houses, and an on sight memorial dedicated to Li Shutong. Li Shutong was a scholar and hierarch who entered into Buddisim in Daci temple in 1981. The park with its twisting landscape is a beautiful sight. You will also see Dragon Well. The natural waters of Hapao Spring formed three pools, later reduced to two that make up Dragon Well.

When to Visit and Costs
To visit Hapao Spring, you only pay the nominal fee of CNY 20. Hupao Spring is open year around. You can take bus routes K4, K504, and Tourism Bus No. 5 to get to Hupao Spring.

You will defiantly want to visit Hapao Spring while on your visit to China. It’s a beautiful attraction, rich with history, and all for a low cost. You will also want to drink some Longjing tea made from the water of Hapao Spring. Longjing tea is highly regarded by people of all ages for it’s outstanding flavor.

The Bund (Wai Tan)

Daved Brosche — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:43:44 +0000

The Bund is also called the Zhongshan Road. It is a famous waterfront that has been known as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts at the Baidu Bridge and winds 1500 meters to East Jinling Road. The Bund is known for being one of the top ten attractions in all of Shanghai.
The most famous part of the Bund is on the West side and consists of 52 buildings all made up of different architectural styles. It is often referred to as “the museum of buildings” because there are so many different styles of European buildings that can be found here. You can view Baroque, Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, and Classicism types of architecture. The Bund was the center of Shanghai’s politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago. It now consists of many activities including shopping, dining, and walking. The Bund is a very beautiful place for both tourists and locals.

How to Get There
The Bund starts at the connecting points of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek. It is five blocks of Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu between Jinling Lu and Suzhou Creek in the heart of Shanghai.

What to Expect
Expect The Bund to be crowded. It is a huge tourist attraction in Shanghai. There are many things to do here. The Bund tourist tunnel is a must do. The Bund tourist tunnel is the quickest and easiest way to get from Bund to Putong, which is just on the other side of the river. Visitors find this activity quite thrilling because it like an amusement park rides across the river. Also expect to find some of the best restaurants and shopping in The Bund.

Average Costs
Walking and just enjoying The Bund and its beautiful and unique views will not cost anything. There are many things to there that will cost money though. Some of Shanghai’s newest and trendiest restaurants can be found here and they are quite pricey. You will also find some great tea houses and bars located here that will cost money.

Hours of Operation
The Bund itself is open from 09:10 to 22:00.

Shanghai’s Yu Yuan Garden

Daved Brosche — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:11:46 +0000

Garden lovers around the world are raving about Yu Yuan Garden in Anren Jie, Shanghai, China. With about five acres of nature’s best foliage and beautiful landscapes, the garden offers a variety of activities and scenic views for tourists and locals as well.

What to Expect
Built during the Ming Dynasty, Yu Yuan Garden offers its visitors a plethora of activities, focusing on sight seeing especially for those who are looking for tranquility. Built in 1559 by a wealthy local official named Pan Yunduan for his aging parents, the garden offers rich architectural history evident on the numerous pavilions, bridges, doorways, stone roof sculptures and even the walls adorned with dragons. The garden was almost in ruins at one point during China’s many wars but was finally repaired by the Shanghai government in 1961 and was eventually declared as a national monument in 1982.

The area is divided into six areas and you can plan around these so you can explore and enjoy this magnificent and lavish traditional Chinese garden:

Not to be Missed Sights

Grand Rockery – made of huangshi stone that features winding caves, cliffs and gorges. This area also contains the Sansui Hall.
Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) – this hall served as the base of the Society of Little Swords from September 1853 to February 1855. The hall is reflective of China’s unique architectural designs.
Inner Garden – includes more rockeries, beautiful ponds, pavilions and towers with intricate windows.
Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
Lotus Pool – with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
Ten Thousand-Flower Tower

One of the highlights also includes the Jade Exquisite, which is considered one of the three famous jade stones in whole region of East China.

The garden also recently developed a shopping bazaar has which feature China’s best silks, jewelries and other trinkets. This is a great opportunity for bargain hunters as the products are locally made and the sellers are more than eager to sell their goods to patrons.

How to Get There
If you are taking public transportation, these bus routes can take you there: 11, 26, 64, 730, 962, 980, and 932.

Hours of Operation

The Garden is open from 8:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Admission fee is 40 CYN from April 1 to June 30 and September 1 to November 30. For the rest of the month, it is 30 CYN.