Hangzhou: Xiangji Temple, DaDao Historic District, Zhang Daxian Temple

Walking up the eastern bank of the Grand Canal, I find the Xiangji Temple.  Built in 978 AD, the temple features a statue of Kinnera, a Buddhist character that represents song and dance, and is the only temple in China to enshrine this figure.

Xiangi Temple entrance

The temple is composed of a complex of buildings holding the alters and statues of an active local place of worship.

 Buildings in the temple complex

Temple statues

And, in one small temple building on the side, people are worshiping with the monks.

 At worship

The path back to the canal from the Xiangji Temple leads through the DaDao Road Historic Block, with modern shops and apartments built on sites of the former State Silk Warehouse, Fuyi (Ming Dynasty) Granary, and old trading market for fish, rice, paper, and fruits.

 DaDao Road Historic Block

I walk by one small temple, Zhang Daxian Temple, a single building and courtyard tucked in-between commercial buildings, it looks intriguing, and I go in.  This temple may be smaller, but it is just as elegant and inspiring as the larger temple complexes.

Zhang Daxian Temple

The Zhang Daxian temple was built by locals at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) in honor of Zhang Daxian, a taoist priest who gave strong support to the community and who had great medical skills.

I continue up the canal toward the Qiaoxi Historic Block.

Hangzhou's Grand Canal

I head away from West Lake to explore the stretch of the Grand Canal leading from Wulinmen, near my hotel in the center of Hangzhou, to Qiaoxi Historic Block, about 6 km (3.75 miles) up the canal.

The Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal is one of the greatest ancient projects in China and the longest man-made canal in the world (longer than either the Suez or Panama Canal).  A little under 1800 km (1100 miles), the canal meets five rivers along its path, the Yangtze, Yellow, Huaihe, Haihe, and Qiantang Rivers. The oldest parts of the canal date to the 5th century BC and were built to support  military expeditions of the Wu State against the Qi State.  The various sections were first connected during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) and the canal was widened and expanded to Luoyang, at that time the capital of China, while a route was later added to the present-day Beijing.  The pound lock, which still today is used almost exclusively on canals and rivers, was invented in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to aid ships in reaching higher elevations while passing through the mountains.  The southern portion of the Canal (leading to Hangzhou) is still in heavy use today.

Grand Canal

On my way to the Grand Canal, I pass by many small urban waterways that lead into the canal and many parks and sculptures to decorate the beautiful banks.

 Parks and sculptures on the way to the canal

 And, a personal favorite, a duck/goose ride just outside a small market.

 Too bad I'm not smaller

Along the small side canals are more beautiful sculpture and people having early-morning dance practice in a local restaurant.

 Small waterways leading into the Grand Canal

 More great sculptures

Morning dancing by the water

When I reach the Grand Canal, I stop for a while to watch the river traffic before visiting a few local temples on the way.

 Traffic on the Grand Canal

The canal is full of traffic, both heavy shipping barges and pleasure craft.  I watch them all go by.

Southeastern Shore of West Lake

The southeastern shore of West Lake in Hangzhou, stretching 4.5 km (2.8 miles) from the Leifeng Pagoda to the Qiantang Gate, just before the Broken Bridge and the Bai Causeway where I began my walk, is located alongside the city.  The other paths I have been following around West Lake are all adjacent to hills and mountains.  But, with the city nearby, the lake shore becomes a great park for people to step out of their homes and apartments and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 Shoreline park begins near the Leifeng Pagoda

On one small bridge, multiple wedding parties wait their turn for pictures with beautiful views of West Lake and the Leifeng Pagoda behind them.

 Queuing up for wedding photos on the bridge

The streams and landscaping inside the park ,with views of West Lake nearby, complement each other in this beautiful park area, full of people, particularly school groups, many of whom have just visited the historical sites and are now relaxing in the park.

 Views looking into and out of the park

School groups at rest on the shore

Scattered through the park are old and new sculptures, including a statue of Qian Liu (852-932), who established the Wuyue Kingdom with the policy of "guarding the border and keeping the people at rest."  Under his rule, Hangzhou became the most prosperous city in southeast China.

Qian Liu

Less serious sculptures

As I get closer to the city center, I find more walkways through the water, tour boats, and people dancing, playing instruments, and singing throughout the park.

 Walkways through/along the lake

 Tour boats slowly cruising the lake

 Music, song, and dance in the park

Along the way, I run across an 1892 map of Hangzhou on the ground for people to walk on and study.  The map is carved in granite at a scale of 1:400, with a detailed view of the city's walls and gates, rivers and ponds, bridges, streets and lanes, government offices, institutes of learning, temples and monasteries, pavilions and towers, and some of the hills and ridges.

Map of Hangzhou

As I reach the corner of the park, close to where I began my walk around West Lake, I run across a memorial to the 1,421 Chinese soldiers who died in 1932 when the 87th and 88th divisions of the National Revolutionary Army in Zhejiang rushed to Shanghai to help (successfully) defend Shanghai from the Japanese in the "Shanghai Incident", a skirmish preceding the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

Shanghai Incident memorial

I've spent the day completing a circle around West Lake and truly enjoyed the beauty, variety, culture, history, and leisure activities of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.