Heaven on Earth | Hangzhou Scenery

| Hangzhou Scenery. 🌟 West Lake, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon After leaving Shaoxing, I headed straight to Hangzhou. Upon arriving by West Lake, I couldn't help but marvel—the books weren't lying when they described this place as "scenic and heavenly." It was also in Hangzhou that I first learned cars would yield to pedestrians at crosswalks. I chose to take a boat tour of West Lake one evening. The guide's commentary flowed, but all I retained were the phrases "Broken Bridge isn't broken, Long Bridge isn't long, Solitary Hill isn't lonely." Still, I found the names of West Lake's Ten Scenes utterly poetic: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Spring Dawn at Su Causeway, Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake, Melting Snow on Broken Bridge, Viewing Fish at Flower Pond, Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset Glow, and more. Perhaps I should return on a sunnier day. 🌟 Lingyin Temple My first impression of Lingyin Temple came from childhood memories of watching the legendary monk Ji Gong. Finally, I got to see the temple in person. With its ancient history, serene environment, and groves of old trees, Lingyin Temple is a tranquil retreat. Mountain springs converge into small streams that flow endlessly down. On a hot day, some adults even brought their kids to splash in the cool water—scooping it up to wash their faces or wading back and forth. The Feilai Peak cliffs are carved with lifelike Bodhisattvas from various traditions, wrapped in lush greenery that seems to breathe even more vitality into them. Incense offerings are allowed in the temple, but unsure of what to pray for, I simply lingered at the entrance.