West Lake, buzzing Hangzhou’s centre of calm
Augusto Villalon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publication Date : 21-07-2008




Located 150km South of Shanghai, China, fabled Hangzhou has been so celebrated in history, art and folklore that from a thousand years ago a picture of the city’s vast West Lake has remained in the Chinese collective consciousness, symbolising a place of unparalleled, serene beauty and calm.
Marco Polo wrote in the 13th century that West Lake “skirts the city and commands a distant view of all its grandeur and loveliness, its temples, palaces, monasteries and gardens with their towering trees, running down to the water’s edge.
“On the lake itself,” he continues, “is the endless procession of barges thronged with pleasure-seekers.” His final verdict is that Hangzhou, a tree-shaded city surrounded by water, laced together by graceful stone bridges that allow residents free passage to the water, “is without doubt the finest and most splendid city in the world.”
Far from languishing in its past glory, today’s Hangzhou is a super modern city on the go, a bustling 21st-century metropolis. Among contemporary Chinese cities, its economic strength ranks second to Guangzhou.
Traditional silk production continues through the centuries, its modern manufacture flourishes alongside new industries located in Greater Hangzhou, now China’s Silicon Valley.
IT, e-commerce, and export manufacturing have brought wealth and a high standard of living to the city’s 4.5 million residents and to the other 6.8 million living in the Greater Hangzhou area who enjoy one of the top GDP-per-capita ratios among China’s mid-size cities.
What sets Hangzhou apart from other cities in the world is that, despite its endless buzz of activity, local life still follows the age-old tradition of gravitating toward the tranquil beauty of West Lake, its geographic and spiritual center of calm that quietly anchors a constant whirl of city activity.
Shining pearl
Chinese literature regards West Lake as a “shining pearl inlaid on the vast land of China, reputed for beautiful scenery, a multitude of historical sites, brilliant cultural relics and a profusion of native products. Legend has it that West Lake was a heavenly jewel fallen to earth that has inspired painters and poets for centuries.”
West Lake goes beyond simply being a landscape to be viewed. It is an enriching, personal experience that must be imbibed. And for me, a foreigner, West Lake gave me a rare insight into the elusive Chinese consciousness that I could not fathom before this visit.
Walking is the best way to imbibe West Lake, slowly, stopping when a view opens up or to catch the ripple of water when wind bends the willows to touch its surface, to watch clouds reflected on the water, to bond with the earth by walking barefoot on the grass. It is a place for interacting with nature.
The lake’s 15-km circumferential walkway along the shore winds gently through open areas shaded by willow and peach trees set off by heavily landscaped areas punctuated by tranquil grassy areas.
Decks and viewing pavilions, set picturesquely along the path where the pilgrim may sit and meditatively take in long perspectives of the stunning scenery, seem to have been placed in the most picturesque of locations, man-made elements that intensify the natural beauty of the landscape.
The stunning scenery did not happen by accident. Since the ancient dynasties, the natural landscape elements, the lake, springs, caves, surrounding hills, and even the placement of trees and flowers were designed, together with man-made walkways, pavilions, temples, sculptures and calligraphy on stone stele, with the same artistry a painter would compose on canvas.
Man-made canals extend the lake to create vistas framed by planted marshes and a succession of willows and peach trees along the shore.
Graceful stone or wooden bridges connect man-made islands where window openings in public pavilions frame views of the water, of plant and tree arrangements, or even to provide a dramatic view of the rising moon.
Mystique of place
Chinese view the landscape as a blank canvas to be enhanced by human artistry, where the man-made enhances the natural. West Lake is a stunning example.
Even more stunning is its place in the collective Chinese memory. Immortalised in painting, music and poetry, images of West Lake have been transmitted to each Chinese. Since the early dynasties up to this day, each Chinese child is made to memorize poetry on West Lake, a practice that contributes to the mystique of the place.
In one poem that all Chinese children commit to memory, the revered Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) compares West Lake to Xi Zi, the most beautiful woman in ancient China:
Ripping water shimmering on a sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xi Zi;
West Lake is always alluring.
During this visit, I learned to view the Chinese landscape as the locals did, a learning that opened valuable insight into the Chinese culture that I thought I could not ever fathom.
I may not be able to fathom the complex Chinese culture, but, at least, the learning from West Lake was my opening. And my learning was to view the local culture not from a foreigner’s eyes but from a local’s. That is a very difficult thing to do, but a challenge to be overcome.
An old Chinese saying declares: “There is heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below.” My West Lake experience can only lead me to agree.