West Lake, Hangzhou, ChinaHi Gang,

I got back from Hangzhou, China late last night. What an amazing city! I am really glad I had a chance to go there. Hangzhou is famous for many things including its silk, and tea production (longjing, or Dragon well). However, it is probably bst known for its beautiful scenery and landscape – West Lake and the Leifeng Pagoda. The days I was there was overcast and misty, but I think it added to the mystery of the lake. It also truly reminded me of the water colour paintings. In Hangzhou I met some wonderful people! It was truly a blast, and definitely has given more self-confidence.

Tonight I am staying in. I am going to enjoy a nice cup of hot water (haha!), and watch a few movies. Uncle has gone out for dinner as it is his last night in Shanghai. Instead of eating some amazing meal (I already did that today), I am eating some instant noodle. I guess it will always be a staple in my life!

Day 6:

Suzhou is another beautiful city surrounded by canals and bridges. The inner city seems to be perserved well. As you move out of the city, the tall skyscapers and large highways become more apparent. We visited the a beautiful Chinese garden called “The Master of Nets” – I think the garden in Vancouver  is based on this one. It is very similar. Anyhow, this one definitely is 10x better. The attention to detail always blows my mind. The photographer definitely came out, and I definitely did a mini photoshoot with my group members. One couple was on their honeymoon so we called it their “honeymoon photoshoot”. Too funny! Later, some of the group members went on a gondola ride on the Canal. I opted to just walk along the canal at the end. I really enjoyed it. The people who live there have probably lived there for most of their lives. Jack informed me that the property just gets passed along to each generation, the real value of the land is unknown because they never go up for sale. After the walk, we taxied it over to the silk factory. We watched how silk was made. Suzhou is also known for its silk production. Absolutely gorgeous stuff – probably should have bought some silk PJs…but honestly, it really doesn’t suit my personality.

Well, I am going to head off. Tomorrow is going to be busy. I will be heading to Shenzhen. The following day head to Guilin, stay there for a couple of nights and back to Shezhen then HK! I can’t believe how quickly the time is passing.