SuZhou 2012

Suzhou is also one of my favorite cities, my return to the city in 2012 was just as quick as in 2010, spending only one day there.  But it was a full day from morning till night.  We began with a visit to the movie studio San Guo Cheng - City of the Three Kingdoms, a huge compound of palace of the Wu Kingdom besides Lake Tai Hu where Wu's navy force used to train at. Well, it's new and artificial, not my cup of tea, but I was there.

 Horse back fighting show as in the TV show San Guo Zhi

Second stop was Shui Lu Pen Men - Water Land City Gate.  Ancient cities of China were well protected by a thick brick wall built surrounding the metro area.  SuZhou being one of the early established cities dating all the way back to 514 BC that's over 2500 years of history.  The importance of the city and the richness of culture on this land are beyond one's imagination.  It is one of the most fought for land through out Chinese history for its location and abundant of water ways for merchandise transport.  The city gate was first built in 514 BC, the current brick wall and gate were rebuilt in 1351.  It's amazing how solid and scientific these gates were built back in the days without bulldozers.  Stunning!

Han Shan Temple was the next visiting area.  Around 600 AD, a man named Han Shan was good friend to Shi De.  Han's family arranged his marriage with a girl whom was in love with his friend Shi De.  When Han found out, he decided to leave home and became a monk.  Shi De went to look for Han Shan and found a letter wishing him and his love happy marriage.  Shi De also decided to leave the girl then went to look for Han Shan at the temple.  They both became monks so the temple is named Han Shan temple.  Well it's a legend.  :P  Nevertheless, the temple has over 1500 years of history, was burn and rebuilt 5 to 7 times.  Visiting China is like taking a 5 years history course, there are way too many years of happenings to know of in order to understand it is what it is on every inch of this land today.

Ah, a night cruise along the canal in the once most prosperous street, Qi Li Tang - Seven Mile Pond neighborhood.  It's kinda like Hollywood in Venice, food, entertainment, clubs, tea houses, gardens, all is happening in the dark with lanterns lighting up banks on both sides of the canal.  Fascinating night life of the rich, the famous and the everyday people for over 1000 years.  

Juice shop menu  :P

Hang Zhou in 2012

Hangzhou is well known for its beauty. This year I stop in this city twice, although my first time there was short with vague impression in 2010. Knowing there are much to be seen in this famous city, I decided to stay for a few days to live the life of locals. An old living compound of Ming dynasty converted hotel has always been my fancy to relive how I would lived in previous life. :) So here I was to stay.

Lovey Dovey~

Getting to know Hangzhou is mesmerizing, unlike my familiar cities in the southern coastal part, HZ is rich in culture and art, every living element is soaked with culture and art because it was once the capital of Southern Song dynasty.  S Song in Chinese history is the plateau of art and commerce, not only for the royal, also for everyday lifes of civilians and overseas.  HZ obviously take pride in such historic fact that it named itself Song Cheng- city of Song, many land marks, streets, communities, even products, store, and menus are named with Song or tied to Song.  It's very distinctive from any other cities in China.

Yum~~~

Hangzhou's beauty is not only a god given plot of land with lush green hills surrounding West Lake.  It's the creation of architecture and culture harmoniously coexist with nature and enhance each others external and internal beauty.  Early morning fog, Spring plum blossom and young spout willows swaying above shimmering water of the lake shore, a sea of lotus green leaves with scatter red blooming flowers, golden yellow leaves projecting on sun setting lake surface, white snowflakes lands softly on umbrella top held by passersby leaving foot prints on bridge top in the middle of the lake.  There are so much to see, to feel, to discover in HZ each season.  I must say it is one of my favorite city.  If I had to choose a city to live, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Paris and LA are my top choices.  I wish to one day live in the first 3 cities for an extend period of time during my current life time.  :D

 

Shanghai Cheng Huang Temple

Time to report more of my journey in China since I have been back for over a month now.

Shang Hai is a modernized and westernized city, from architecture, to life style, to fashion, to living habits and many more ways which mirror American cities such as New York and Chicago.


A few preserved traditional Chinese style communities serve as landmarks of the city.  Cheng Huang Miao - City King Temple was and still is the center of city for most large cites across China.  The city king protects the people of the city providing peace in mind.  The surrounding area also serves as a commerce center of the city where merchants conduct daily business, also is a city square where locals gather for large events hosted by the temple or the government.
 
ShangHai Cheng Huang temple is one of the most popular place for shopping and dinning.  There is no reason Starbucks would miss a business location like this.  :P

 The center of the Cheng Huang temple - Hu Xin Ting (Pavilion at the heart of lake).  We took a break at a tea house by the lake, over looking the lotus and wandering tourists and shoppers.  A cup of mediocre Long Jing green cost 30 rmb which is about 5 bucks, so we had macha ice cream instead at the same price.  Cost of living in Shanghai is no less than NYC and LA nowadays. 

Speaking of living cost, my perception of value is the price matches quality, but this is usually not the case in major cities or touristy towns of China.  I would pay 5 bucks for a scoop in an ice cream shop in LA, but the macha ice cream we had at the above mentioned tea house was worse than a grocery store bought macha ice cream.  Although location is a big factor of pricing, but quality should also match the location in my opinion.  Well, there are too many people in China, even as a one time sucker which most of the customers are, it's enough for the business to survive and prosper. 

A day of tea drinking by the sea

 Mr. H is a friend for many years!  Last week, we finally had the chance to have tea together, at a selected spot, my favorite corner on earth, sea cliff of Palos Verdes.  As the weather warms up, out door tea drinking is a must, with such a background view, what more to ask for. 

 

A day of tea drinking started around noon with only 2 cups and self serve sandwich lunch.  Simple yet complete~

 Hydration is not an issue, do you think?  :D

 That's sight seeing too  :P

 A solo singer brightens the day even more. 

 Many many teas later, the sun has traveled. 

Many many more teas later, the sun goes home at 8 pm, so should we~

The memory is as fond as this colorful cloud decorated sky

We had some where around 9 or 10 teas, 7 or 8 dancongs, 1 cooked puerh, and 1 Fu zhuan.  A full day of tea drinking for 8 hours.  :)

Cherry flowers of South Coast Bontanic Garden at PV

Work out routine

Hunan Fu Zhuan brick tea in the cup. Not really my favor~
Living in an area with easy access to one of the most beautiful coast lines, I should be ashamed not to take advantage of it often enough. A stroll along the rocky cliff or the sandy beach both within a couple miles distance present itself as the most attractive work out play ground. After new year, I am going to force myself to take an hour long walk at least twice a week. There are benches and tables in the light house St. Vincent park for picnics and whale watching. It would be a great place for tea as well. The small museum has restroom facilities which you don't have to worry about over propagating your body cells with tea. Years ago, my mother and I would take a book, a large blanket, two umbrellas, a set of tea were, alcohol burner, fruits and snacks, drove almost an hour to lay by the beach for an afternoon. It was lovely in between those 9 to 5 working days.