2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Final

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Scattered around West Lake were scenery spots, some taking your breath away while others leaving you a feeling of 'meh'. Of course some of these required an entrance fee, but there were enough spots affording a breathless view of the lake that we wandered without entering any of these charged areas.

Flock of ships 船队

2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 5

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Final

West Lake in itself was charming, but with only the verdant as its colour palette would have been too monochromatic. Fortunately spring brought with it other hues to the scene - pink, the colour of cherry blossom.

Celebrating spring 赏春

2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 4

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Final

Being a tourist spot most visited by locals and tourists alike, it wasn't easy to find a quiet spot in West Lake, but they do exist. There would be moments when a break appeared between the riot of crowds or a spot which was missed by the mass. It was at those times where I understood how this lake enthralled and inspired poets and artists of the past. The tranquillity was unmistakable.

Longing

I personally love this photo. I may not take the best of photos, but capturing the lady waiting for something while looking slightly forlorn across the lake was a powerful image.

2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 3

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Final

The lush green scenery was nothing compared to the view of the lake. We did not see the lake until we walked past an arch signifying one of the entrance, and since the body of water was hidden from view, the moment it appeared it packed a punch to the mind, overloading it with pleasant sensations.

Lines of boats awaiting customers. These vessels will take passengers out on a tour of the lake on water and at a faster speed than on foot. To me it was a killjoy if one could not enjoy the scene by wandering around, relying instead on the captain's choice of path. But then again, to each his own path.

2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 2

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Final

West Lake of Hangzhou is, of course, known for the lakeside scenery. With most of China's famous scenic areas exacting an entry fee, be it a park or an old town, it was refreshing to know that no gates barred our entry to the lakeside. The whole area was a huge park, allowing anyone to enjoy the scenery while taking a stroll.

When I took a stroll around West Lake, I enjoyed not only the scenic lakeside but also mesmerizing Chinese architectures of the nearby buildings.

2013 Kunshan Trip - Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 1

Location: Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), China

Full experience of my visit to West Lake can be accessed through the list below.

Excursion to West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖游记) Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Final

I had been putting off from preparing a post on my trip to China in 2013's first quarter, but I couldn't get past myself for leaving such a nice experience from being shared, especially when the scene of Hangzhou's famous West Lake is still vividly imprinted in my mind.

It was a gruelling 2 hours plus drive from Kunshan to West Lake, passing various landscapes and countrysides of China, uneventful to its max. This in turn made the arrival much more exciting, both from the relief I felt from being able to stretch my legs and from the anticipation of visiting one of the most famous lake in China, one which inspired generations of poets and painters.

Lavender? Maybe not. But these purple flowers does make a nice scenery on the way to West lake.