Travel : Hangzhou West Lake

Day 3 : August 29, 2011

Hangzhou West Lake

Hangzhou West Lake is a famous fresh water lake located in the historic center of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China. There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands within the lake.


The West Lake has inspired many poets and painters for its natural beauty, classical gardens, and historical relics. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

Tadi malam kita sudah ke West Lake ini untuk menonton The Impression of West Lake.  Nah, pagi ini kita mengunjungi sisi lain dari West Lake.  Seperti papan petunjuk arah di bawah ini, ada beberapa spot yg bisa dikunjungi.  Ada beberapa taman, dan ada tempat penyewaan boat untuk sehingga kita bisa menyusuri danau.

Taman-taman di sekitar danau ini memang bagus.  Tipikal Chinese Garden deh.  Pengunjung di danau ini juga banyak.  Kalau melihat pemandangan ini, boleh jadi para penyair dan pujangga terinspirasi membuat puisi romantis he he he ...

Pagi ini sangat cerah, matahari bersinar terik sampai kita kepanasan dan keringatan.  Beberapa dari kita sampai jajan es krim sambil menunggu giliran naik kapal.


Nah ini kapal yg akan membawa kita berkeliling danau.  Kapalnya ada beberapa macam, dari yg kapal kayu sederhana sampai yg diukir-ukir seperti kapal kuno seperti foto di bawah ini.

Kapal ini dikemudikan oleh nakhoda perempuan lho ... lalu ada guide yg menjelaskan obyek-obyek di sekitar danau ini.  Sayangnya dia menjelaskan dalam bahasa mandarin, jadi kita yg tidak mengerti bhs mandarin kurang bisa menikmati, malah jadi sibuk foto-foto dan ngobrol sana-sini.  Apalagi hari panas terik, kita jadi kegerahan.  Sebetulnya ada AC di kapal ini, tapi kurang dingin.

Pagoda ... jadi teringat Pagoda tempat Bai Su Chen dikurung ....

Ternyata susah juga motret dari atas kapal, karena goyang-goyang ...

West Lake ini adalah obyek wisata terakhir yg kita kunjungi di Hangzhou.  Overall, kota Hangzhou ini memang indah, asri, dan nyaman untuk tempat tinggal.  Boleh dikata, dari semua kota yg kita kunjungi di trip kali ini, kota Hangzhou yg paling berkesan.

Setelah ini, kita akan menempuh perjalanan ke Huangshan.  Kira-kira 3 jam lebih naik bus.

to be continued

rgds,

Lucy

Travel : Hangzhou - The Impression of West Lake

Day 2 : August 28, 2011

Hangzhou

The Impression of West Lake

What makes this show so special?
- It is an outdoor performance, starts in the evening at 8 pm, runs 365 days per year, even if it's raining, or snowing.
- It is performed on the water of West Lake, Hangzhou 
- The stage is just several centimeters depth in the water and it's grand, amazing, extravagant, and beautiful
- The Director is Zhang Yi Mou
- The music is arranged by Kitaro
- The singer is Zhang Liang Ying
- The story is taken from the local legend, The White Snake Legend


Some said that this show was too difficult to understand. Actually the story has 6 parts :
1. Bai Su Chen (White Snake Lady) met Xu Xian the Scholar
2. They fell in love
3. They got married
4. The monk intervened to their love life
5. They parted.  Bai Su Chen was casted in a Leifeng Pagoda.
6. They met again in their after life.


The entrance ticket was RMB 280 (not included in our tour program, it's optional).

It was raining when we got there, so a plastic rain coat was provided when we bought the ticket.  It was still raining when the show began, so we were wearing those rain coat.  Wahhhh ... it was difficult to take photos.  Fortunately, the rain stopped until the show ended. 

This show was magnificent, impressive, romantic, and very entertaining. It's worth-watching.  If you have a chance visiting Hangzhou, I recommend you to watch this show.

Some photos taken during the show

Back to the Amethys Hotel.  I really enjoyed all the programs of this day. 
I wonder if this day could be the best day in our trip.

The next day would be our trip to Huangshan Mountain.  We packed our clothes and things for 1 day and 1 night only in a backpack / small bag.  Our big luggage would be left in the bus until the next day.

to be continued

rgds,
Lucy

Travel : Hangzhou - Beggar's Chicken

Day 2 : August 28, 2011

Hangzhou

Dinner - Beggar's Chicken

Beggar's Chicken is the signature cuisine in Hangzhou.  It is a chicken with chinese herbs wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed for hours.  The recipe was founded accidentally by a beggar long long time ago when he stole a chicken and cooked it. Later it became one of the royal dishes and the recipe was kept confidential.  At that time, only The King and his royal family could eat this Beggar's Chicken.  But nowadays, we can taste it in some restaurant in Hangzhou.

Baru saja kita makan di KFC, ternyata langsung dibawa ke Restaurant untuk makan malam.  Seperti biasa menu berlimpah.  10 macam makanan. Rasanya bervariasi, ada yg enak, ada yg tawar-tawar, ya .. pokoknya masih bisa dimakan deh. Tidak semua saya foto, hanya sebagian saja.

Daging dengan sawi asin

Tumis kubis, asli banyak minyak, sampai mengkilap

Soup tomat dengan telur

Ikan kukus. Ikan di sini dagingnya sih lembut, tapi banyak duri. Kudu hati-hati makannya.

Ini rada aneh nih ... jagung pretelan dimasak bareng kacang polong. Untung rasanya lumayan he he he...

Nah ... ini menu andalan di Hangzhou.  Namanya Beggar's Chicken, alias Ayam Bungkus Daun Teratai.  Ada ceritanya nih ...

Pada zaman dahulu kala, ada seorang pengemis yg saking laparnya mencuri seekor ayam milik penduduk kampung.  Karena kurang profesional (biasa ngemis, tapi tak biasa nyolong), dia hampir ketahuan sama si pemilik ayam. Mungkin karena si ayam berisik waktu proses menyembelihnya.  Jadi dia panik, dan ayam utuh itu (masih dengan bulu-bulunya) dibungkus dengan daun teratai yg kebetulan ada di sekitar kandang ayam.  Lalu sama dia dipendam di dalam tanah dekat situ, dan dia kabur.  Keesokan harinya baru dia balik lagi ke tempat dia mengubur ayam colongan itu.  Lalu dia ambil tuh ayam dan dia bersihkan, dikasih bumbu dan akar-akar tanaman obat yg dia dapat di sekitar situ (hebat juga ya, pengemis bisa tahu soal tanaman obat), lalu dibungkus daun teratai lagi dan dimasak mungkin dikukus atau dibakar (iya lahhhh ... gembel mana punya dapur buat masak).  Proses memasaknya lama bener, karena ditinggal mengemis dulu. Lumayan buat beli arak (jadi ingat Chi Kung). Ternyata setelah seharian dimasak, rasanya nikmat bener karena bumbunya sudah meresap ... lagian ora tuku sihhhh .... (= enggak beli, alias nyolong).  Entah bagaimana caranya, Ayam Bungkus Daun Teratai ini sampai jadi hidangan raja.  Dan hanya raja saja yg boleh makan ayam ini, rakyat jelata tidak boleh.  Tapi tetap dikasih nama Beggar's Chicken, alias Ayam Pengemis (untuk menghormati penemunya barangkali). Nah ...begitulah cerita tentang Beggar's Chicken.

Bagaimana dengan nasib si pengemis?  Tentu saja dia gak jadi pengemis lagi ... dia kaya raya karena jual resep tuh ayam ke koki kerajaan.  Setelah masa patent habis, dia jual franchisenya ke restaurant-restaurant sebagai hidangan untuk turis Indonesia he he he.  Yg ini asli karangan saya ...

Rasa Beggar's Chicken ini lumayan lah ... seperti ayam masak obat.  Bumbunya meresap karena dimasak seharian.  Ayam ini dihidangkan paling belakangan.  Masih utuh dibungkus daun teratai, lalu dibuka di hadapan kita, dan di cabik-cabik pakai garpu.  Saking empuknya, bisa langsung copot, enggak pakai berontak tuh ayam.  Makannya dicocol dengan lada dan garam.

Mari makan hidangan raja ...


to be continued

rgds,
Lucy

Travel : Hangzhou - The Story of Cakwe

Day 2 : August 28, 2011

Hangzhou

Monument of General Yue Fei

The Entrance

Walking in the rain at the Monument of General Yue Fei

General Yue Fei is the legend in Hangzhou.  Who is General Yue Fei?  Eight hundred years ago, General Yue Fei was the most successful general in Hangzhou.  How did he become so famous?  At the age of 8 he learned martial arts in Shaolin.  At the age of 18 he joined the army. Her mother tattooed his back "be loyal to the king, be loyal to your homeland".  At the age of 28 he became General and always gained victory in every war he led.  At that time, The King really honored him. General Yue  Fei was stationed in Kai Feng.

As time went by, The King had some concerns.  Actually the present King was not the real king.  He became The King because his elder brother was arrested by enemy.  If General Yue Fei would win over the enemy, his elder brother would be release. He should give back the throne as the king to his elder brother.  On the other hand the Prime Minister named Chang Hui was jealous with General Yue Fei.  He advised the King to summoned General Yue Fei to Hangzhou.  The King sent his order with a bar of gold.  Yet General Yue Fei didn't come to Hangzhou.  After the king sent 12 bars of gold, then General Yue Fei went to Hangzhou together with his son.  When he arrived at Hangzhou, Chang Hui and his wife, arranged a false witness in a court.  Under false accusation, General Yue Fei and his son were sentenced to death and executed.  He died at the age of 39.

People were angry and protested to the king so that Chang Hui, his wife, the judge, and the false witness were punished  to death.  Everytime people passed by their graves, people always spit on them. And because of hatred to Chang Hui and his wife, people in Hangzhou made Cakwe, a bread that was sliced in the middle, deep fried in a very hot oil, and parted in two to eat. Cakwe was named after Chang Hui and his wife.  Now you know the history of Cakwe. 

In this monument there is the tomb of General Yue Fei and his son, a big statue of General Yue Fei, and 4 statue of Chang Hui, his wife, the judge, and false witness.

General Yue Fei's Hand Writing -- his philosophy and war strategies. 

one more ...

General Yue Fei's signature

KFC



It was still raining when we left The Monument of General Yue Fei ....

Do you want to taste Cakwe made in Hangzhou ?  Cakwe was sold everywhere here, even in KFC.  So we went to KFC to buy some Cakwe.  How did it taste?  Hm.... to me, it's not as delicious as Indonesian Cakwe.  Do you know why?  Because people in Hangzhou make Cakwe out of hatred to Chang Hui and his wife.  No wonder it tastes like that. While people in Indonesia make Cakwe happily not knowing the story behind ha ha ha ... Seriously, Indonesian Cakwe, e.g. Cakwe Medan is dangerously delicious.  Die-die must try, lahhh ....

Cakwe KFC yg rasanya "B" ajah ... 

Lagian, jagonya ayam disuruh bikin cakwe, maksa sihhh  ...

Mending makan yg ini nih ... egg tart yg di atasnya dikasih potongan buah apricot.  Enak deh, apalagi saat hari hujan seperti ini, makan egg tart panas-panas, sambil minum hot chocolate, mantep bener!

rgds,
Lucy

Travel : Hangzhou - Long Jing Green Tea

Day 2 : August 28, 2011
Hangzhou

Long Jing Green Tea

 We were at the tea plantation to taste the local green tea called Long Jing Green Tea, meaning Dragon Well Green Tea.  This kind of green tea is good for our health as it could cleanse the toxin in our body.  

How to enjoy this Long Jing Green Tea?  When you brew the roasted loose tea, the first water should be thrown to cleanse the tea leaves.  

Then pour again a hot water of  75 degree Celcius and let it cool to 50 degree Celcius.  That's the best temperature to enjoy this tea. Yes, it's still hot.  Try to sip it slowly and enjoy the fresh aroma. You can drink not only the tea water but also eat the tea leaves too.  

 

 

The best Long Jing Green Tea is the first harvested tea in March. It's the prime superior roasted loose tea and the color is more yellowish green. 

The second harvested is in April.  It's the special quality for roasted loose tea and the color is less yellowish green . The loose tea was packed in a tin can.

The third harvested tea in May would only be good for tea bag, not loose tea.  The color is green. As it is in a tea bag, you cannot chew and eat the tea leaves. 

 

Some people would add some other herbs to enrich the taste, healing power, and other functions.  We tried 2-3 cups of this tea.  It's really refreshing and the aroma was gentle.

Mendung-mendung ngeteh sore.  Sudah hangat, foto-foto dulu ahhhh ....

to be continued

rgds,
Lucy

Travel : Hangzhou - The Romance of The Song Dynasty

Day 2 : August 28, 2011

Hangzhou

The Romance of The Song Dynasty

After Lunch we went to the Old Town Area to see one of the famous performance in Hangzhou, The Romance of the Song Dynasty.  It's the combination of traditional song, dance, opera, and acrobat.  It was fantastic show, we really enjoyed that.  See the pictures below.

The Entrance

 
Perut sudah kenyang, nah sekarang kita memasuki Kawasan Kota Tua untuk menonton Pertunjukan The Romance Of The Song Dinasty.  Kawasan Kota Tua itu ya ... mirip-mirip dengan Kota Tua di Jakarta, sekitar Museum Fatahilah, tapi yg di sini so chinese banget ... emang di China sich ... Di sepanjang jalan kita melihat toko-toko yg jualan makanan, souvenir, baju, dan lain-lain.

The Old Town

Jadwal pertunjukkan kita udah mepet banget ... saya dan satu teman saya masih keasyikan motret sana-sini.  Tahu-tahu saya tidak lihat rombongan kita lagi ... nah lho... pada kemana ya ... Kita hanya mendengar suara gembrang-gembreng tanda pertunjukkan akan dimulai.  Wah ... kita berdua ngibrit ke arah suara, tapi suara itu berhenti, setelah tanya sana tanya sini akhirnya kita sampai ke lokasi gedung pertunjukkan, ada Mr. Ho yg bawa bendera tour kita lagi berdiri mondar-mandir sambil celingak-celinguk cariin kita.  Kita masuk dan duduk dengan selamat di kursi yg lumayan strategis.  Pertunjukan dimulai.

Pertunjukan ini terdiri dari beberapa babak.  Ada yg menceritakan mengenai Raja Dinasty Song yg sedang dihibur oleh para penari dari berbagai daerah di China.  Karena China itu luas dan berbatasan dengan berbagai negara, jadi seni tarinya juga mendapat pengaruh dari negara sekitarnya itu.  Misalnya ada tari perut pengaruh Arab, tarian Korea, dll.  Pantesan aja di film silat, pada rebutan yg pengen jadi raja, habis enak sih ... dihibur sama penari yg cantik-cantik.

Babak selanjutnya menceritakan mengenai General Yue Fei, White Snake Legend, dan Sampek Engtay atau dalam Bahasa Mandarin Liang Shanbo (梁山伯) dan Zhu Yingtai (祝英台), dan lain-lain.

White Snake Legend

Menari di tengah penonton

 Sampek Engtay yg bisa akrobat he he he .... ada kupu-kupunya tuh

 Gadis-gadis pemetik teh Long Jing

Sebetulnya yg membuat pertunjukkan ini menjadi dramatis dan fantastis adalah layar backgroundnya yg bagus, teknologinya keren nih ... jadi berkesan kolosal gitu.  Selain itu permainan lampu-lampunya juga bagus.  Ada akrobatnya juga lho seperti babak Sampek Engtay di atas ... China kan terkenal dengan akrobatnya.

My favorite picture

 Flower Girls

 Para Pemain

Di bagian akhir dan pertunjukan, di layar itu ditunjukkan bagaimana para pemain ini dilatih sejak kecil untuk bisa menari dan akrobat dengan baik.  Latihan dan disiplin yg keras, sehingga mereka bisa menjadi pemain yg handal dan profesional.

to be continued

rgds,
Lucy