See Xixi
(View in the Xixi wetlands park: Hangzhou, China)
I haven’t mentioned the Xixi wetlands park in a while – it was the park that I visited with Ying’s mum back in Autumn last year. There are no cars allowed inside the confines of the park, all vehicles are electric or kinetic so it can be quite an odd experience, but a pleasant one nonetheless. That was how we ended up riding pillion on a pair of e-bikes, clutching teenage boys; http://china.analoguegirl.co.uk/kidnap/
That aside, our time in the park was pretty brief, to be honest; we arrived around lunchtime on one day and left before lunch on the following day so we had merely on short afternoon and a little sliver of morning. Much of the afternoon was spent in an attempt to find our hotel… There is such a network of waterways that in every direction, there are boats, bird life or bursts of impressive fauna drawn to the water. Here is one of what must be a hundred or more bridges straddling the watercourses – this one was right near our hotel so we explored its environs early in the morning. There were many traditional craft shops, eateries and rituals going on – one of my favourites was watching two men in aprons pulverising some form of confectionary with massive mallets, each of the pair pounding it from alternate sides so they looked like a crazy Swiss cuckoo clock. My overriding memory of the park was of the lush ‘green-ness’ that permeated everything – it was so verdant, as you can probably see from this image. I was also taken aback by its newness. China either seems to be ancient (Great Wall, temples, etc.) or incredibly new (Pearl TV Tower, skyscrapers) and there doesn’t seem to be a discernable midway point. Xixi wetlands park has only been open for a couple of years and most of the buildings are fairly new. It feels very planned, like a new town or a theme park, though it is obviously steeped in more traditional culture.
I should like to revisit the park, but for longer this time – at least one complete uninterrupted day! There were so many tours and maps that detailed all the sights we were missing – I suppose we should have researched it more fully so we knew where to go. I was a little disappointed not to see silk worms making silk. Alright, it’s cliché, but it would have made for some interesting photos.
– Today Rosie is in the UK, working in a real live office like a real grown up –
Hi Rosie, the cuckoo clocks are a traditional product of the Black Forest, Germany. The ones in Switzerland are fake. Not ALL clocks are made in Swiss
(but you might be right with the crazy ones)
Oops. Apologies for my ignorance! Another handy German fact!
Basically, in my mind, the clock was crazy and Swiss, though these are not always mutually inclusive.
I should have done enough homework before visiting the park.
Nevertherless, when we reached there, it seemed we have the whole park for ourself. In summer the park is too crowded to be enjoyed.
I think autumn might be a good time to visit.
Anyway I enjoy very much your company.
It was a lovely time of year – we had stunning weather and light and it was fun just jaunting about! I had forgotten how empty it was… were were alone most of the time. I would definitely go again though – what are you doing in the Autumn? Hee hee!