Hangzhou

Some friends and I visited Hangzhou two weekends ago. From the short time I was there I got the impression that Hangzhou was a relatively clean and orderly city as far Chinese cities go. It was a lot less hectic than Shanghai, and I loved West Lake and all the green space surrounding the downtown area. Perhaps the most amazing thing was that drivers in Hangzhou yield to pedestrians who are crossing the street (according to one of my Chinese friends Hangzhou is the only city in China with such kind drivers). Below are some photos from the trip. The CLS program took us to Henan last weekend where we visited the infamous Shaolin Temple, so more photos coming soon!

The Leifeng Pagoda in front of Hangzhou's gorgeous mountains.

Old men play cards on the corner in a residential neighborhood in Hangzhou, China.

A couple runs for cover in a restaurant during a downpour in Hangzhou, China.

After getting separated from my friends during a downpour in Hangzhou (the bus they were on couldn't fit another person - quite a feat in China) I took the next bus to a stop near my hostel and took a pedicab the rest of the way home. I think this picture is a pretty good representation of what taking these pedicabs feels like in most of China...

Elderly locals play cards and drink tea near West Lake in Hangzhou. Seems like a good place to retire!

One of my favorite things about Hangzhou was how much green space there was in and around the city. This pagoda and the park surrounding it was a nice break from urban China.

Stores and apartments on Wudong Rd, Shanghai.

People's Square, Shanghai. Taken from the Shanghai City Planning Museum.

a quickr pickr post