Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Leifeng Pagoda


One of the most famous landmarks in Hangzhou.  Orig build in 975 AD during 5 Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period by Qian Chu of Wuyue to celebrate his son with Huang Fei.  Octagonal, five story construction of brick and wood.  All the wood elements were burnt during the Ming dynasty and eventually collapsed in 1924 and then restored and rebuilt and opened in 2002.  This pagoda is made famous by the Legend of the White Snake.  (my favorite story as a kid and thanks to wiki is a story "At its most basic, the story tells of a young scholar who falls in love with a beautiful woman, unaware that she is a thousand year old white snake that has taken on human form.")

Image thanks to Yuri Tuma

View from top of Leifeng Pagoda

Ceiling of Leifong Pagoda

Longjing

Home of the famous Longjing Tea




Lotus Pond at West Lake




Longhua Temple

Thank you Wiki:  The Longhua Temple(龙华寺) is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Maitreya Buddah located in Shanghai, China.   Architectural design of a Song Dynasty monasery of the Buddhist Chan sect.  Larget most authentic and complete ancient temple complex in the SH.  And the entire area around it is under construction.  There's a big empty strip mall next to it was was a bit like walking on the set of a hollywood ghost town.