and so we set off in the direction of Hubin Park.
En route we found ourselves at Melting Snow at
Broken Bridge, where an impromptu ballroom
dancing session was in swing. Watching the old-
timers dancing to the music really moved me,
imagining how a China under Mao would have
been so far removed from this new reality. After
a spot of our own dancing (everyone was eager to
have a twirl with my blonde-haired daughter), we
continued our search for the park. Sadly, there
were no swings or slides to be found; it was just
another area of greenery and a few benches by
the lake.
I had booked an early table at the Grand
Hyatt’s 28 HuBin Road, which was highly
recommended on foodie blogs. Despite the
seemingly fine dining experience, it was
extremely kid-friendly with a big booth to house
my wayward three-year-old and plastic cutlery.
The food was sensational (especially the Dongpo
pork and Hangzhou pancake); no wonder you
need to book this place in advance. You must
also head over the road to the Music Fountain,
which regales the crowds nightly with its water
sprays, music and light show.
To round off the evening’s entertainment, I
had booked tickets for Impression West Lake, an
outdoor extravaganza directed by Zhang Yimou,
who was responsible for some of the Beijing
Olympic ceremonies. Using the waters of West
Lake as its backdrop, it was truly a feast for the
eyes. With our limited Chinese we had only a
rough idea of what was happening, but it was an
enjoyable few hours seeing the lake come to life
with dancers re-enacting old Chinese fairy tales.
Smiles and snaps
On our last morning we went for a stroll around
Hangzhou’s old quarter, the cobbled streets
of Qinghefang. Whilst charming, it is pretty
touristy. You can easily wander down quiet side
streets and delve into museums including the
World Coin Museum.
I would highly recommend a visit to this city
that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage
site in 2011. You could even combine it with
a trip to Shanghai, which is only a 45-minute
train ride away. We visited in April, when the
temperature was balmy and the air seemed to
be of reasonable quality – even the lake water
was much clearer than I had anticipated. The
Chinese love Western kids, so be prepared to
embrace the paparazzi and give a firm “no” if
you don’t want your picture taken. Overall, our
trip to Hangzhou brought a smile to my face,
watching my little daughter chatting in her basic
Chinese and making new friends – definitely
worth playing hooky from nursery for!
