Zhejiang Province - Other Scenic Spots 其它景点

Mount Putuo 普陀山

Mount Putuo is located in the Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang Province. Legend has it that Guanyin once showed her bodily presence here and left a number of famous historical sites. People have given beautiful names to the island: Buddhist Paradise on the Sea, Land of Peach Blossoms, and Mount of Immortals on the Sea.

Local people in the past suffered much and yearned for release from worldly cares, therefore, they created an idol, the Guanyin (also Guanshiyin or Goddess of Mercy); (Sanskrit梵文) Avalokitesvara (literally “looking on or hearing the voices of the suffering”). Guanyin is said to be “greatly merciful” and will help the needy and relieve the distressed. “In India, Guanyin was regarded as of the male sex while in China he turned into a Goddess of Mercy.” This is in line with the wish of the people.

Over 1,100 years ago, the island was very ordinary. It was called Mount Meicun because Mei Fu of the HAN Dynasty had once lived here. A Japanese monk who came to China to seek for hope obtained a bronze statue of Guanyin from Mount Wutai. He planned to sail across the sea to return to the homeland, but when he reached the island he was stopped by a storm. He believed that Guanyin was reluctant to leave, so he landed and built an “Unwiling to Leave Nunnery” in the place. The monk’s name was Hui’e and he is remembered in history. From that time on, hope has remained on this island and the piety of the people has made Guanyin all the more miraculous. According to Buddhist Scripture, Guanyin lived in Mount Putuo Luojia in the south. Thus the name of Mount Meicun was changed into Mount Putuo. This was also the wish of the people.

Liang Zhu Culture 良渚文化

Archaeologists have unearthed another ancient tomb of the famous Liang Zhu Culture in a city at the northern part of Zhejiang Province. The discovery after nine hours of excavations on July 15, 2001 sheds new light on the pre-historic Liang Zhu civilization which evolved on the vast land around Lake Tai about 4,500 to 5,500 years ago. And experts regard the excavation works on the culture as one of the most important sources for the study of the earliest origins of Chinese civilization. In the newly found tomb in Xin Dili, Tongxiang, more than 30 pieces of exquisite relics were revealed, including pottery, stoneware and many other scattered tube-shaped and pearl-shaped jade ware. Most of the jade ware was body decorations, while several stone knives were used as arms or tools of production. As the special white colour of those little items of jade ware tells us, the tomb is at least 4,000 years old, known as the later period of the Liang Zhu Culture. This newly exhumed tomb has added many more real objects to our study of the later period of Liang Zhu Culture, and has helped us gain an even greater insight into the highly civilized society, which used to exist here several thousands years ago. The tomb was around 3.77 meters long and 1.8 meters wide. The tomb is part of a large group of graves, which are all located in Xin Dili, Tongxiang, one of the most important locations of the Liang Zhu Culture on the southern side of Lake Tai. Experts say the group pf graves, which was discovered in Xin Dili on March 21 , 2001 and has been unearthed one by one ever since then, is probably the biggest of the Liang Zhu era ever to have been found in China. During the excavation, 85 ancient Liang Zhu graves, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters, have been unearthed in the area. Experts say that the 900 kinds of relics buried in the grave group represent the highest level of social status and craftsmanship for the Liang Zhu Culture.

According to carbon 14 test, Liang Zhu Culture dates back to 3,300 to 2,250 BC. Liang Zhu Culture is a kind of culture of New Stone Age. It was first discovered in 1936 at Liang Zhu Town, Yuhang, Zhejiang Province.

Nanbei Lake 南北湖

Located some 80 kilometers east of Hangzhou, the Nanbei Lake in Haiyuan County offers the visitor a tranquil spot away from the frenzy of West Lake. The lake is divided into southern and northern sections by a causeway. Though smaller than West Lake, Nanbei Lake was originally a lagoon adjoining the Qiantang River. With an area of 122 hectares, the lake has been a local attraction since the Song Dynasty, when it was known as “the Mini West Lake小西湖”There is a collection of gardens, bridges and pavilions scattered around the lake. Most of these attractions are built or recovered recently. Away from big cities and encircled by rolling green mountains, the lake is a truly idyllic setting.

The Nanbei Lake Scenic Area is far more than just a lake. With an area of some 30 square kilometers, the scenic area includes the green hills surrounding the lake and the nearby beach on Hangzhou Bay. On a slope a local businessman built facing the lake, a traditional house, named “Zaiqing Villa,” in 1916. Kim Koo (1875-1949), a political leader in the Korean independence movement, once took refuges here. During his exile in China in the period 1919 to 1945, the Korean nationalist, made friends with the businessman’s niece in Shanghai. After he organized a heroic campaign against the Japanese in Shanghai, Kim made his retreat to the villa and stayed there for half a year. The original structure was destroyed during the “cultural revolution” (1966-1976). The villa was restored in 1995 to commemorate this friend of China, who had such a command of Chinese that his Chinese wife believed him to be Cantonese instead of Korean. The villa is a tranquil and elegant structure. All three of the rooms are decorated with traditional Chinese furniture and have windows facing the lake.

The Thousand-Islet Lake 千岛湖

Well known for its pristine water and picturesque scenery, the Thousand-Islet Lake, composed of 1,078 islands, has long been a popular tourist attraction. Forest covers nearly 93 per cent of the lake area, which is home to more than 1,800 varieties of plants and 2,100 wild animals. With an average depth of 34 meters, its water transparency reaches 7 to 12 meters. In the past years, the local government has spared no efforts in protecting the lake and its surrounding area. More emphasis will be put on developing eco-agriculture and tourism in the coming years.

In early 2002, two ancient towns, both more than 1,800 years old, were discovered under the Thousand-Islet Lake. After a preliminary investigation, experts believed they might be the biggest ancient buildings ever found in perfect condition in China. Located near the Xin’an River, Chun’an and Sui’an started as counties in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). The two towns were inundated 40 years ago to make way for a reservoir. Historical records show that the two towns adopted architectural styles using bricks, wood, stones and tiles. S dozen trial dives led to the discovery of the town of Sui’an An underwater camera has recorded the whole process of finding the ancient complex. According to the tape, the 3-meter high ancient town wall is 30 meters under water. Nails and doorknockers are visible on the wall gate. A house stands perfectly though algae水藻had covered its walls and wooden window frames. Inside, the wooden staircase and furniture is still present and the fine wood engravings indicate the former prosperity of the town.

Yandang (Wild Goose and Reed Marsh) Mountains 雁荡山

The Yandang Mountains in Leqing, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, have attracted the tourist for centuries with their dramatic peaks, glamorous caves, strange rocks and fantastic waterfalls. Noted for their natural beauty, the Yandang Mountains have some peaks towering from the ground into the clouds, and reputed as Number One Mountain in southeast China. Other points of interest offer different images when looked at from different angles. The bizarre-shaped rocks are even more fascinating at twilight o under moonlight. The wonderful waterfalls tumble down their sides from sheer cliffs scores of meters high. The caves are either bright and spacious as palace halls or twisted and intricating as if they were a labyrinth. One of several hundred scenic spots in the area, the Lake at Yanhugang (Wild Goose and Lake Hillock), the main peak with an elevation of 1,046 meters, gives the place its name by attracting wild geese there in autumn with its reeds and grass. Encompassing 400 square kilometers, the Yandang Mountians are divided into five scenic zones with Lingfeng灵峰（Spirit’s Peak）, Lingyan灵岩 (Spirit’s Crag), Dalongqiu大龙湫 (Great Dragon Pool), Yanhu雁湖 (Wild Goose Lake), Xianshengmen显圣门 (Holy Manifestation Gate), of which, Lingfeng, Lingyan and Dalongqiu are the ultimate beauties in the southeast Yandang Scenery雁荡风景三绝.

Many poets and scholars and painters have recorded the beauty of the Yandang Mountains, which serve as a tourist center and summer resort since the Tang Dynasty.

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