After resting and having their fill, they strolled from the "Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Sumr" around to the "Su Causeway in Spring Dawn." This site is among the most stunning of the Ten Scenes of West Lake, flanked by willows and ablaze with bright peach blossoms, and the lake’s mirror-like waters add to its beauty.
The Su Causeway stretches from the foot of Nanping Mountain in the south to the base of Quixia Ridge in the north, covering nearly three kiloters. The long causeway, lying across the water, creates a breathtaking vista of West Lake.
A walk of about 30 minutes brought them to the boat dock opposite "Flower Harbor Watching Fish." From there, they could take a boat to "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon"—the very scene depicted on the back of the one-yuan note—which is best viewed from the water.
The island’s outline resembles the Chinese character for "field." Its outer ring is a picturesque Jiangnan-style garden, while the interior is divided by cross-shaped paths and bridges into four small lakes, creating a scene full of poetic and artistic charm.
Exploring the island requires a fifty-five-yuan entrance fee; it’s not a free tour.
After enjoying the island’s scenery, they returned the way they ca and headed across to visit "Flower Harbor Watching Fish."
The four-character inscription, "Flower Harbor Watching Fish," was penned by Emperor Kangxi himself. Nearly every visitor takes a commorative "I was here" photo with it, and during peak tis, people even have to queue.
Deeper inside is the Red Fish Pond. Standing on the arched bridge over it, one can see countless red carp. A small shop nearby sells fish feed, and tossing just a little into the water attracts a swarm of carp. The adjacent corridors have also beco a popular spot for Hanfu enthusiasts to take photos.
After thoroughly enjoying "Flower Harbor Watching Fish," they exited in the direction of Prince Bay Park. Those with enough energy could take a stroll around the park before heading to "Evening Bell at Nanping Hill" at Jingci Temple. Of course, entering the temple required another ten-yuan ticket.
Among the Ten Scenes of West Lake, "Evening Bell at Nanping Hill" is the only one represented by a ritual instrunt from a Buddhist temple. There is even a famous song with the sa title.
The temple was forrly known as Yongming Zen Temple, one of the four great ancient monasteries in the history of West Lake. Its serene and profound natural landscape instantly broadens one’s outlook. It is also an excellent spot for viewing "Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds."
In reality, the stone tablet inscribed with "Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds" is next to the Cloud Pine Study. However, after decades of changes, the surrounding area is now lush with flowers and shaded by trees, obscuring the view. Only from Jingci Temple can one truly appreciate this sight.
Leaving Jingci Temple, they passed by Leifeng Pagoda. One could spend forty yuan on a ticket to go inside or choose to skip it, instead walking to the nearby Long Bridge to view the "Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset."
Having co this far, Yi Anguo naturally wanted to go inside and check out Leifeng Pagoda; after all, he wasn’t short on money.
The newly constructed Leifeng Pagoda was quite interesting, as it surprisingly included an elevator. The second floor was a darkened level, featuring the story of Xu Xian and Lady White depicted in Dongyang wood carvings.
By the ti they ca out, it was already dusk. The setting sun, paired with the newly renovated bronze Leifeng Pagoda, created a brilliant, glowing spectacle.
Many newlywed couples and lovers were there, taking photos to commorate the mont.
Continuing along the lake shore for about thirty minutes, they reached the final scenic spot: "Orioles Singing in the Willows."
This part of the Ten Scenes is a vast park. Endless willows with branches swaying in the breeze, lush greenery everywhere, the gentle chirping of birds, and the magnificent view of West Lake from the shore all combined to create a uniquely pleasant experience.
After touring West Lake, Yi Anguo was suddenly inspired to develop tourism back in his hotown to benefit the local people, make the village prosperous, and allow everyone to live a better life.
As for the fa of the attractions, in my view, so-called tourist spots were just places with a touching local folktale woven around them. My hotown has plenty of potential sites to develop! For instance, there were the ruins of an ancient Daoist temple in the mountains. Although only so broken bricks and tiles remained, it could be rebuilt with enough money, just like the collapsed Leifeng Pagoda was, right?
Then there were places like Green Dragon Pool, Phoenix Ridge, Fairy Maiden Peak, Immortal Ridge, the Five Elders Peak, Turtle Ridge, Qingyun Daoist Temple, and Hesha Daoist Temple. Each place already had its own legend, which could be embellished to create a full-fledged attraction.
At the foot of the mountain were vast orchards: thousands of acres each of peaches, oranges, tea, plums, grapes, and chestnuts. These, along with the Fairy Maiden Lake Reservoir, could all be developed into attractions. Although transportation wasn’t great, it would be manageable as long as the roads were properly paved with concrete up to the foot of the mountain. Then, farm-to-table inns, vacation villas, barbecue areas, fishing centers, parking lots, and resort hotels could be built at the mountain’s base. With so promotion, it should be possible to attract tourists.
Whether I make money or not is irrelevant. The main thing is to pave a path to prosperity for the villagers. As the saying goes, it’s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. This seems far more aningful than just handing out money to the villagers!
Yi Anguo shared his sudden burst of inspiration with Zhou ngdie, who imdiately showed great interest and said, "Boss, is your hotown really that beautiful? I never expected you herded cattle as a child!"
"I’m from the countryside, so what’s so strange about herding cattle?" Yi Anguo said with a chuckle. "Even though we were poor when I was young, it was actually a lot of fun. Every day we’d go up to the mountain to herd cattle, and there were so many wild fruits. We could always find sothing to eat in the mountains, no matter the season.
"When spring ca, the hills would be covered in rhododendrons. We’d go up, pick them, and eat them right there."
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