Week 5: Xitang and Hangzhou

This week I decided to set out on my own and explore some of the sites closer to Shanghai, but equally famous. (I’m pretty sure every place in China is famous because my coworkers always mention how famous a town is when I name one, without fail!) Looking to get away from the crowds and hustle of city life, I decided to start in Xitang, reputed to be the least crowded of the Shanghai water towns. If this was the least crowded I can only imagine what the others would be like, because it was overflowing with tourists: however, it was a very beautiful place with a lot of character.

A lot of the old water towns (a town built along canals, like Venice but smaller) actually charge entrance fees to enter the old town historic section. Once in, you can see the sights of a living, breathing town, and fight your way through hordes of tourists while enjoying local delicacies, such as stinky tofu and some kind of creature that looks like fried sting ray on a stick. At night, despite its small and quaint atmosphere, Xitang old town turned into a club scene, with 6-7 clubs blaring music at top volume. I have to admit, except for the music volume, clubbing in China is done right. People enter a club and are assigned a table, where they can sit with friends, drink, and watch the dance stage. The dancing area is elevated and, when I came, only men were dancing, which was a refreshing change from what normally happens in the US. After enjoying my drink from a nice seated position, I decided to give dancing a try. Turns out the stage is more like plywood suspended on springs, so it’s like dancing on a trampoline! And the best part-this all started around 7pm so I was happily in bed at my normal time and still got to experience it.

The next day I had some fun encounters with the language barrier, but managed to make my way to Hangzhou, a town famous for having West Lake smack dab in the middle. It was very beautiful, but extremely hot, humid, and drizzling so my energy was a bit sapped. I did manage to visit the old town and a few temples/pagodas before I departed for some views. That is one city I’d like to return to, but in nicer weather.