Hello! I’m Jinyu CHEN, a first-year master’s student from China.

 

After returning home temporarily in March, I was unable to return to Japan due to the COVID-19 virus. This is a written report about a two-day trip which began from my hometown, Xiamen, to Hangzhou City in mid-August.

 

Hangzhou is world-famous for its beautiful sceneries and long history. In recent years, due to the booming developments of its local digital and technological companies, it has attracted more and more tourists. The main idea of my trip was to be able to view the beautiful landscapes of Hangzhou, as well as to get a general idea about the daily lives of the people in this city.  It was also an opportunity for me to see the travelling situation of people in China during COVID-19.

The route of this trip

 

Work, School and normal life for most Chinese cities resumed in March. The railway station in Hangzhou was full of tourists even though there were no long holidays during this period.

 

Hangzhou East Railway Station

 

Travelers had to present a personal QR code, known as the ‘health code’, which could prove that they were in good physical conditions and have not been to any of the areas which were seriously affected by COVID-19. This QR code is required when traveling on subways and trains, visiting other cities, and even when entering a local shopping mall. Needless to say, people were also required to wear masks on public transportations in China.

 

The West Lake is probably the most famous local attraction in Hangzhou. New tourists should most definitely visit this place. Even the locals are in love with it. However, different to the tourists, the local residents are not only able to walk in the waterfront parks; they can also enjoy the view of the West Lake from Baoshi Mountain. When we arrived at West Lake around 7 A.M. in the morning, we could already see some joggers and visitors there.

 

The Broken Bridge, one of the most famous scenes of West Lake

 

The entrance to Baoshi Mountain was inconspicuous, hidden at a corner of the street. There was a large staircase at the entrance, surrounded by several private houses.

 

The climb to Baoshi Mountain

 

On the way up the hill, we saw a lot of workers carrying building materials. This was because they were taking advantage of the Covid-19 period to renovate the tearoom, called Pure Age, which was located halfway uphill, and has been there for years.

People carrying the building materials going up the mountain

 

Baoshi Mountain wasn’t as high compared to the mountains of Fujian Province. It did not take too much effort to reach the Baochu Pagoda. The Baochu Pagoda was built in the Five Dynasties period, and was rebuilt in the year 1997. It is a solid stone pagoda, and no one can go up.

 

Baochu Pagoda

 

The walkway near the Baochu Pagoda

 

The Toad Ridge, located near the Baochu Pagoda, is considered to be the highest point of Baoshi Mountain. This big stone was named for its resemblance to a toad.

Carved in the stone cavern was a monk. We saw a devout mountaineer praying in the cavern for a long time

 

The view of the West Lake and Hangzhou City from the Toad Ridge

 

On the way to the next spot, we found a platform for mountaineers to rest. It was the roof of a building. Residents hung clothes there and there were fewer tourists around.

When we arrived at the Chuyang Pavilion, the aging residents had already started their morning exercises there. There were a lot of elderly residents exercising on Baoshi Mountain, many of whom were very strong and vigorous. They are always topless, but not because of the decline in the tourist numbers. By the way, if you walk too slowly, they would joke that you are not as young as they were.

Residents on the Chuyang Pavilion

 

The weather gradually became hot as we walked down the hill due to having less shade. We then went into a shopping mall located in the Longxiang Bridge Area which attracted most of the tourists coming from Hangzhou East Station, as well as many of the local residents.

The underground shopping mall, full of people as usual

 

After finally taking the subway back to the guesthouse, I felt that Hangzhou was still a familiar place but at the same time, full of surprises. Even though I had spent five years of college in this city, there were still so many undiscovered routes and places to explore. As soon as I finished this trip, I began looking forward to the next one.

 

This is the end of my trip report to Hangzhou during COVID-19. THX for reading!