Morning Rituals around West Lake in Hangzhou

Remember this photo if you are ever in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou is famous in China for its beautiful West Lake and the best way to see all that the lake has to offer is to explore the pathways and causeways. On previous visits to Hangzhou I had seen the big attractions around the lake like Leifeng Pagoda and only caught glimpses of people strolling along the shore and a few people exercising.  On this trip I wanted to spend more time observing people exercising and hopefully see some Tai Chi.  I love martial arts in any form but Tai Chi has a wonderful elegance that exudes the true beauty of the art.  I was told you have to go early in the morning to see people performing their Tai Chi in the parks around the lake.  I was staying at the Shangri-La Hotel again which in my opinion is worth the money as its a great hotel, the service is impeccable, and its excellent location.  It's situated on the north side of West Lake and what I thought was a short distance to Su Causeway.

I rose at an incredibly early hour for me, 6:00 AM.  I really wanted to see Tai Chi if I was up at 6 AM.  I had a quick breakfast with coffee then I was off to observe.  It was late October but still pretty warm in Hangzhou so I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and running shoes.  I left the hotel, crossed Beishan Road and started walking down Su Causeway.  I was so excited at the prospect of what I might find.  I crossed a bridge and walked a little further when I felt my first indication that I should probably find a bathroom.  It passed and I thought I was fine so on I went.  Then it hits me again, now this is more serious.  Maybe I should have stayed at the hotel a little longer this morning before departing on my adventure.  Maybe I shouldn't have had the second cup of coffee.  I'm well along the Su Causeway in new territory and the only bathroom that I know of is back at the hotel.  So I decide to head back to the hotel.  When I turn around the hotel seemed so far away which only made the situation worse.  Plus I have to cross the busy Beishan Road or go down and up the stairs if I use the underground passage.  Stairs didn't seem like a good idea either.  Then I remembered the restroom just inside the park entrance down the road past the Yue Fei Temple.  I'll go there!

I had a plan and I was off.  The situation seemed more urgent with every step.  After I crossed back over the bridge I saw an opening and a pathway behind the souvenir shops.  Excellent, a short cut!  I pass the souvenir shops and on the other side was everything I was looking for that morning besides the bathroom.  There were tons of people exercising, performing their martial arts routines, Tai Chi, Tai Chi with weapons!  There was a man doing Tai Chi with huge swords!  How cool is that!?!   This was so much more that I could have hoped for but unfortunately there was a more pressing matter at hand.  I couldn't stop to watch, I had to press onward.  There I was, cheeks clenched, walking faster than an Olympic sprinter, past what could have been the coolest martial arts I had ever seen.  I thought, I'll come back here after the restroom. 

After what seemed like an eternity, I arrived at the restroom which was empty.   I made it!  I was sweaty, sure I would be sore later from the clenching, but I made it.  Phew, what a relief!  I washed my hands and walked out passing an elderly gentleman on his way in.  He looked at me really weird.  What?  I turned around and looked at the door, I was in the men's room.  Eeeeewww!  

I returned to the spot where all the cool martial arts were being performed, but they were all gone.  What a bummer.  I'm blaming it on the coffee. 

As you may suspect, there was no time for photos on this tour.  I did take the photo above afterwards to remember where the restroom is located for future reference.  I was back in Hangzhou about 10 months later and walked across Su Causeway.  I made it all the way across this time.  The funny thing is about 20 feet beyond where I turned around in the story above there's a sign that point to a nearby restroom.  I was so close and didn't know it.  I do now.