The Time Keeper

As we walked through the small streets of Hangzhou this strange character came along with his strange hat and swinging lantern beating out a rhythm on the bamboo stick he held. We found out later that this was the way they used to tell time before clocks and watches. The timekeeper would walk around the streets marking time by playing on the bamboo stick marking the hours.

Homeless in Hangzhou

This homeless man was wrapped up tight at the doorway of a building in Hangzhou, China. Ironically he had manage to find a large plastic bag which he was using as a sleeping bag with the appropriate wording "Nordic casual Style" on the side.

Water Calligraphy

As I walked around the perimeter of the West Lake in Hangzhou I started to notice some strange markings on the tiled pathway. At first I thought it was just water marks but then recognised these as Chinese symbols. Further down the path I eventually found the source of these marks, a man with an oversized calligraphy brush and a can of water was meticulously practising his Chinese calligraphy in each square of the tiled pathway. 

Three Umbrellas

These brightly coloured Chinese umbrellas were hung from the roof of a shop in Huangzhou as decoration. Always remember to look all around you and especially up as you never know what you may find to photograph.

Chinese Lanterns, Shangcheng, Hangzhou

These colourful Chinese lanterns advertised a light shop in Hangzhou, China. This part of the city, known as Shangcheng, was full of shops and restaurants and even though the evening was bitterly cold many people were out shopping, eating and enjoying the many spectacles along the streets.

Morning Tai Chi

This man was doing his early morning tai chi at the side of this beautiful pavilion on the banks of the West Lake in Hangzhou, China.

Early Morning Boat Ride

A boat heads out over West Lake in Hangzhou, China in the still early morning air. This is the best time to walk around the lake when the air is still and the morning light is very attractive for photography.

The Last Bridge

As I walked around the West Lake in Hangzhou, China in the early morning mist this beautiful arched bridge blended in with the mist over the lake giving it the appearance of being the very last bridge. Again timing in photography is key and I waited some time till I captured a figure on the bridge to give it a sense of scale.

Green Boats on West Lake

Early morning at West Lake, Hangzhou, China is a tranquil time and the walk around the lake offers up many beautiful views such as this. You can see the Leifeng Pagoda in the background.

West Lake Floating Restaurant

This beautiful floating restaurant is on West Lake in Hangzhou, China. West Lake seems to be a very popular name for Chinese restaurants - I used to go to one in Singapore many years ago. It was only when I eventually visited Hangzhou that I realised the name comes from the famous West lake that is there. 

Yuewang Temple

The Yue Fei Temple or commonly known in Chinese as Yuewang Temple is a temple built in honor of Yue Fei, a general of the Southern Song dynasty when the capital of China was in Hangzhou. The temple ground is located near the West Lake, in central Hangzhou.

The temple was first constructed in the during the Song Dynasty in 1221 to commemorate Yue Fei. The site includes Yue Fei's Temple, Loyalty Temple and Yue Fei’s Mausoleum inside. The temple was reconstructed several times in later date. The tombs and the tomb sculptures in the temple all dates from the 12th century, and have been meticulously restored.

Leifeng Pagoda on West Lake

Leifeng Pagoda is a five story tall tower with eight sides, located on Sunset Hill south of the West Lake in Hangzhou, China. Originally constructed in the year AD 975, it collapsed in 1924 but was rebuilt in 2002, since when it has been a popular tourist attraction.

West Lake Fisherman

An early morning walk around the West Lake in Hangzhou, China is a great start to the day. You can see many activities with people walking, cycling, singing, dancing or doing their tai chi. This boatman and fisherman were out early but by the look of their empty baskets it wasn't a successful outing. You can see the Leifeng Pagoda in the background of this photo.

West Lake Sunset

Now I'm not much of a sunset photographer .... but here's one from the beautiful West lake in Hangzhou, China. I got lucky and also captured the bird in mid-flight with its wings matching the v-shaped hills in the background.

West Lake, Hangzhou

West Lake is located in the western area of Hangzhou City's center in China. There are dozens of lakes called West Lake worldwide, but "West Lake" usually refers to the Hangzhou West Lake. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of around 6.5 square kilometers. The circumference is around 15 kilometers. The average depth of West Lake is 0.8 meters, and the capacity is about 14,290,000 cubic meters. The lake is divided by Gu Shan, Bai, Su and Yanggong Causeways into five areas. Ordered by their areas, they are Outer West Lake, West Inner Lake,  North Inner Lake, Little South Lake and Yue Lake. "Outer West Lake" is the largest. "Gu Shan" or Gu Hill is the largest natural island in the lake. Su & Bai Causeways run cross the lake. Three small man-made islands, "Xiao Ying Zhou", "Hu Xin Ting", "Ruan Gong Dun", lie in the center of Outer West Lake. Thus, the basic layout is "one hill, two causeways, three islands, and five lakes".
West Lake is not only famous for its picturesque landscape, it is also associated with many scholars, national heroes and revolutionary martyrs, thus embracing many aspects of Chinese culture. In addition, many ancient buildings, stone caves and engraved tablets in surrounding areas are among the most cherished national treasures of China, with significant artistic value.
Due to its prominent historical and cultural status among Chinese scenic resorts, West Lake was elected as a National Key Scenic Resort in 1982, one of Ten Scenic Resorts in 1985 and national 5A tourist resort in 2006. Moreover, the picture of "Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon" was printed on the backs of both the foreign exchange certificate one yuan bill issued by the government in 1979 and the fifth version of RMB one yuan bill issued in 2004, indicating the status of West Lake in China.

Along with its cultural importance, West Lake historically was also of value for the local commercial fishermen. According to statistics from 1977, the 560-hectare lake had the annual fish yield of 1300 kg/hectare, quite a bit more than for some larger lakes (e.g., the 1500-hectare East Lake of Wuhan had the yield of only 450 kg/ha).