Historical Hotspots
Hangzhou is drenched in more than just West Lake’s waters; one can barely walk a block around the lake without stumbling upon a site blessed with history. Arguably, the most efficient way for history aficionados to catch a glimpse of this long and fascinating past is to visit one of the densest concentrations of recognized historical hotspots, which can be found on and around Gushan Hill, the island located near the north side of West Lake, connected to the shore by Xiling Bridge (西泠桥) on the west and Bai Causeway on the east.
Temple of Yue Fei
岳王庙
A great place to start with is the warrior poet Yue Fei (岳飞), whose mausoleum and temple is located on the shore just a few minutes’ walk west from the Xiling Bridge entrance to Gushan Hill—following Beishan Road, you can’t miss it if you look on your right.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that most Chinese have heard the tale of the Southern Song Dynasty military commander Yue Fei. He’s been immortalized in countless literary and cinematic works; invariably he is the hero of the tale, a determined general whose skill at arms, loyalty to the crown and prescience regarding the growing threat from northern invaders became legendary—as did his ill-fated quarrel with the Machiavellian royal chancellor Qin Hui (秦桧).
Perhaps most of all, Chinese have heard the tales of the four-character tattoo said to be on Yue Fei’s back, 精忠报国, which means, “Serve the country with the utmost loyalty.” Suffice to say, it’s going to be an interesting tale, but keep in mind as you read the plaques that with so many myths and legends, separating fact from fiction is incredibly difficult.
Entering the temple after purchasing a ticket, visitors encounter a breezy courtyard and, depending on the season, a pleasant leafy canopy. The real delights of course lie ahead, with the nooks and crannies around the larger rooms telling the tale of Yue Fei, in both English and Chinese.
It’s easy to see where Yue Fei’s desire for war came from—although there are many tales of his upbringing, each more fantastic than the last (with some saying he and his mother were once swept down a river from Henan to Hubei), most tales say he joined the military at a young age and was a skilled bowman. His martial exploits drew attention and he worked his way through the ranks in the Southern Song army. So when the Jurchen invaders from the north invaded his ancestral homeland, he was among those most eager to take up the fight.
And fight he did, winning plenty of battles. So much so that Yue Fei became a symbol of continuing the fight, and his political enemy Qin Hui, who represented a faction who was pushing for peace with the northern invaders, became a symbol of treachery and above all came to symbolize the evil of appeasement. As the centuries, myths and historical analyses piled up, each of these antagonists collected more evil aspects to reinforce these morals of the narrative— something a casual observer with even a passing interest in history can observe in the black-and-white retellings of these legendary stories emblazoned on the walls and exhibits of the temple.
The tales differ on exactly how Qin Hui brought Yue Fei down, but a common thread is that while Yue Fei was in the thick of combat, Qin Hui was spreading slander at court. When a few battles went sour, the court turned on Yue Fei. The universal theme of Yue Fei’s death is treachery at the hands of Qin Hui, but some tales have him strangled, others poisoned, executed, dying in his cell, made a public spectacle, ambushed—the list goes on.
What remains intact in all variations is the simple fact that war continued to rage against the Jurchen and the troubles with the north were far from over at the time of Yue Fei’s death. History proved his suspicion of the northern invaders correct—they had no interest in peace. Around 20 years after he fell into disfavor and died, Yue Fei was rehabilitated and it was time for Qin Hui to go on the chopping block. Yue Fei was given a grand tomb and all manner of expressions of regret in his demise, and Qin Hui was relegated to the role of villain thereafter. Visitors to the tomb should definitely make sure they take the time to glance at the kneeling statues in one of the courtyard areas. There they will find in a caged-off enclosure, a kneeling stone figure of Qin Hui beside his hapless wife, looking every bit as morose as one would expect from a soon-to-be executed traitor.
Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao
苏小小墓
A short walk from the Temple of Yue Fei sits the northwest entrance to the island of Gushan Hill. Before visitors cross Xiling Bridge, they can see a small pagoda with an amber-colored dome beneath it and Chinese poetry etched on the walls. This is the tomb of famous Southern Qi Dynasty (479 – 502) courtesan Su Xiaoxiao (苏小小), who became a favorite female protagonist for poets during the Tang Dynasty—her rare beauty, sharp wit and tragic death at the age of 19 all proving to be excellent fodder for writers. Visitors should note however, that the tomb was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 2004. Rumor has it that her ghost still haunts the area late at night.
Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society
西泠印社
Once across Xiling Bridge, you can begin exploring Gushan Hill, a small islet that has served as a getaway for literary recluses for centuries.
The south side of the island has a road and buildings; on the north there is mostly parkland. If you start your circumnavigation on the road-covered side, you will immediately come across the former residence, now memorial, of noted Chinese scholar Yu Yue (俞樾). Passing through it and out the rear of the house, is one of many short, charming stone paths that allow visitors to ascend to the top of the modest peak (in just a few short minutes) and find themselves amid the buildings used by the Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society (西泠印社). Far from an old relic, this is still an active organization today, but the main attraction for tourists—aside from taking in the cool breezes found around the stone pagoda of the summit—is found in the main enclave of the society, back at water level on the south side of the island. There visitors can see extensive seals painted on the walls, representative of the various seal schools that existed throughout China.
The society was founded in 1904, when various seal groups from across China came together to form the one united society. The history of each school dates back to the Qing and Ming dynasties. It’s easy to see the differences between the different styles of seal; casual viewers can detect some of the differences between the “yin and yang” styles of seal—whether the character is pressed from the ink, or can be seen in the negative space that lacks ink.
Imperial Palace Ruins
清行宫遗址
Further along the road you can find what’s left of the Qing Dynasty temporary palace, mainly utilized by the Qing Dynasty emperors Kangxi and Qianlong during eras of prosperity. These emperors played a key role in selecting the famous views of West Lake and publicizing them via poetry, and it’s not difficult to imagine them taking a break at the palace to conjure up a few lines.
Indeed, visitors to the imperial palace and its attached gardens (renamed Zhongshan Park in 1927) will need to use their imaginations to picture what the palace was like in its heyday, as the centuries have not been kind. The Taiping occupation in the 1850s and 1860 in particular caused widespread destruction. Remnants of the palace can be seen encased in glass boxes, but if visitors walk up the stone stairs near the south entrance to upper platforms and follow the plaques, they can imagine how the palace buildings must have looked, ensconced among foliage as flowers and leafs fell upon their roofs. The buildings, halls and bedrooms may have gone, but the secluded atmosphere still lingers.
Delights of GUSHAN Hill
孤山
Just a stone’s throw from the palace lies the Zhejiang Provincial Museum (浙江省博物馆). Here, amid the cool stone blocks, visitors can wander through impressively large collections of ancient pottery, catch a glimpse into how aspects of Han culture evolved over thousands of years, and gain an insight into the archaeological finds that are dotted across the wider Zhejiang area.
On the west of museum’s main hall, you will find a beautiful garden of courtyard of pavilions, corridors, pools, bridges, and artificial rockeries. Called Wenlan Pavilion (文澜阁), it is a famous imperial library built under the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The proudest collection in this library is Siku Quanshu (《四库全书》or Complete Library in Four Treasuries), the largest encyclopedia in the world at the time. In a fire in 1861, the old library building was destroyed and part of the book lost. Over the years, local scholars recompiled it and copies were gradually restored to bring this collection back to its former glory.
To round out the trip around the island, visit the northern side. Amid the parkland and the statue of literary genius Lu Xun, visitors can find a number of monuments to literary wisdom, including the home of Lin Bu (林逋), a poet of the Northern Song Dynasty and avid devotee of cranes and plum flowers; the bird in many ways symbolizes the tranquil serenity he found on Gushan Hill.
Listings
China Fan Museum
中国扇博物馆
450 Xiaohe Road; 小河路450号
China Knives, Scissors, Swords and Umbrella Museum
中国刀剪剑、伞博物馆
336 Xiaohe Road; 小河路336号
Dadou Road Historical and Cultural Block
大兜路历史文化街区
Dadou Road, Gongshu District;
拱墅区大兜路
Eight-trigram Cropland Park
八卦田遗址公园
41 Huyu Road; 虎玉路41号
Guo’s Villa 郭庄
28 Yanggong Causeway; 杨公堤28号
Hangzhou Museum 杭州博物馆
18 Liangdaoshan; 粮道山18号
King Qian’s Temple 钱王祠
11 Qianwangci Road (inside the Orioles Singing in the Willows Park); 钱王祠路11号 (柳浪闻莺公园内)
Kuahuqiao Site Museum
跨湖桥遗址博物馆
978 Xianghu Road; 湘湖路978号
Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔
15 Nanshan Road; 南山路15号
Liangzhu Museum 良渚博物院
1 Meilizhou Road, Liangzhu Sub-district, Yuhang District; 余杭区良渚街道美丽洲路1号
Long Bridge Park 长桥公园
35 Nanshan Road; 南山路35号
Southern Song Dynasty Guan Kiln Museum 南宋官窑博物馆
42 Shijiashan, Nanfu Road;
南复路施家山42号
Southern Song Relic Museum
南宋遗址陈列馆
199 Zhongshan Road (S); 中山南路199号
Su Dongpo Memorial Hall
苏东坡纪念馆
2 Nanshan Road; 南山路2号
Temple and Mausoleum of
Yue Fei 岳王庙/墓
80 Beishan Road; 北山路80号
Temple of Yu Qian 于谦祠
161 Santaishan Road; 三台山路161号
The Grand Jing-Hang Canal Museum 中国京杭大运河博物馆
1 Canal Cultural Plaza; 运河文化广场1号
Wansong Academy 万松书院
81 Wansongling Road; 万松岭路81号
Wenlan Pavilion 文澜阁
26 Gushan Road; 孤山路26号
Xiangji Temple 香积寺
1 Xiangjisi Alley, Dadou Road;
大兜路香积寺巷1号
Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society
西泠印社
31 Gushan Road; 孤山路31号
Zhejiang Provincial Museum
浙江省博物馆
25 Gushan Road; 孤山路25号
Zhongshan Park 中山公园
1 Gushan Road; 孤山路1号
Photograph by Liu Shibin (刘士斌)