However, I went to the West Lake once today. Although it is raining outside, I still insist on going, rain or shine. I know it sounds unbelievable, because I just mentioned that I don't like the West Lake. Yes, I didn't like it before, but after a summer vacation, I changed my mind. Speaking of which, I have to mention a book I read during my summer vacation.
During the summer vacation, I read the book Wind written by Mr. Mai Jia. The background of this novel is War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, and the story takes place in a house called "Qiuzhuang" near Hangzhou West Lake. Yuan Fei, the villain mentioned in the novel, likes the West Lake very much and even puts his wife's grave next to it. When Japan was preparing to fly a plane and throw artillery shells in Hangzhou, it called the West Lake beautiful and strongly demanded its preservation. Therefore, only the West Lake and its surrounding scenic spots are left in Hangzhou, and several pieces of shells dropped by the Japanese army can still be salvaged from time to time in Qiantang River. I have read many ancient poems praising the West Lake before, such as "If you want to compare the West Lake to the West Lake, light makeup is always appropriate", "I love the lack of traveling to the east of the lake, and the white sand embankment under the shade of green poplar" and "The lotus leaves in the sky are infinitely colorful, and the lotus flowers in the sun are different colors", but I have always given up after reading them, and I have never carefully pondered why these poets are so partial to this "ordinary" lake. However, I am really surprised and even curious about the Japanese who know China in history but are anti-China. Is this West Lake really that beautiful? Maybe times have changed, and I "wrong" her? In this way, to put it simply, I changed my previous stereotype of the West Lake and began to have a good impression on it, becoming yearning and curious.
I arrived at the West Lake in the afternoon. The weather is fine, the temperature is suitable, and the breeze is blowing, which is very soft and comfortable. The rain stopped all morning, and the sky in the distance was faintly clear. I swept away the fatigue of the car and strode along the stream of people to the West Lake with my head held high.
Bai Causeway
I don't know why Bai Causeway got his name, and I didn't have time to delve into it today. I didn't know the specific situation until I went home to check the information. In the old days, Bai Causeway paved the ground with white sand, so it was called White Sand Embankment. Later, Bai Juyi went to Hangzhou to be the secretariat of Hangzhou, and built another levee near Hanshiqiao outside the old Qiantang Gate, namely Baigong Dike. Now there is nowhere to find Baigong Dike. It is believed that Bai Juyi built the White Sand Embankment and named it Bai Causeway to commemorate Bai Juyi. The shape of Bai Causeway looks good from a distance, like a white hairpin floating on the lake, with beautiful and smooth lines and just the right radian in the middle. I think the bridge opening in Bai Causeway is a wonderful design. It lets running water and fish pass through the middle, and air runs through from one end to the other. A round bridge opening makes the whole levee "live". Looking down from the Bai Causeway, there are groups of gray-black fish in the lake. They swim very shallow, as if they were underwater. Some tourists threw crumbs into the lake, and the crumbs floated on the water. Small fish rushed in from all directions, sticking their heads out of the water and eating together. I was full and didn't feel upset about what I didn't eat (of course, I'm not a fish, these are just my guesses), so I turned and swam away. There are several stone piers on the lake near the levee. I looked up after watching the fish compete for food. Wow, there is a big mandarin duck standing on the stone pier! I met Yuanyang once before. When I was walking by the school lake, I accidentally found a mandarin duck hiding in the shade of the lake, but that one was not as beautiful as this one. This kind of feather is very bright and has the flavor of China's classical color matching. Its mouth is scarlet, and there is a striking white eyebrow pattern around its eyes. Its wings are gray, brown, orange and other colors, as well as a pair of chestnut yellow fan-shaped upright feathers. This should be a "honeymooner", which is a male bird. I saw it standing motionless on the stone pier. I looked around, and there were no other mandarin ducks nearby, but didn't I say mandarin ducks were lovers? So where's his partner?
The sky, clouds and mountains
Standing on the edge of the West Lake, you can't help looking into the distance. There is a simple reason. Close up, look down, there is nothing but water, but from a distance, the scenery is very different. Looking around, the sky, clouds and mountains are connected together, which is really the connection between water and sky. The sky is blue, the clouds are gray, the clouds gather together to form clouds, and large chunks are pressed on the mountains. When there is wind, the clouds are blown away and change shape as they run. This process is very slow, but if you pay attention, you can find that a large cloud just to the east suddenly disappears. Where did it go? Oh, I've gone to the west, and it seems to be getting bigger again. Was it blown away? Clouds are not easily blown away. They are like a long cloth covering the mountains. When the wind comes, they just move slowly from side to side. It seems that it will rain before dawn, but the sun is also tenacious. Even if it is blocked by clouds, it is still radiant, so several clouds are inlaid with "Phnom Penh" and a bright circle. The mountain in the distance looks "thin", only slightly above the water. The outline of the mountains is smooth, continuous and undulating, like a thin pen, but it cannot be so natural with a pen hook.
willow
Willow trees are everywhere by the West Lake. The willows here are growing well. Tall and slender trunk, strings of slender and soft branches hanging from the branches, and turquoise leaves symmetrically arranged on both sides of the branches. When a gust of wind comes, the branches sway slightly, just like a girl's long hair! Willow is very gentle. Swallows nest among her branches. She protects them from the wind and rain, and people lean on her to enjoy the cool. She hung down thick branches to give them shade. Even if the child wants to take a leaf from her hand and whistle, she is willing to give it. What a gentle and beautiful willow! However, on the way to walk, I was sad to see a little girl in a skirt pulling a branch of a willow tree. The branches were bent under pressure and the leaves brushed off the willows. I saw the little girl smiling, smiling innocently and happily. The adults chatting aside witnessed this "cruel" behavior, but turned to chat with mirth. Can't they see the willow tree crying? The crooked branches are willow hairs, and the falling green leaves are willow tears. People's hair will hurt and bark when pulled, and animals' fur will hurt and bark when pulled, so will willow branches hurt and bark when pulled? Everything has a spirit.
Yi Yun Luji
In the north of Qiuyue Pinghu, there is a three-story garden house that combines Chinese and western styles. According to legend, it was built by the comprador Tang Baotai in the 16th year of the Republic of China, so it is also called Tangzhuang, and once lived by Jiang Menglin, president of National Zhejiang University. 1953, the villa was nationalized and used as a dormitory for cadres. Later, it was changed to the school building of Zhejiang University for the Aged, also called "Mingjian Building". Now this villa has become a small multi-purpose scenic spot for tourists to visit. This building is beautifully built. Cornices are cornices, which continue the ancient style. The doors are mostly made of copper, and some patterns such as lotus flowers and moire patterns are carved on them. The ceiling of the gallery is hung with hexagonal chandeliers, and every corner is hung with red tassels, which looks antique. There is an open door, and several vertical axis calligraphy and painting are hung on three walls of the room. This is the studio of Zhejiang Retired Cadres Calligraphers Association. It's a pity that this room is not allowed, there is no light in it. I can only stand outside the door and try to appreciate the vague calligraphy and painting for a while, but even so, it is not difficult to see that the works hanging inside are quite beautiful. I really hope that one day I can have the opportunity to appreciate them closely.
visitor
There are so many people in the West Lake! People who walk, enjoy the cool, take a boat trip to the lake, sit in sightseeing bus, chat, feed fish, blow bubbles, take photos, locals, people from other places ... People come to the West Lake for various purposes, some to enjoy the scenery, some to chat with friends, and of course, some just to do trivial things. When I was walking back along Bai Causeway, it was already raining lightly. On a bench by the lake, an old man in a baseball cap is burying his head in winding kite strings. There is a colorful kite beside his leg. Kites look simple, unlike animals or plants. It is square, long and shapeless. I even suspect that grandpa did it himself. I'm sorry I didn't see grandpa fly a kite, but I'm also curious. How does he fly a kite in such a crowded place with so many people? But I really appreciate Grandpa's seemingly "childish" behavior. I am free from worldly interference. I just want to do what I like quietly, regardless of other people's strange eyes. I only have kites, myself and the West Lake in my heart. This is really a very comfortable and beautiful realm. I really hope that I can always keep a heart that loves life like my grandfather.
Because of time, I really can't play in the West Lake for a long time, but I don't regret it. On the way back, I feel that my steps are lighter than when I came, which is not surprising, because my heart is full of a calm joy, and even I feel relaxed and happy. I don't know whether the West Lake pleased me or the play itself pleased me.