Hangzhou: Officially DONE With You T_T (My Rant & Pitfall Guide)
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As a Hangzhou local, I went today.
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Next time you visit, try Yanggong Causeway, Qu Yuan Feng He (Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard), Guo's Villa, Maojiabu, and Turtle Pond. You can walk along that route and spend a whole day exploring. For food, there are farmhouse restaurants behind Turtle Pond. It's not as crowded there. You can also use Hangzhou's public red bikes – the first hour is free, and then it's one yuan per hour after that.
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Excuse me, is Xixi Wetland still recommended at this time of year?
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Come next time in winter. Because it's so cold, there'll be fewer people.
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Wow, a sight like this is rare, only seen once every few years! Hangzhou usually only gets decent snow like this once every two or three years.
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Even with the crowds, it has a different kind of beauty.
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Absolutely wow! Great photos!
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Is it safe to travel alone in Hangzhou?
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Staying home is the safest!
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As a Hangzhou native, I went to the Broken Bridge at West Lake yesterday.
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Man, it was packed with people!
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Just got back to Guangzhou from Hangzhou, and I feel exactly the same way as you. Not trying to praise one city over the other, but while Guangzhou has a lot of electric scooters and can be a bit chaotic, at least there are sidewalks to walk on. West Lake is beautiful, but you can realistically only visit one or two spots a day, relying on walking or shared bikes. Ride-hailing services are mostly only available in the city center; otherwise, you often can't even get to the pickup points, sometimes needing to walk over 600 meters. Buses are decent if you plan your route, but they stop running around 7 PM. I stayed for 4 days, and apart from the 26th when it was scorching hot and the cherry blossoms at Qu Yuan Feng He were stunningly beautiful with manageable crowds, a cold snap hit. Walking by West Lake in the crosswinds and cold rain, stepping through puddles on the uneven, narrow footpaths, was a nightmare. The lake water was the same grey as the path – I was genuinely worried someone might accidentally walk into it! I'd still go back in the future, as I didn't get to Maojiabu and Turtle Pond this time. Just wanted to share a few of my frustrations.
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So beautiful!