Hangzhou waterworks

Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
After a long drive to the train station, we're on the high speed train (300 kilometres per hour) to Hangzhou. The trip's only an hour but these seats are a bit firm, I guess we could have booked first class but for such a short journey it seems pointless.

There is no sensation of speed until you try to take a photo of the passing countryside, or when the train heading in the opposite direction passes by - and the whole cabin shudders .

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On our way from the station to the lake we see a large residential building project. Our guide tells us that while in Australia we build one building per project and it takes us three years, in China they build 20 buildings per project and complete, on average, one building every few months - such is the need for new dwellings.

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Hangzhou traffic is worse than in Shanghai, it seems there is one long road, one lane wide to and from the lake and everyone in town wants to go there.

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The lake, the trees, the hills and the pagoda are truly beautiful. It is a shame we are not here a few weeks later when all of the flower buds we're photographing will be in full bloom.

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After a relatively peaceful day in Hangzhou we return to Shanghai, via the fast train, and find ourselves trapped in traffic on the outer ring-road - which is 99 kilometres long and encircles 10 million residents.

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2025-02-17

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