South of the West Lake lies the Wansong Academy, where I saw 'half the pond covered with fallen flowers, half with rain'
So, I sat alone by the pond with an umbrella for an entire afternoon.
Listening to Li Qingzhao softly sing 'flowers drift away, water flows on its own',
Listening to Ouyang Xiu murmur 'in the idle courtyard, thousands of plum blossoms have fallen',
Listening to Li Yu sigh deeply 'fallen plums beneath the steps are scattered like snow, brushing against me and still filling the air'.
Then, I too could casually recite a line 'half the pond covered with fallen flowers, half with rain'.
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🚗Transportation: I took the subway line 5 to Hou Chao Men station, then walked 15mins to reach Wansong Academy.
🎫Ticket: 10r, annual park pass free
🌸Fallen Plums: Ascend the steps in front of the academy to the first archway, turn right into the plum grove, and you will see this very poetic scene of half the pond covered with fallen flowers.
⚠️Recommendation: I suggest visiting on a rainy day for the most beautiful atmosphere. Also, during the rain, no one will clear the pond, so there are more concentrated fallen flowers. Of course, it has been almost a week since I last saw the fallen flowers, so you can also choose to come on a rainy day during next year's plum blossom season!
🌈About Wansong Academy:
Once known as Taihe Academy and Fuwen Academy, it was originally the Bao'en Temple built during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenyuan era. After expansion and reconstruction during the Ming Dynasty, it became a well-known academy in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region. The story of 'Butterfly Lovers', where Zhu Yingtai disguised herself as a man and met Liang Shanbo to study together, took place at Wansong Academy.
☁️About Huanyun Pond:
The Huanyun Pond in front of Wansong Academy is an old scene from the Tang Dynasty's Bao'en Temple, named after Bai Juyi's poem 'Huanyun Pond'. The poem goes:
White clouds are heartless, rolling and unfolding, always pure.
The shadow falls on an empty mirror, can be rinsed but not stained.
Between the soaring kites and leaping fish, both above and below are clear and bright.
This sentiment is hard to express in words, looking at it brings joy and pleasure.
The landscape is exquisite, one step at a time. There are not many people who go there on Sunday. The scenic spot is not big. You can go shopping in half an hour to an hour. The photos are also quite good. It is still a good place.
Convenient transportation, very close to the West Lake business district. I went on Sunday. Although the parking lot is not big, there are still parking spaces. It may be related to the parking fee of 20 yuan per hour on Sunday. The West Lake business district has only a dozen yuan in the past. There is also a bus stop at the door.
Quiet and leisurely, with few people. You can walk around at will, and have enough time to feel the sad and beautiful artistic conception of Liang Zhu's legend. The photo time is rich, and the aunts wearing red clothes can be avoided at any time, and the environment is less polluted. Especially suitable for tourists who don't like the hustle and bustle of the world.
The strong pine trees are the characteristics. Fresh air and quiet atmosphere. Confucius and Wang Yangming's lectures wash the soul with a deep literary atmosphere. Reading the concept of the pioneers carefully makes me feel the infinite cultural charm of Hangzhou. The school is very holy and beautiful.
Wansong College, founded in Tang Zhenyuan (785-804). Feel the traces of the years.