Birthday in Hangzhou

Hangzhou, China: the preferred weekend getaway destination for Shanghai residents, and now the city where I got to ring in the big 2-4. My birthday kicked off with a surprising "Happy Birthday" announcement over the speaker system in the airport immigration line as soon as they swiped my passport (Chinese technology never ceases to amaze me). Then on to the hotel to get to work on a renovation project which conveniently only took up half the day, translating into plenty of time to explore the beautiful surrounding areas. When Hangzhou was added to the business trip itinerary, I was expecting another oppressively industrial, concrete-heavy Chinese city, but was pleasantly surprised to find the city is incredibly scenic; by far my favorite destination in the PRC to date.

view from my hotel window

My boss, coincidentally an ex-Hangzhou resident, took me on a birthday tour of the famous West Lake and a nearby temple. Beautiful traditional style Chinese buildings and large tea plantations transport you to what China might have been like at the beginning of the century. Really stunning. The evening topped off with fireworks over the lake (they must have known it was my bday!). The "business trip" ended up feeling more like a 24 hour spa getaway - I finally got to breathe some clean air, catch up on sleep, and just slow down and smell the lotus flowers. The visit was far too short, but quite a memorable birthday.