Day 8:

Hangzhou: 杭州
Wake up in Hangzhou by the West Lake and take bus #2 to the end of Linyin Lu and get off at Feilai Peak which houses Linyin Temple （灵隐寺）, which is an astounding 1600 years old, and known as the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat. Built by Indian monk Hui Li, it is also home to 2 stunning twin stone pagodas as well as China’s largest sleeping Buddha, which reclines in an area of 19.6m.

Photo: Andrea Hunt

The temple itself holds an important array of Buddhist relics and treasures, a total of about 470 Buddhist carvings that span from the 10th to the 14th centuries. There are also caves, Deep Dragon Cave and the Cave of Milky Icicles, which are worth a visit if you have time.

Get to the East Long Distance Bus Station to get the bus for Shanghai, which will take about 2 hours. Make sure to allow plenty of time for traffic, as Hangzhou’s traffic around rush hour is horrible. You don’t need to book a ticket in advance as the busses leave almost every 25 minutes or so. They cost around 60-75 Yuan and are quite comfortable but usually have no bathroom. If you have time the day before to buy a train ticket then do so, but bus travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou is the most convenient because of the frequency, so you can just show up and be ready to go! One convenient aspect of taking the train, however, is that the Shanghai Railway Station connects directly with the subway, which will save you a lot of time and money. If you do want to take the train you can go the day before to one of these two locations.

For the bus travel, remember to keep all those little receipts that they give you, especially when it comes to storing your luggage. Without these little wastes of paper, you might not be able to retrieve your luggage which would seriously sour your mood for the evening, to put it mildly.

More Shanghai transport information

Make reservations beforehand at one of these two hostels depending on whether or not you want to relax and have peace and quiet or want to party with characters from all over the world. The first option will lead you to the Mingtown Garden hostel, which is a very quick walk from the People’s Square subway.

Shanghai - Mingtown Etour Hostel
55 Jiangyin Road
Tel. 86-21-63277766

It’s a beautiful hostel in a quiet location with friendly staff and a nice little café for chilling out in.

If you are alone and want to meet people instantaneously, look no further than the Shanghai Hiker Hostel:

Shanghai Hiker YH
450 Jiang Xi Zhong Road
Tel. 86-21-6329-7889

Be warned that unless you have earplugs, you will not sleep as much at this hostel, but you will definitely have a good time hanging out in their bar playing pool and meeting other travelers to go and have dinner with or a night on the town. The “Windows” chain of bars seems to be popular with this group and you never know you are going to meet.

Photo: Andrea Hunt

When you get into Shanghai, get to the hostel and leave your things. Check our Events section to see what events are taking place that evening here:

Now head down to Shanghai’s Bund area. As it will be evening, you will be privy to seeing some of the most spectacular architecture reminiscent of the Jetson’s cartoons. From the hostel, take a left and walk until you hit Shanghai’s famous Nanjing Lu and walk all the way down until you get to the Bund.

For a crazy night out with the locals and expats, check out:

I love Shanghai
5228 6899
2/F, 1788 Xinzha Lu, near Jiao Zhou Lu
新闸路1788号, 近胶州路

Photo: Andrea Hunt

For some of Shanghai’s alternative music scene, check out Logo’s for DJs, live music, and Shanghai’s best. Open late and decently priced.

Logo’s
13 Xingfu Lu, near Fahuazhen Lu
幸福路13号，近法华镇路
6281 5646

Check back for Day 9, the final day of our Best of China in Ten Days Adventure!
For Introduction to Best of China in Ten Days
For Day 1 of Best of China in Ten Days
For Day 2 and 3 of Best of China in Ten Days
For Day 4 and 5 of Best of China in Ten Days
For Day 6 and 7 of Best of China in Ten Days

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China Explorer> Bazaar Experiences for the New Frontier: Kashgar
Expat Corner> Cold Foods Festival: Better Than it Sounds
Expat Corner> Medical Misadventures in Zhuji

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