Water lilies and lotuses perfume Hangzhou's hot season
In Hangzhou, where water is its lifeblood, the water lilies have become the fascination of the city during the hot season. The Changqiao Stream Park at the foot of Yuhuang Hill, south of West Lake, is a mecca for those who love water lilies.
About 3,000 square meters of flowering water lilies are now floating on Zhaoying, Yiqing, Danzhen and Huanbi ponds. The white and yellow varieties dominate the area, while pink flowers account for a small part of Huanbi Pond.
This year, the park committee has introduced new varieties to the park, including Hongxing (红星), Fendai (粉黛), Lilipansi (莉莉潘斯) and Huofenghuang (火凤凰).
Water lilies can often be seen in Hangzhou, with their round leaves, or pads, floating in ponds. Since they play a part as a natural purifier of water, the park management committee has been planting water lilies there for years, to clean water for the nearby West Lake.
Visitors can immerse themselves in what appear to be Monet's garden and closely observe the butterflies and dragonflies that dance among them. Compared with the Xixi Wetland Park, which is farther from the center of Hangzhou, Changqiao Stream Park is close to Yuhuang Hill and a lot of other important sightseeing sites.
The park, a 600-meter-long, 90-meter-wide tract of trees and shrubbery around the four ponds, is actually a sewage treatment plant.
A 136-square-meter sewage treatment facility is hidden under the Chengguan Pavilion in the park, which can treat 3,000 cubic meters of waste water every day. The purified water is then fed into the nearby West Lake.
Years ago, the area was packed with sludge dredged from the West Lake. Over time though, seeds in the sludge began to sprout. Today, the park boasts hundreds of trees and other vegetation that provide homes for generations of birds and insects.
In addition to water lilies, the first batch of lotuses is budding at the Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden, one of the most popular tourist attractions in summer when it is ablaze with pink lotus flowers. Nestled in the northwest of West Lake, the park has 10 lotus ponds of various sizes and shapes, featuring dozens of species of lotus.
Visitors can get a closer view of the flowers by walking on the elevated wooden walkways that wind their way through the park.
If you go:
Changqiao Stream Park
Address: 100 meters west of Yuhuangshan Rd
玉皇山路西100米
