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Ningbo - Dong Qian Lake
Dong Qian Lake
It was only a short drive from Taogong Island to our next stop, Dong Qian Lake. After we parked the car we made our way through a row of street vendors selling all sorts of toys, soft drinks, fruit, and incense to burn at the temple.
The lake is big - much bigger than the famed West Lake at Hangzhou, further west into Zhejiang province, and quite different. On the edges of the lake are old fishing villages that look like they have been there for centuries, with little wooden boats tied up right up next to the houses. It is as if the modern world had passed them by - but no doubt inside there were televisions and computes and a raft of other modern appliances.
Out on the lake, which was hazy, just as I've discovered most lakes are in China, there were quite a few fishing boats working, but also many pleasure craft going back and forth around the lake.
We walked along a narrow peninsular that had lake on each side, and bridges along under which the various tourist and fishing boats travelled from one side of the lake to the other. The gardens were wonderful, and plenty of places to sit and contemplate the wonders of China.
It was a long walk, but eventually we reached the temple and we all burned some incense and bowed out heads to the lady in the lake. (I often wonder what my friends would think if they saw me on some of my adventures - but I tend to do as I am asked when I'm with my Chinese friends.)
We walked back a little and across a bridge that took us to an island that had a space ship (see photo) and a waterfall, and luckily it also had little mini bus carts that took us a fair way back along the road almost to the car park. My legs were aching by then, and I was relieved to get a rest.
Our day was not over. We climbed back into the car (people mover) and headed back into the city of Ningbo itself. I'd been into the city before and it was pleasant to revisit, although being a holiday there were far more people around than when I was last there.