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THE SIGN HUNTERS

@thesignhunters • #thesignhunters • #handfulsadventures • #apiginchina

Goodbye Hangzhou, Hello Sawston

6 September 2023 ~ We have at least two important things to say: 1) after four years in China, we have now moved back to the UK, so upcoming posts will also carry on focusing on local explorations; also, because 2) we have come back from Hangzhou with plenty of resources about China, so future posts regarding our overseas explorations will not stop any soon. By the rate we release a new article or video though, I can see ourselves posting about China for several years. Our new location is now called Sawston and it is very likely you have never heard about it before. If I say Cambridge, however, you know where to look on the map. That is where we are now, a few miles south of Cambridge in South Cambridgeshire, East of England. We will never stop exploring, we will never stop sign hunting!

Hangzhou Eiffel Tower

22 November 2022 ~ Hangzhou has a replica Eiffel Tower located in Tianducheng (天都城) in Linping District (临平区). The "fake" tower is 108 meters high and was built at a 3:1 scale of the original. It is made of steel and weighs around 1,000 tons. The tower forms the central part of the area where the architecture looks very similar to Paris, France. There are more than 100 buildings imitating the Parisian style; there are also replicas of the Champs-Elysées and the Place de la Mars, and on the edge of an artificial lake, it also imitates the French Champs Castle. The town also built a replica of Versailles on the artificial lake. Since the neighbourhood is quite far from Hangzhou City Centre, since its opening in 2007 it has struggled to fill up with residence, which explains why everything else around the tower seems abandoned and unfinished. The metro 3 line, however, opened in 2022, which now makes it much easier to access Hangzhou's fake Paris. We have also made a little video of the Eiffel Tower in the "Hangzhou from the Air" series >>> click here to see it.

The Gate of Hangzhou

14 November 2022 ~ The nearer this building gets to be fully completed, the more looks like something that's not actually there. It is definitely there though but more something like a painting. Arguably, even what I am trying to say here makes no much sense, but I do love this landmark of Hangzhou which is not even a landmark yet but definitely part of the view already (a landmark). I am not even sure what its name is, but what I have found so far makes sense: "The Gate of Hangzhou" (杭州之门) which is, however, part of the so-called Hangzhou Century Centre or simply HCC (杭州世纪中心) located in the northwest corner of Xiaoshan District.. After completion with its 302.6 m height, it will become the tallest building in Hangzhou and the tallest twin tower in the Yangtze River Delta.

Sandun Temple, Hangzhou

09 November 2022 ~ I have carried on exploring Hangzhou (杭州市) with the aim of finding more local temples. This tiny but pretty one is Sandun Temple (三墩寺 / 三墩庙) (Shangchengan 上生庵) in Xihu District (西湖区). We have also made a little video of it in the "Hangzhou from the Air" series (click here).

Citizen Centre, Hangzhou

22 October 2022 ~ Views of Citizen Centre, Civic Centre, let us just call it a quasi city centre (市民中心). Hangzhou's central urban area in this sense is located in the western side of Shangcheng District (上城区), and the so-called Qianjiang New City (钱江新城) can be identified as one of Hangzhou's functional city centres and the most central, shiny CBD. The area this post is now focusing on is the quasi "main square", which is a large open space, Qianjiang New City Square (钱江新城市政广场) squeezing in between Citizen Centre (市民中心) and the Qiantang River (钱塘江). Colours, sweet smell of osmanthus, warm air, and lots of pretty things. Plus guards and chatty children. All this happened last night in Hangzhou (杭州市). >>> For more photos and information, click here.

Pengbu New Bridge, Hangzhou

13 October 2022 ~ I have carried on with collecting photos of the Qiantang River bridges of Hangzhou today. This is a bridge quartet here and the big, double decker one on the right side (called Pengbu New Bridge 新彭埠大桥) has just been opened to the public. I think it is a beautiful piece of structure, which is still not fully completed and construction still on-going in the area. By the time I have enough material for an article on the Qiantang River bridges, I will be able to share more technical information of these four here too.

Introducing Peter Panther

09 October 2022 ~ About a month ago, while walking in a forest, found a pink panther. He had a lot of trouble such as a missing eye and the left hand, and was already moss growing on him. Katie wanted to kill me for bringing this dirty thing home but I did it anyway. He was soaked in a disinfectant for a day, then I gave him a good scrub. He turned out unusually pink and supersoft. I gave him new eyes, got more fillings, and today I have finally made him a new hand (which I am very satisfied with). Here he is now shines like a diamond. I named him Peter Panther after the great Peter Sellers who played inspector Clouseau in the 1963 classic "The Pink Panther". Even Katie loves him now!

West Lake, Hangzhou

27 September 2022 ~ There are some peaceful spots around Hangzhou’s (杭州市) famous attraction, West Lake, where it is nice to sit down and spend some time on your own. But no, do not go there on weekends!

Fuxing Bridge, Hangzhou

23 August 2022 ~ Fuxing Bridge (复兴大桥) spanning over Qiantang River (钱塘江). Also known as Qianjiang no.4 Bridge (钱江四桥), the double-decker construction is located in Hangzhou (杭州市) connecting Binjiang (滨江区) and Shangcheng (上城区) districts. It opened for the public in 2004.