Hangzhou’s Wai Po Jia
June 14, 2011 in China, Food, Reviews, Travel
One of the most popular restaurants in Hangzhou is the chain Wai Po Jia (translated to mean ‘Grandmother’s House’), and it was on our list of places to visit during our trip there. Actually, we enjoyed it so much that we ended up going twice.
Unlike Lou Wai Lou (reviewed here), which is one of the more expensive options, Wai Po Jia is a mid-range restaurant in terms of price (don’t worry, it’s still clean). But in terms of flavours and variety, I preferred Wai Po Jia a lot more.
The unique thing with Wai Po Jia was that each of the restaurants in the chain has a different theme/look. If you don’t look at the sign you’ll probably think it’s a completely different restaurant.
The best thing with Wai Po Jia is the amazing variety. Going through the massive menu with hundreds of colour photos is an experience in itself. It took us a good 20 minutes of looking, asking and debating to decide what it was we wanted to order on both visits.
As for the taste of the food, also very good, extremely varied in terms of texture and flavour. Not every dish was a homerun but none were horrible. Definitely more suited to foreigners than some of the other local restaurants. I mean, just check out the 16 photo slideshow above. Do I need to say anymore?
In all, a place I can happily recommend.
8 out of 10!
Lin Biao’s Underground Bunker
June 12, 2011 in China, Social/Political Commentary, Travel
I thought Hangzhou was all temples, scenery and tea leaves, but there’s a little bit of history too. Our driver next took us to this fascinating bunker that was built by Lin Biao, one of Chairman Mao’s closest comrades.
I didn’t know about the history of the Communist Party but Lin Biao’s bunker was still an interesting place to see. It’s like a mini-maze, with cold, stuffy air and long corridors enforced by thick steel doors. Paranoia must have been rife back in those days.
The story of Lin Biao’s life and his ultimate demise was also compelling to learn. According to official reports, Lin Biao (who was second in command by that stage) attempted to assassinate Mao several times before he and his family died in a plane crash while defecting to Russia. Despite all the battles he fought for China and everything he did for the Communist Party, Lin Biao is still officially condemned as a traitor.
Others suggest that was not that case at all. Lin was a war hero and highly respected in the Communist Party, but had apparently become too respected, to the point where Mao got a little nervous. The ‘accidental’ plane crash? More like a pre-emptive strike.
Who knows what really happened? All I know is that the bunker was pretty cool.
Tags: assassination, bunker, China, Communist Party of China, Communists, Hangzhou, history, Lin Biao, lin biao bunker, lin biao underground bunker, Lin Biao's Bunker, Mao Zedong, traitor, underground bunker
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