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April 20, 2017

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Riverside street blends culture, nature and charm

By Xu Wenwen | 00:01 UTC+8 April 20, 2017 | Print Edition

COMPLEXES housing restaurants, gyms and shops are everywhere in Hangzhou, but Xiaohezhi Street is one of the few that blends the natural and cultural landscapes.

Here, restaurants, flower stores and fashion boutiques are housed in traditional black-roofed, white-walled houses along the Xiaohe River, a branch of the Grand Canal.

Criss-crossed with lanes and bridges along the river, visitors can do everything from experiencing traditional country life to consulting traditional Chinese medicine therapists to tasting French pastries.

Today, Shanghai Daily takes a closer look at what’s on offer.

Folk life

Despite its tourist bustle and trendy renovated traditional buildings, scenic Xiaohezhi Street is still a living residential area, with a long history.

People have lived on this commercial and residential street since as early as the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

With the recent mild and sunny days, locals put tables outside to play poker, Chinese chess and mahjong, eat dinner or just to enjoy a watermelon.

Many residents have opened their homes to small teahouses, noodle stalls, mahjong rooms or to offer foot massages.

With just a simple sign hanging on their gate, they offer a truly local experience.

One, the Lao Qiao Tou Noodle Restaurant (老桥头面馆, 1-6 Xiaohezhi Street) is a popular neighborhood rendezvous. This small establishment started two decades ago with just a few tables, serving cheap noodles to laborers working around the area.

And instead of using tables, many of the customers put their dish on a stool and eat from a smaller stool. These days, the small shop has a big reputation for cheap and tasty noodles. The business is thriving.

Modern lifestyle

In the recent years, more upscale houses have been developed near Xiaohezhi Street, attracting fancy stores, cafes and Western restaurants to the street.

Capelin Peng, owner of In Season Flower Store (5 Xiaohezhi Street), says the local neighborhood is a major source of business.

“Before, people bought flowers only during holidays and festivals, but now many buy flowers to decorate their homes,” Peng says.

The store’s signature products are French-style and Korean-style bouquets. It provides a monthly service that delivers bouquets to customers’ homes.

The bouquets are tailor-made for the customers’ tastes and the size of their vases.

Xiaohezhi Street’s serene natural atmosphere is another lure for entrepreneurs.

Li Lin has her Hangzhou Purification Yoga Yard (杭州瑜伽小院 40-5 Xiaohe Donghexia) near a bridge.

“I hope our customers can gain energy from nature while they practise,” Li says.

Personal trainers create tailor-made courses in classical and aerial yoga,

In the block, there are several cafes, bars and art studios.

Food

Restaurants in the block provide food ranging from typical Hangzhou to Western cuisine.

Susie Xu recently opened Susie’s Restaurant (酥心, 30 Xiaohe Donghexia) offering Chinese food as well as French-style pastries.

The restaurant does not sell a single style of cuisine, but all the dishes share a common theme: They are not light.

“I love spicy or salty foods, and I like a dessert after having them,” Xu says.

“I found many friends are the same, so I opened this restaurant.”

Professionally trained in French pastries, Xu personally oversees the desserts. She reduces the sugar to suit local palates.

Next door, the Yue Jie Restaurant
(越界, 28 Xiaohe Donghexia) also offers Chinese food, Chinese tea, as well as a Western-style afternoon tea.

Many restaurants in the block sit along the river.

On sunny days, they recommend seats in the open-air corridor next to the Xiaohe River.

The view of the water, bridge and old houses can be quite relaxing.

Yun Shui Yao Theme Restaurant (云水谣主题餐厅, 17-23 Xiaohe Donghexia) serves food from Yunnan and Guizhou, two provinces known for their ethnic minorities.

The restaurant features Yunnan and Guizhou-style knickknacks everywhere, including tablecloths with colorful stripes, square paper lanterns, bonsai trees, Buddha statues and photos of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

The best-seller is hand-picked mutton. In the northwest, many dishes are eaten with the hands, yet the name, hand-picked mutton, tells diners that this is a delicacy. The large serving is lightly stewed, but served dry.

Hangzhou


 

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