MusicTreks.org - About Xīhú Suite

When we visited Xīhú (pro-nounced she-hoo) at Hangzhou (hong-chō) in China’s Zhejiang Province, we were immediately struck by the astounding beauty and serenity of the lake and its surroundings. For Chinese and Westerners alike, a pilgrimage to Xīhú (English translation, “West Lake”) can be a transcendent experience, inspiring the contemplative and the meditative in the human spirit.

In the 8th century, the marshy ground on the western edge of Hangzhou was dredged to create a lake surrounded by parks and gardens. The fame of Xīhú spread, and during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 to 1279), Hangzhou became a vibrant center of Buddhism and Taoism. The wealth of the region made possible the construction of many temples that we can visit today, a thousand years later. The area remains an important locus of Chan Buddhism.

Many Chinese – and many Westerners who have spent time at Xīhú – believe it to be the most beautiful site in all of China. For more than a thousand years, painters and poets from across China have come to Xīhú for inspiration. In much of Chinese art, we can see the willows and ferns surrounding the lake; the Lotus blossoms floating in forest pools; the water birds and butterflies; and the plum and peach trees flowering along the shore.

Our experience at Xīhú was unforgettable.

Among the sites we filmed for the Xīhú Suite are the Lingyin Temple and Feilai Feng Grottoes. The Lingyin Temple, literally translated as “Temple of the Soul’s Retreat,” is preeminent among the Buddhist temples in the Wulin Mountains on the west shore of the lake. It’s one of the largest temples in China. According to legend, the temple was founded by the Indian monk Huili, in 328 A.D.

The Feilai Feng Grottoes are part of the Lingyin Temple complex. According to legend, the mountain where the grottoes are located was miraculously transported to China from India; hence the name Feilai Feng (literally, “the peak that flew hither”). The Grottoes, with Buddhist figures carved in caves and into the limestone cliffs, include 150 shrines and more than 400 carvings, some dating from the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907).

For more about the Xīhú Suite and traditional Chinese music, click here

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