Hangzhou: My Once-in-a-Lifetime Avoidance (Seriously!)
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I recently came across several posts online:
- "Oh my goodness, everyone please don't come to Hangzhou! The CP Comic Expo (a large fan event for anime and gaming, similar to Comic-Con internationally) seems to deliberately not offer tickets to people who don’t live in Hangzhou. We non-local fans find it very difficult to obtain our tickets (it's rumored they distinguish local buyers by IP addresses). As a result of all this, even with my long distance trip I can't get a ticket. I am very disappointed with the city of Hangzhou and Zhejiang province as a whole. Never will I return again!"
Honestly, reading this kind of post doesn't cause any ripples in my heart and instead evokes a little bit of laughter.
- "If those 'discouraging visitors' posts can reduce the amount of people at Hangzhou’s East Railway Station and Longxiangqiao (both bustling with traffic) on weekends, then ladies I encourage you all to post as many ‘discouraging’ messages as possible. I fully support this!"
- "Do you know? I have never successfully waited in line for a seat at the BBQ restaurant downstairs from Gonglian CC Mall--it’s always packed! But I really want to try their food!"
A reminder (and a little rant) to friends planning a trip to Hangzhou:
- Alert! Hangzhou on weekends and holidays is overcrowded:
- As I mentioned earlier, locations like Hangzhou East Station and Longxiangqiao are often jam-packed with people, to the extent that it may make you question your own existence especially during good weather or holidays.
- So what do we do? If your trip is flexible, try avoiding travel during weekends and Chinese statutory holidays. If unavoidable, try steeling yourself mentally for the sea of people when visiting popular attractions and transportation hubs.
- Regard ticket issues related to big events like the comic expo:
- Some very popular events (like the previously mentioned CP Comic Expo) indeed see extremely difficult ticket acquisitions, and sometimes the host may have policies favoring local residents.
- So what do we do? If you really want to attend a certain event, be sure to closely monitor official announcements regarding ticket purchase and read the rules carefully. Sometimes getting tickets needs both luck and speed!
- Long queues at popular restaurants are commonplace:
- Like the BBQ restaurant downstairs from Gonglian CC mall that I've mentioned, queues waiting for seats are part of dining life in Hangzhou with many hot spots and restaurants having long lines.
- So what do we do? Some of these restaurants can take reservations ahead of time, test your luck there. Or choose times of less crowding such as 3 PM or after 9 PM for meals.
A follow-up update to the post:
- Oh my! Everyone seems so interested in the BBQ restaurant?
- The name of the shop has been left in comments… but I’m not advocating for them (I truly am not). I simply want to mention the high popularity and demand for it. I haven’t been there in some days and wonder if the taste’s changed.
- Everyone should make objective decisions based on their personal taste and review them fairly.
- Why don’t I change the title of this post into “Barbecue Recommendations in Hangzhou” instead? It sounds just as good!
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Which BBQ place is this? I've seen it mentioned a few times now.
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OP, it's this one! When I first started studying in Hangzhou, I went almost every month. Their BBQ is a bit on the sweet side. I've heard their shaved ice is amazing too! (Unfortunately, I was usually with too few people and worried we couldn't finish it, so I never got to try it.)
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That maocai and cake at Chengxi Intime are seriously good... If these 'barriers' could actually make popular spots less crowded on weekends, I'd be all for it.
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I'm on board with that! If only these 'obsessed non-locals' could steer clear of more places, I've been craving BBQ for ages.
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Park Tae院 is really bad, though...
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Now I feel like the OP will have an even harder time getting a table.