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Mid-Autumn moon-enjoying at the West Lake, Qiantang tide watching, sight-seeing of scenic spots and historical sites at Linguan, the tide watching site.
Hangzhou has a colorful autumn and, when the Mid-Autumn Festival comes on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, people here will celebrate it with a conviviality only next to that of the Spring Festival. At the time, full-blown sweet-scented osmanthus can be found everywhere aound the West Lake, while chrysanthemum in bud paints everything in bright yellow. Families will gather together and enjoy the full moon and melodious songs and music. In addition, the autumn tide of the Qiantang River would come rolling in, arousing lofty sentiments in the visitors.
The Qiantang River, from the Haining Guanlin, 45 km to the east of Hangzhou, to the Wenjia Weir at the Xiao Hill to the west of the city, is 80 km long. Its unparalleled spectacle has long been a world wonder, being equally famous with the tide surge of the Amazon River.
Induced by the gravitation of the moon and the sun, the huge tide will display itself from the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar to the fifth and from the middle of the month to 20th. According to the tradition and custom of Hangzhou, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the Tide Watching Festival, when visitors come in crowds like a tide surge, the two tides echoing each other at a distance. However, there are few people watching the tide at other days, when visitors can drive their cars after the tide to Babao and Old Lincang to "see three tides at the same time", experiencing a thorough enjoyment.
At the tide-watching spot Linguan, the highest tide surge is up to 3.5 meters, with a maximum speed of 9.6 meters per second. Even in its normal conditions, one can see the grand spectacle of "silver mountains rolling on the ground and millions of horses at a gallop". If visitors come to watch it at night, the tide would produce a soul-stirring effect.
There are many scenic spots and historical sites in Linguan for visitors to explore before or after their watch the tide. They primarily include the Zhan'ao Pagoda, Haishen Temple, Old Residence of Chen, Imperial Stele, and stone columns inscribed with Buddhist Classics.