By Rajinder Pal Devgan
Hangzhou, 3 Oct: Hangzhou is not only the City of Poets but also The House of Silk. It is one of the 7 ancient Capitals of China. Its history dates back to 4,700 years ago.
Marco Polo described it as the most luxurious city in the world.
The West Side Lake is the most popular and a great attraction for visitors.
Travelling around the city is sheer pleasure. Cleanliness is very pronounced – you cannot but help observe it. All over the town there are numerous tunnels, some under the lake, beautifully lit. There are lovely walks along the river. The parks are full of lovely sculptures. The city is very rich in culture.
Yesterday, I made a quick visit to the Zoo. Animals fascinate me, rarer the better. Besides, how could have I returned to India without seeing the famous Panda.
There he sat in a corner munching bamboo leaves. All of three years old, he looked so very furry and cuddly. Pandas live to be about 33 years.
The Zoo was unusually crowded. We are in the middle of a week’s holiday in honour of the National Day.
Inspite of the huge crowd, there was hardly any noise or elbowing. All very well managed and organised. You can see discipline ingrained in the People of China. There was absolutely no sign of commotion or noise pollution.
Back to Athletics. Indians kept up their winning spree.
The first race saw the Indians winning Silver and Bronze medals in the Women’s 3000 Steeplechase.
Singaporean Pareira had the stadium on its feet winning the 200 metres for women. She added a Gld to her Silver in 100 metres. The Hurdles races never seem short of excitement. The judges couldn’t separate the two winners at the end of the race. After much deliberation and suspense for a good three minutes, even the photo finish failed to separate the two. Eventually the former Japanese Asian Games champion and the Kuwaiti were both awarded gold medals, a fair result.
On Tuesday, the excitement continues and hopefully the Indian athletes will continue their winning streak.
(RP Devgan is an Educator and Sportsman.)
