West Lake in the Rain

West Lake in Hangzhou, China is one of the foremost tourist destinations for Chinese people.  It is the backdrop for many of the most famous works of classical Chinese literature, most notably much of the poetry of the Song dynasty.  We don't really have a similar place in the West where so many literary references are concentrated into one location; perhaps the best Western parallel would be a visit to the old stomping grounds of the English romantic poets.  Chinese people who visit West Lake take a lot of time to tour all of the famous sites upon which the most famous poems are based; our group opted for a rainy but beautiful boat tour of West Lake.  This picture shows Jenna and Kyle in the stern of the boat snapping some photos.