杭州 · Hangzhou

Food

• 来一份东坡肉。lái yí fèn dōng pō ròu。One portion of Dongpo pork.It is soft, fatty, and leans sweet.
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• 我要龙井。wǒ yào lóng jǐng。I want Longjing.龙井 is the green tea. Say it at a tea counter.
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• 这是西湖醋鱼吗？zhè shì xī hú cù yú ma？Is this West Lake vinegar fish?The fish is cooked sour-sweet, not fried crisp.
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• 不要太甜。bú yào tài tián。Not too sweet.Use it when you order a second dish beside the pork.
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Scenery

• 西湖怎么走？xī hú zěn me zǒu？How do I get to West Lake?The public paths go around the water.
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• 我想坐船。wǒ xiǎng zuò chuán。I want to take a boat.The boat is a ticket. The path is not.
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• 断桥在哪儿？duàn qiáo zài nǎr？Where is the Broken Bridge?断桥 is a bridge on the north shore, not a ruined one.
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• 请慢一点。qǐng màn yì diǎn。Please go slower.Use it on a boat or a rented bike.
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Culture

• 可以看一下茶叶吗？kě yǐ kàn yíxià chá yè ma？May I see the tea leaves?Look at the dry leaves before you buy a tin.
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• 这是西湖龙井吗？zhè shì xī hú lóng jǐng ma？Is this West Lake Longjing?西湖龙井 is the tea from the hills by the lake, not every green tea.
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• 这是明前的吗？zhè shì míng qián de ma？Is this pre-Qingming?明前 means picked before Qingming. It costs more. Ask, then look at the price.
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• 西湖边要买票吗？xī hú biān yào mǎi piào ma？Do I need a ticket by the lake?The open shore is free. A named garden may not be.
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• The shore

  The lakeside paths are open. Buy a ticket for a boat or for a garden that posts one, not for standing by the water.

• The tea

  Longjing is green tea from the hills west of the lake. A very low price is a reason to ask 这是西湖龙井吗？

• The pork

  Dongpo pork is braised until it is soft. The sauce is sweet-savory. 不要太甜 is for the rest of the table.

One day

A day and a taste. Four lines to say, morning through evening. It is not a booking and not a ticket time.

A shop sign

Optional. A photo of a sign comes back as one phrase to say next. The photo is not stored. If the characters don't come back, the page does not invent a shop.