Couchsurfing in China: Yingtian Pagoda

One evening in Shaoxing, we pretended like it was not raining and made our way to Tashan Park to see Yingtian Pagoda. After browsing the market, we walked through the beautifully landscaped and peaceful park, climbing the hill to the entrance of the pagoda.

We paid the small entrance fee, noting that, according to the posted hours, we had at least an hour to explore the pagoda and surrounding area.

And that's when the small Chinese man started chasing us. Literally, he followed us the entire time, rushing us through the levels of the pagoda. "Kuài diǎn, kuài diǎn!" he repeated, assuming that I would understand what he was saying and adding hand signals for emphasis. "Hurry up, hurry up!" may have been what he said, but I am fairly certain what he meant was "I am lazy and want to go home early today, so hurry up even though these stairs were built for skinny people and you will barely fit." He was very insistent.

Despite being rushed, I still took time to admire the intricate details of the pagoda's construction.

Even more incredible were the views of Shaoxing from the higher levels.

I think the Chinese man was annoyed that I took so many pictures. Sometimes, I may have intentionally slowed down the picture taking process. Or taken more pictures than strictly necessary. Because I paid my entrance fee, dang it.

After being hurried through the pagoda and exiting at least 30 minutes before closing time, the doors were locked behind us.

Perhaps the visit Yingtian Pagoda was a bit shorter than planned, but pictures and memories last forever. After all, it's not every day one is chased through the steep, increasingly narrow stairs of a Chinese pagoda.