【柯桥发布】Thomas rides in Keqiao｜Spring in Xialü履间有春味

Spring in Xialü 履间有春味

Hello everyone, it’s Thomas again. A few days ago, we took in the sea of flowers in the city. Next, it’s time to take a trip through the beautiful countryside of Keqiao - to Xialü, one of the top 500 ecological towns in the world.

大家好，我是托马斯。前几天，我们欣赏了城市里的花海，接下来，该去柯桥的美丽乡村转一转了。今天我们的目的地是全球生态500佳小镇——夏履镇。

In my home country of the Netherlands, we are also blessed with an abundance of beautiful rural scenery, but Xialü is a beauty of another kind, bursting with everything from ancient awe to modern marvels. Here, at the Yuechi Liangji Stables, you can achieve the timeless martial arts dream - one man, one sword, and one horse roaming the world, while also taking on the latest trends in equestrian and riding training, experiencing the speed and passion of man and beast like never before.

在我的家乡荷兰，也有非常美丽的乡村风光，而夏履是另一种美：充满时尚、新潮气息。这是位于莲东村的越驰良骥马场，你能在这里实现一人一剑一马走天涯的武侠梦，也能进行马术学习，体验速度与激情。

The beauty of Xialü lies in its unique combination of stirring and stillness - past and present. Here we come to Xiaoshao Ancient Road, a path already renowned 1,700 years ago, and a vital link connecting the Xiao and Yue (Shaoxing) kingdoms. The foliage we can see here have witnessed changes in the world and their surroundings we can only imagine. Recent years have seen the government carry out large initiatives to repair and restore the road to its former glory, attracting greater numbers of tourists and lovers of culture and health alike to revel in Xialü’s serene, serpentine paths.

夏履的美是动静结合的。这里是萧绍古道，早在1700多年前就已非常有名，是古时连接萧绍的要道。这里的一草一木，曾见证了岁月的变迁。这些年来，政府对古道进行了修复，吸引了越来越多游客前来夏履踏春。

Towering and straight bamboo branches rise from both sides of the ancient road… a fraction of Xialü’s 3295 total acres. The Netherlands, for all its natural splendor, lacks the climate for bamboo, as does most of the Western world. Thus such sturdy, verdant seas are a wonder for my eyes. Bamboo is not only a feast for the eyes, but the palate as well, producing shoots that turn to one of spring’s most beloved delicacies every year. One single bamboo shoot, in the hands of an experienced Xialü villager, can produced an entire table of dishes… a bounty I had the pleasure of enjoying after joining them in digging the delicacy from the cool, fertile soil.

你们看古道两边都是一枝枝挺拔的竹子，夏履共有这样的竹林2万多亩。由于气候原因，荷兰没有野生的竹林，这样的竹海让我很震撼。竹子不仅好看，还能长出好吃的竹笋，是人们在春天最喜欢的一道美食。这里的人们很厉害，一棵笋能做出一桌菜。今天，在村民的带领下，我亲自体验挖笋。

Spring shoots not quite yet sprouted or just having seen the sunshine are the most tender - but finding them is the most technical task. When the soil appears soft and slightly raised, the possibility of newly-formed shoots underneath is high. But the process is akin to a lottery - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose… but when your ticket hits, there’s no feeling like it in the world.

未冒头及刚冒头的春笋最鲜嫩，但要找到它们，是一个技术活。泥土出现松软、微微隆起时，底下很可能是新笋。这个过程有点像买彩票，有时候会落空，但当你挖到大竹笋时，绝对会成就感满满。

For villagers, a bountiful harvest of bamboo not only means a bounty of dishes on the table, but a wealth of money in the bank. Setting up shop among the several hundred meters of stalls across Liandong village’s bamboo shoot market, people line up from as far as Xiaoshan to buy their wares… still damp from spring rains bestowing all below with the vitality, excitement, and laughter of the season.

对村民来说，一场竹笋的丰收，象征着一笔不菲收入。莲东村口有一个竹笋集市，村民在这里摆起了几百米长的摊位，听说不少人专门从萧山赶来买笋。一场春雨，不但带来了生机，也带来了热闹和欢声笑语。

Would you like a taste? 

The Xialü Spring Bamboo Shoot Festival is almost upon us.

From tastes to delight your senses, 

to digging and discovering to satisfy your every curiosity,

everything and anything bamboo is here. 

Waiting for you!

你想品尝雨后春笋的鲜味吗？

夏履春笋节马上就要开幕了，

想体验挖笋、尝笋的你，

一定要来看看。