April in Xiaoshan: A Wonderful Family Trip with Yunbao

Yunbao has traveled with us everywhere since she was three months old. She has seen the sea of Sanya, heard the spring rain of Xitang, tasted the cuisine of Bangkok, and smelled the flowers of Xinjiang. She has accompanied us to so many places, but it always felt somewhat distant from a true family trip, because back then, as an oblivious infant, she was unaware of everything on the journey, lacking a sense of participation—it was as if she was just along for our travels.

When the pendulum of age reached two, when she had learned many skills and had already felt the joy that travel brings, we planned another trip—a true family vacation. This time, the destination is Xiaoshan, a place just across the Qiantang River from our daily life.

Heshang Ancient Town: Feeling Xiaoshan's Rural Memories

Heshang Ancient Town was the first stop of our trip. We happened to encounter the opening ceremony of the Second Xiaoshan Rural Culture and Tourism Festival. Compared with other opening ceremonies, this one was much more down-to-earth. The villagers' enthusiastic dances, the vintage-style costumes, and the bamboo chairs that evoked memories made me, someone born and raised in the countryside, feel very much at home. Such an opening ceremony was not only grounded but also refreshing, perfectly in line with the festival's theme of 'rural culture and tourism.'

Led by the performing villagers, we stepped into Xiaoshan's unique rural memories. At the opening ceremony, we not only enjoyed rustic dances but also tasted Xiaoshan's specialties. Moreover, ten 'Xiaoshan Rural Culture and Tourism Boutique Routes' were launched, covering 'Journey of Staying True to the Original Aspiration,' 'New Look of Ancient Villages Tour,' 'Health and Wellness Journey,' and more, integrating intangible cultural heritage, red tourism, folk culture, health and leisure into tourism, making it more diversified.

This rural culture and tourism festival opening ceremony surprised me far more than just these. The most refreshing part was that it was a processional opening ceremony. Although I have seen processional performances in several scenic areas before, this was my first time seeing a processional opening ceremony. Following the host's steps and commentary, holding Yunbao's hand, we walked into Heshang Ancient Town together.

Heshang Ancient Town is located in the south of Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, at the junction of Xiaoshan, Zhuji, and Fuyang. Its market started forming in the Tang Dynasty. A thousand-year-old market, a thousand-year-old town—everywhere you stroll in Heshang Ancient Town, you can see traces of history. The bluestone roads, weathered by wind and rain countless times, and at a street corner, a building full of old-world charm caught our eye. It was a post office from the last century, called 'post and telecommunications' back then. The door frame was battered but exuded an extraordinary sense of depth.

In Heshang Town, the mountains are lush and green, the scenery is beautiful, and the ecological environment is excellent. The small town features gray bricks and tiles, wooden plank doors, old residences and shops in orderly arrangement, along with mottled window lattices—all depicting the antiquity and past prosperity of Heshang Ancient Town. You never know what surprise awaits you around the next street corner, perhaps an old teahouse or a historic building.

The most beautiful April days on earth, and the spring scenery of April is most enchanting in the countryside of Xiaoshan. Walking into Heshang Old Street, we soaked in the rich Xiaoshan atmosphere: specialty pastries, candy made on the spot by an old master, and the post office from the last century. Amidst the procession, we felt the vibrant spring of beautiful Xiaoshan!

At Mengnasi Manor, Anyone Can Be a Little Princess

Mengnasi Manor is a recently popular Instagram-worthy spot. It has a knight's castle straight out of a fairytale and pure white steeds. Combine the two, and it's the ultimate romance. So I thought of bringing Yunbao to see how a castle from a cartoon becomes reality, and to let her experience riding a white horse.

Upon arriving at Mengnasi Manor, the first thing that catches the eye is this palatial knight's castle. Sculptures, gardens, a horse farm, lawns, a swimming pool, and a reservoir come into view. Birds leisurely fly over the wooded hills, the forest breeze sways the gorgeous hydrangeas in the garden, streams splash, and spring water is crystal clear. The two women I love most are riding on the white horse, together forming a beautiful picture.

Everywhere here are lush flowers and plants, along with animals like cats, dogs, birds, and even horses; outdoor pool, fountain, benches, fences, horse training ground, ruins, and other European-style architecture... Two children of the same age are the most lively and vibrant scenes in the manor. They have their own happy world, chasing, playing, and frolicking on this green meadow far from the hustle and bustle. Watching her smiling face, I feel incredibly content.

Baby Camp: Experiencing Big Kids' Wild Adventure

Living in the city, more and more parents want to take their children into nature for a wild family trip. Perhaps this is the most vivid embodiment of 'nature is the best teacher.' As someone who grew up in the countryside, I increasingly feel that today's children are missing that joy in nature, which was the most precious treasure of my own childhood. After having Yunbao, I have been thinking about how to let her experience the fun I had as a child. Baby Nature Camp provided the answer.

Located in Heshang Town, Xiaoshan, Baby Camp is a spacious campground at the foot of the mountains. It is also the closest natural place to the city in Hangzhou. Arriving at Baby Camp, its rich facilities were eye-opening: party house, library, ATV track, drama classroom, medical room, one-meter vegetable garden, art classroom, pottery workshop, woodworking workshop, stage theater, etc., and there is also a family-style living environment.

Although she is not yet old enough, Yunbao is already very interested in these things. I can imagine that when she is a bit older and comes here, she will definitely have a very enjoyable holiday. At Baby Camp, little ones grow into bigger kids, becoming sensible children who learn skills, know how to share, and get along with others.

Haonan Four Seasons Orchard: Bringing Yunbao Close to Nature

If there is one travel experience Yunbao loves the most besides tasting food, it is definitely picking fruits. Of course, during the picking process, she can't help but taste them too. Since Yunbao was born, going strawberry picking nearby every spring has been a must-do family activity, and Yunbao has always adored this experience. So, this family trip also included fruit picking as an essential activity.

On a sunny April day, we took Yunbao to a must-visit family-friendly attraction in Xiaoshan—Haonan Four Seasons Orchard. This is a large park themed around parent-child rustic fun, featuring an agricultural experience area, a cute pet paradise, a four-season fruit picking zone, tropical fruit greenhouses, starry sky tents, and many other recreational facilities. Upon entering the park, the first thing that catches the eye is a large vegetable garden, where you can let children experience the joy of planting vegetables firsthand and also help them truly understand that every bit of food comes with hard work.

Continuing along the colorful and beautiful boardwalk, you'll reach the cute pet area that kids adore. Inside the pet paradise, adorable miniature horses, flights of white doves, silly little pigs, and naughty alpacas all made Yunbao incredibly curious about these animals she rarely sees in daily life.

I remember every time Yunbao sees a bird flying past the window, she excitedly points and says to us, 'Bird!' And when a flock of white doves circled around us, the excited little girl could not control her feet and trotted after them. Looking at the doves right in front of her, unlike the fleeting birds outside the window, Yunbao was overjoyed. Here, there are also many children's play facilities, such as slides and trampolines. While the kids play, one parent can snatch a half-day of leisure, heading to the nearby slow-life tea bar to drink tea.

Haonan Four Seasons Orchard is not just about getting close to nature; you can also stay in nature. At the innermost part of the park are the very distinctive starry sky tents. The tents are bulb-shaped and almost entirely transparent. When night falls, you can lie in bed inside the tent and admire the stunning starry sky, and also share with Yunbao some stories about stars that I heard as a child. Although they are transparent, you don't need to worry about privacy, because the room has curtains all around that can be drawn. The large lawn in front of the tent is also a great place for parent-child time.

Of course, when visiting Haonan Four Seasons Orchard, the most unmissable thing is fruit picking. To allow for year-round picking, there are planting areas for different seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as mulberry, peach, cherry, blueberry, grape, and dragon fruit zones.

In April, in the four-season fruit picking area, cherry fruits like rubies were within Yunbao's reach as she stood by herself, sweet and sour, incredibly delicious. In a little while, the mulberries will also turn red.

Visiting the Zhejiang Museum of Modern Ceramic Art and Experiencing Pottery Making

'A history of ceramics is half in Zhejiang.' Right in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, by the Xiang Lake, the kiln fire has been passed down to this day. The only museum in Zhejiang Province dedicated to modern ceramic art is located here, called the Zhejiang Museum of Modern Ceramic Art. It is also a great destination for family trips.

I have been to Xiang Lake many times, but I never knew there was such a niche museum hidden beside it, only hearing about it for the first time when planning this family trip. Following the navigation, we arrived at the museum, but cars can only be parked in the parking lot across the road. Walking along the lake, hydrangea petals carpeted the ground—another kind of spring scenery. Crossing an ancient bridge, we arrived at this modern ceramic art museum.

The museum is located on Meishan Island in Xiang Lake. The island is verdant with green hills and clear water, lush vegetation, chirping birds, and fragrant flowers. The shimmering water on all sides, with kiln silhouettes and bridge reflections complementing each other, creates a uniquely advantageous artistic environment. The chimney of the original brick kiln factory has been safely preserved, adding a layer of historical depth to the museum. Many designs in this museum are very distinctive, such as the old brick kiln creatively transformed into exhibition halls, and the distinctive cultural creative products displayed in the museum.

The museum has a building area of about 1,400 square meters, divided into five ceramic exhibition halls. Among them, Halls 1, 2, and 4 are collection halls, mainly displaying ceramic painted works by Chinese arts and crafts masters, academic professors, and senior craft artists. Halls 3 and 5 are personal exhibition halls for contracted artists, showcasing ceramic art pieces with unique personal styles and charm.

Here, not only can you and Yunbao visit the distinctive arched cave kilns, but you can also experience making pottery with your own hands under a teacher's guidance, shaping clay on the wheel in a proper manner. This not only enhances hands-on skills but also allows you to feel the unique charm of ceramics more deeply.

Changqiao Polar Ocean Park: A Must-Visit on Hangzhou Family Trips

In Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, there is a great place for family trips where you can see almost all kinds of polar animals, large marine mammals, marine creatures, and terrestrial animals in one go—this is Changqiao Polar Ocean Park.

Having lived in Hangzhou for a long time, I had always known about Changqiao Polar Ocean Park, but only as a marine park suitable for family trips, nothing more. On this family trip, we took Yunbao here as our final stop, hoping she would have a great time.

Just at the entrance, Yunbao was already so fascinated that she couldn't move on—by the lifelike whale sculptures, cute penguin images, and beautiful mermaid statues. Changqiao Polar Ocean Park has a total of 19 exhibition venues, 5 performance theaters, and 5 themed restaurants. It is home to hundreds of polar animals and marine mammals such as penguins, polar bears, belugas, dolphins, walruses, manatees, and pilot whales, as well as thousands of aquatic organisms and terrestrial animals like sharks, jellyfish, corals, and brown bears. It is a new-type marine park that combines polar animal and marine fish displays with polar experiences, boasting a wide variety of whale and dolphin species in China.

The Jellyfish Hall was our first stop. Here, we not only saw jellyfish of various shapes floating freely in the water, their graceful postures captivating us; we could also see jellyfish from tiny eggs to all stages of growth. Yunbao kept exclaiming to us, 'So this is what baby jellyfish look like!' That sentence captures the greatest meaning of the journey—gaining knowledge you wouldn't find in textbooks.

Many people are endlessly fascinated by the ocean floor, so they dive again and again to explore the underwater world. What exactly is on the seabed? Fish schools, corals, that vast blue... All of this is at Changqiao Polar Ocean Park. Here, you can not only see all kinds of rare fish that are rarely seen in daily life, such as arapaima and alligator gar, but also encounter the legendary 'mermaid'—the manatee we know well. Under the guide's explanation, we finally understood why manatees are called mermaids.

The entire polar ocean park is not only situated by the lake but also built along the mountain, so going up and down steps is common during the visit. Also, be sure to pick up a map at the entrance to make the whole experience smoother. In addition to polar marine animals, there are also some common zoo animals, such as wolves and guinea pigs.

Beluga Sea is one of Changqiao's most distinctive attractions—a building of over 8,000 square meters where dozens of belugas live. It features a beluga underwater tunnel, a beluga restaurant, and a large beluga population. Inside this ecologically simulated venue, you can not only get close to belugas at the water's surface but also enjoy the scene of entire pods of belugas swimming overhead through the underwater tunnel. The venue has two performance theaters with a capacity of over 2,000 people, where you can admire belugas' beautiful dances and superb performance skills.

Rainforest Dolphin Bay: Here, there is the Whale and Dolphin Bay exhibiting pilot whales and dolphins; the Great Barrier Reef displaying corals and reef fish; the Deep-Sea Wonders showing large marine fish like sharks, sea turtles, and devil rays; and the Mysterious Amazon Rainforest featuring seabirds and freshwater creatures.

Of course, the most unmissable here is the dolphin theater performance. Dolphins have always been known as the gentlest animals in the ocean, and thus they are also the easiest to bond with their keepers.

Here, every dolphin has its own dedicated trainer. The trainer is not only their keeper but also their companion, performing together. Watching dolphins with so many skills, Yunbao could hardly believe her eyes.

What is your first impression of a marine park? A variety of marine life, or spectacular performances? For me, Hangzhou Changqiao Polar Ocean Park feels both subversive and dreamlike. Come to Changqiao to start a magical adventure and explore the mysteries of the deep ocean.

We were a bit tired, but looking at Yunbao, still full of energy after a whole day of play, we couldn't help but sigh that fun is indeed the best teacher. Penguin Island was our last stop in the Changqiao animal area. It is a display venue specially built for polar penguins, covering about 3,000 square meters, divided into multi-level display spaces underwater, at the surface, and above water. Arriving at Penguin Island, we happened to see the keepers feeding the penguins. The adorable, loopy penguins—Yunbao even imitated their cute waddling gait.

Why do I say Penguin Island was our last stop in the animal area? Because Changqiao not only has traditional animal viewing areas but also a small children's playground with a fun name—Little Sea Turtle Paradise. Entering the playground, the buildings looked just like something from a cartoon, with bizarre shapes and vibrant colors. That's why Yunbao started playing everywhere as soon as she entered.

Little Sea Turtle Paradise is an interactive experiential family theme park based on ocean fairy tales. Although not very large, it has a full range of amusement facilities: 'Wonder House,' 'Children's Kart Racing,' 'Little Architects,' 'Angry Bear,' 'Pirate Ship,' 'Four-Directional Frog Jump,' 'Crazy Conch'...

And Yunbao's favorite was still the carousel. This carousel even had a zone for double-speed spinning. I kept accelerating, watching Yunbao laugh with boundless joy. By that moment, I was already dizzy, but as long as she was happy, it was fine.

Resting in Nature: Seabird Land

A persistent feeling in the heart, waiting calmly. I look forward to a kind of happiness. A thousand misses, a thousand turn-backs, all just to find a warm home for the heart...

Xiaoshan offers a great variety of accommodations, especially many distinctive guesthouses. While planning this trip, we learned about some of them, which truly impressed me. For our stay this time, we chose Kaiyuan Seabird Land, nestled in nature.

Bamboo forests, a courtyard, and ancient ginkgo trees are the most distinctive features here. Kaiyuan Yiju Seabird Land is located in Xiamen Village, Heshang Town, Xiaoshan, centered around a 150-year-old house. The white-walled, black-tiled old Jiangnan residence is tucked away in a green bamboo grove. Surrounded by green hills and bamboo, with a babbling stream in front, the air is fresh and the water clear. Nature has bestowed Seabird Land with a unique pristine ecological environment. Breathe in the high concentration of negative oxygen ions from the vegetation, and get close to nature in an intimate way.

Seabird Land Boutique Guesthouse has 12 family duplex suites, all with independent living rooms and terraces. Every window opens to a view of mountains and water, offering beautiful scenery. For our family trip, there are also very cute family-themed rooms. The baby room was meticulously arranged with adorable bedding, themed mats, and a toddler bed with stairs. As soon as Yunbao spotted this room, she immediately climbed onto the bed.

Xiaoshan, a place that has given us so many joyful parent-child moments. I look forward to when Yunbao grows up, and we can come back here together again, wondering what kind of travel stories will unfold.