Nanjing Countryside Tour: Caowang Village

Travel time: March 2020

Travel mode: self-driving

Itinerary: Caowang Village Reservoir – Fenglin Town Small Hill – Caowang Village – Shishanxia Village – Fujiabian Shanao Village (passed by) – Wuxiangshan Tianchi

A few years ago, I read an article called "Village Tour Map" about rural development, and learned that in Shishanxia Village, Lishui District, there was a Weijianshan Xiangju Hotel, the first rural inn in Nanjing. I had been longing to visit. Years slipped by, and this time, due to the extended holiday from the pandemic and the explicit "stay-at-home order" that we couldn't leave Nanjing, I decided to check out this countryside inn right at our doorstep! I set the navigation to Shishanxia Village. After exiting the highway, I drove on the S246 provincial road. Traveling through the green hills and clear waters of Jingqiao Town, Lishui District, I saw wide scenic drives, straight roads, gentle curves, green shade trees on both sides, and rows of peach trees in full bloom. The beautiful scenery instantly brightened our mood.

The lovely roads not only connected these beautiful villages but also became beautiful scenic routes in their own right. In the vast landscape, the scarcity of vehicles made the world feel even more expansive.

I left the provincial road and turned onto a beautiful county road.

The county road was just as pleasing: asphalt surface, wide and smooth. Not only were the roadside views lovely, with birdsong and flower fragrance, but the vegetation on both sides was rich. Looking out, patches of green in varying shades lifted the spirits.

The road stretched across the land, threading through hills and through green forests.

It wound around the mountains, gentle as a silk ribbon.

The beautiful scenery made us stop. In an open area in the forest, a pool of emerald water was nestled. The map showed this was Caowang Village Reservoir.

Looking at the map, I got a sense of the nearby villages.

Next to the asphalt road was a wide red pathway, a sign of the fitness concept reaching both city and countryside.

A large expanse of trees looked like peach trees, but I wasn't sure.

A winding path led up a rolling hill. Curious, I deviated from the navigation to Shishanxia and drove onto this small mountain road.

It turned out this spot that had made us stop was the Fenglin Bamboo Seedling Base in Jingqiao Town.

Rolling hills embraced a pool of clear water.

The undulating hills were rich in vegetation, with layers of color.

A few scattered peach blossoms confirmed my guess.

I followed the road uphill, with steep slopes and sharp turns. I stepped on the gas pedal while a bit worried about the downhill part, but curiosity pushed me on.

I drove all the way to the top of Fengxiangling hill, where I parked at a small flat area. Amid the greenery at the summit stood a small hexagonal pavilion.

On the other side was a small square pavilion.

The vast, distant summit made the strong, chilly wind of the day even more palpable.

From the hilltop, the natural scenery of mountains, ponds, and field ridges unfolded vast and profound, and my heart expanded with it.

The forests blanketed the hills in green, while at my feet were rows of white greenhouses. Close by, the flooded fields shimmered in the sunlight, and in the distance, rolling hills stretched, with a patch of yellow rapeseed flowers adding a bright stroke to the green.

Colorful woodlands encircled the reservoir.

Pathways wound through the forest at my feet.

The village below shrank into a flat map, everything at my feet. Looking up, I could see the pure blue of the sky; closing my eyes, I could feel the force of the wind. Farmhouses and fertile fields formed a tranquil ink-wash painting of the countryside. Seeing the beautiful village below, I suddenly wanted to approach it. So I decided to turn off the navigation and go over this hill to the village at its foot.

The mountain road was winding and steep. I didn't dare drive ahead recklessly; instead, I walked a stretch, observed the upcoming curves, then returned to the car. With a clear mental picture, I drove much more calmly.

The hill wasn't high; after two sharp bends, I arrived at the village I had seen from the hilltop—Caowang Village.

Simple, clean village lanes.

The white-walled, blue-tiled buildings had a strong Huizhou-style charm. With the season in full bloom, pink peach blossoms, redbuds, and clusters of crimson flowers made the plain white walls elegantly beautiful.

On a white wall, bright windows and a few strokes of colorful painting depicted the village rules of Caowang Village, turning the whole wall into a picture.

The eaves of the village houses were beautifully structured and varied.

Looking closely, each eave shared similarities but had slight differences, creating a sense of neatness yet artistic variety.

There were also some charming old houses in the village.

White pear blossoms complemented the weathered charm perfectly.

The courtyard walls were built with bricks of different shapes, forming various patterns. I really liked them and thought about using such a brick wall as a background for a portrait. But as I tried to get close, several dogs in the yard barked furiously. Their ferocity scared me—someone already afraid of dogs—so I gave up and just took a distant photo of the wall. The village dogs were still faithfully guarding their homes.

On the east side of Caowang Village, there was a sizable Jingqiao Agricultural Exhibition Hall, but its gates were tightly closed due to the pandemic.

On the east side of the village, there was also a brand-new Cao Ancestral Hall.

The little mythical beasts on the pillars in front of the hall were incredibly lifelike.

This ancestral hall used a mixed architectural style, quite artistic.

The interior of the ancestral hall was currently empty.

A village road ran in front of the hall.

Facing the ancestral hall was a large waterwheel.

On the other side of the village road were fields, ponds, and greenhouses, presenting a scene of abundance.

The beautiful asphalt road leading to the outside world was lined with greenhouses stretched out in a row.

Back on track, we drove away from Caowang Village toward our original destination—Shishanxia Village. Along County Road 201, the scenery was beautiful. Vast green rice paddies and large golden rapeseed flower fields formed a pastoral patchwork.

These delightful views made us stop to take photos. Across the road, two dogs barked at us relentlessly, once again showing the power of rural watchdogs. They kept barking until they saw us get back into the car, then they quieted down.

Never mind where the destination is—the scenery is all along the way.