【Autumn Tour of Jiangnan】A One-Week Journey of Free Red Leaves, Gingko and Red Walls, Little Bridges and Streams, Jiangnan Gardens, and City Nightscapes~

Working every day with no long holidays? Can't find a travel buddy? Can't go abroad because of the pandemic? Well, I can't help you with those, but I can recommend a one-week autumn route with free-entry sights, including red leaves, ginkgo trees against red walls, little bridges and flowing streams, Jiangnan gardens, and city nightscapes. Let me tell you all about it~

Flights from Guangzhou to Nanjing are under 300 yuan, so just buy them~ It seems like flights to Nanjing from most cities across the country are pretty affordable, so keep an eye out.

Before departing, I read a lot about Nanjing. Generally, as the ancient capital of six dynasties, it's quite a laid-back city. The feng shui layout of Nanjing is interesting; you can look it up if you're curious, but I won't go into it here.

Landing in Nanjing, it felt like I'd finally arrived in a city with real autumn.

My first stop was Qingliangshan Park's Ginkgo Valley. A vast expanse of golden ginkgo leaves was exactly the autumn color I was after. The valley has over 300 ginkgo trees, and mid-November is the best viewing period. The park also holds a month-long 'Qingliangshan Ginkgo Cultural Tourism Festival.' I arrived a bit late this time, but aside from thick fallen leaves on the ground, the trees were still lush and beautiful.

Taking advantage of the sparse crowd, I quickly set up my tripod to capture this autumn scene with me in it (wide-angle lenses really are amazing for making your legs look longer). While I was having fun, two young women suddenly appeared in front of my camera, watching me closely. Out of politeness, I chatted with them and learned they were also traveling in Nanjing and had an evening flight home, so this was their last sight. So, I offered to take a few photos for them, and they took a Polaroid of me. We exchanged WeChat and said goodbye.

After they left, I kept looking for good angles for selfies. But as more people arrived, I gave up and headed to the next spot. (Sorry for all the selfies!)

With about two hours until sunset, I left Ginkgo Valley and took a taxi straight to Mochou Lake Park. Chatting with the driver, I learned that locals also often visit the park. It's not free but not expensive—I think 35 yuan. But actually, the security guard at the gate just scans a QR code for you, and you only pay 20 yuan. I know nothing else about that.

The Mochou Lake area inside is a classic Jiangnan garden and a relic of the Six Dynasties. The story of Mochou is also shown in the park; you can check it out if interested. I strolled around and enjoyed the red maple and ginkgo leaves.

I had planned to walk along the lakeshore, but it was really cold by the water this time of year, and dusk was falling. After a short walk, I felt like my nose would freeze off, so I quickly left...

In the evening, I went to Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) Pedestrian Street, but I was so busy shooting video that I didn't take any photos, so for this part you'll have to check out the video at the beginning. Fuzimiao is like Beijing Road in Guangzhou, Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, or Wangfujing in Beijing—a place to stroll, snack, and snap some photos or videos to make your friends jealous when they see your evening social media posts.

The next day, I woke up naturally and had a late breakfast (or early lunch) of a steamer of soup dumplings and a bowl of duck blood wontons before heading out. I also want to recommend the duck blood vermicelli soup and handmade fish fillet noodles I had the day before—affordable and delicious. But... I forget the restaurant name; there are quite a few handmade noodle shops in Nanjing.

Taking the metro to Gulou Station, it was a five-minute walk. Nanjing Drum Tower was first built in 1382 (the 15th year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty) on a grand scale and with high specifications, but it was later destroyed in war. The current Gulou Park is small, and you can finish walking around in half an hour, but if you like taking photos, you might stay over an hour—like me. The red walls with yellow leaves and perfect sunlight made for great pictures.

A short walk from another metro stop brings you to one of the entrances of Xuanwu Lake Park. Right at the gate, I ran into a Cantonese-speaking tour group just leaving. They took a group photo at the entrance and looked like they were done, while I was just heading in (rolling my eyes). I didn't plan to walk the whole park anyway, since it’s tiring; I mainly came to photograph the evening ginkgo-lined avenue. (I encountered several photography masters capturing the scenery, so I quietly waited until they finished before setting up my tripod for a selfie.) Xuanwu Lake Park is free, but the adjacent city wall costs 30 yuan to climb. The park is quite large—for details, check the video at the beginning~

In the evening, you can visit Laomendong, which is near Fuzimiao Pedestrian Street. Unfortunately, I didn't make it there; I took a few video clips and left—because I was lazy...

Early morning, I took the high-speed train to Shaoxing North Station. Anchang Ancient Town isn't far from the station; you can take a taxi or bus. The old town is not big, and you can explore it in a day on foot. It's free to enter, though some sights require tickets (combo tickets available). I wasn't keen on visiting specific spots, so I didn't buy tickets. It's a great place for photography, especially for cured meats and Jiangnan water-town scenes. If you come in the twelfth lunar month, you might catch the 'Layue (Preserved Meat) Festival' with rich folk activities, but I didn't. Fans of cured meats can buy and have them shipped home. I watched the production process closely—it was interesting, and I quickly snapped photos. I tried a small cured quail, but it wasn't very tasty; the meat was a bit greasy and tough. Maybe it needs the right cooking method to bring out the flavor. The stinky tofu was also mediocre—not as good as what I had in Zhuji. So I stuck to photography.

The next day, I took a bus to Lu Xun's Hometown. All the sights there are free with an ID card. I mainly visited Sanwei Study, the Baicao Garden, Lu Xun's former residence, and the Lu Xun Memorial Hall. Lu Xun's family estate was really not small, and half a day passed quickly. You can also take a local black-awning boat to tour the surroundings, but I think it's better to do that at Cangqiao Straight Street, where the canals are wider. Check prices online in advance.

Shaoxing is a relaxed city, and on weekdays the sights aren't crowded, so you can wander freely. The architecture of Lu Xun's former residence is typical of Jiangnan traditional houses: white walls, black tiles, and a layout similar to northern courtyard houses. They face south with emphasis on interior light; wooden beams bear the weight, walls are of brick, stone, and earth; the main hall is the center, with carved beams and decorated roofs and eaves.

Baicao Garden is in the backyard of the residence. It was a shared vegetable garden for the Zhou family and a few neighbors, and also Lu Xun's childhood playground. In young Lu Xun's eyes, it was a vibrant, fun-filled paradise. I like places like this, too. As a kid, I was very playful: catching fish in streams, running wild in fields, climbing trees for wild fruit. Those times are some of my deepest and fondest memories.

I won't go into too much detail about Sanwei Study—we all studied that text in school. If you're interested, you can revisit it and imagine the reading scene from Lu Xun's time. Inside the residence, there's also a model of ancient Shaoxing folk customs, lively and interesting. As a tourist area, there are the inevitable 'odd' souvenirs and local specialties. Shaoxing is known for huangjiu (yellow wine), especially the warmed kind that goes down easily.

After half a day, I was hungry. Nearby there's an affordable, generous restaurant called 'Nongxiao Shitang' (Agricultural School Canteen). A local friend took me there; I've been twice now. The place has been renovated, and prices have gone up a bit. Unfortunately, the braised pork with fish head is no longer on the menu, but other dishes taste the same. I especially like their drunken crab made with huangjiu. The Shao-style three-fresh dish is also good.

After resting, I took a Didi to the next spot. Cangqiao Straight Street is 1.5 km long, made up of canals, houses, and neighborhoods. The houses mostly date from the late Qing and early Republic. Along the street are many traditional shops and restaurants. Local authorities have set up galleries for Yue opera, huangjiu, drama, and calligraphy. With traditional waterside houses and a small river port behind each home, it's a classic 'one river, five streets' layout typical of Shaoxing, bursting with Jiangnan water-town charm. The canals here are wider than those at Lu Xun's Hometown, and there are more traditional houses. So if you want a black-awning boat ride, I recommend here. There are three boat docks, each with different route distances, so prices vary.

A friend brought me here last year. Here are some portraits she took of me then. As thanks, I took a few of her, too.

Let me properly introduce this friend. I met her at a hostel last year; she's studying in Shaoxing and knows the city inside out. So, part of my itinerary came from her tips, though I didn't visit many places—again, out of laziness... I didn't want to pack the schedule too tight.

After walking around Cangqiao Straight Street, we got hungry. There's an authentic Shaoxing restaurant called 'Aqiu Shiwantou'—good value, traditional decor, and frequented by locals. My friend and I ordered four dishes and a pot of warm huangjiu for under 120 yuan total. We only ate about half; the four dishes would suit three to four people. That ended the day's itinerary, and I said goodbye to my friend.

There wasn't much I wanted to do in Shaoxing at night; there was probably a shopping mall nearby where you could wander and eat, but honestly it's no different from other cities. I rested well, and the next morning took the high-speed train to Shanghai.

Arriving in the metropolis of Shanghai, I headed straight to the must-see spots for first-time visitors: Old City God Temple (Laocheng Huangmiao) and Yuyuan Garden. Honestly, I'm not a fan of crowds, but I passed through the temple area just to visit Yuyuan Garden. Take the metro to Yuyuan Station and walk a bit.

On the way, I met a family from the US traveling; they asked me how to get to Yuyuan. I told them I was a tourist too. We chatted, and they thought I was from Hong Kong, which was funny. Eventually, we asked someone else and used navigation to get near Yuyuan together before parting ways.

Yuyuan Garden was originally a private garden from the Ming Dynasty. Inside are halls like Suitang, iron lions, Kuai Tower, Deyue Tower, Yulinglong Rock, Jiyu Water Corridor, Tingtao Pavilion, Hanbi Tower, Jingguan Hall in the inner garden, an ancient stage, and more than 40 ancient buildings with rockeries and ponds. A cat in the garden became the star of many tourists' photos—lounging lazily in the sun, looking like a seasoned model used to long lenses.

There are many Shanghai snacks here, but prices aren't very friendly. It's better to wander the small shops on Shanghai Old Street. For example, this salted egg yolk and dried mustard green crispy flatbread (guokui) was cheap, fragrant, and crispy. I ate three in one go, and immediately got dry mouth and 'heated up' (too much internal heat). Delicious things shouldn't be overeaten!

Also, around the 15th of the first lunar month each year, the City God Temple holds a lively Lantern Festival. If interested, come then to join the bustle.

The Bund's night view is another must for first-time visitors. You have to take a photo with the Oriental Pearl Tower across the river—but I didn't. Standing there at night, feeling the breeze from the Huangpu River, watching the brightly lit skyscrapers and the advertising boats drifting on the water, then turning to see the Western-style buildings behind you—the Bund is really pleasant. Just avoid holidays.

The priciest ticket this trip was the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium at 160 yuan. Considering the variety of marine life and the adorable penguins, I'd say it was worth the price. It's a good place for parents with kids. I didn't notice what was hanging on the cute penguin's wing at the time. The jellyfish area is great for photo ops with people.

If you're tired after the aquarium, there's a 'Xiaoyang Shengjian' next door, but it's crowded and you'll have to queue, even on non-holidays. The pan-fried buns taste great and are reasonably priced.

For the last afternoon, I visited 1933 Old Millfun, a creative park, basically to play with photography. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great, so I wasn't in the mood and left after a short walk. Instead, the nearby alleyways (nongtang) caught my eye, so I walked around and took photos. Later, I happened to see a magazine cover with Lin Gengxin and Zhao Youting shot in this area—pretty cool. (Image from the internet; will remove if infringing~)

I visited the Bund again that evening, and the trip basically ended there. I headed home the next day.

I travel alone and don't have high demands for accommodation, so I won't recommend any. Just search on major platform apps within your budget and compare cost-performance.

Travelog Table of Contents

1. First, a short video and some photos:

2. Self-introduction

3. Route map

4. D1 → Qingliangshan Park Ginkgo Valley

5. D1 → Mochou Lake Park

6. D1 → Fuzimiao Pedestrian Street

7. D2 → Drum Tower

8. D2 → Xuanwu Lake Park

9. D2 → Fuzimiao Pedestrian Street (Laomendong)

10. D3 → Shaoxing Anchang Ancient Town

11. D4 → Lu Xun's Hometown

12. D4 → Cangqiao Straight Street

13. D5 → City God Temple, Yuyuan Garden

14. D5 → The Bund

15. D6 → Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

16. D6 → 1933 Old Millfun + Old Shanghai Alleyways

17. D7 → Return trip

18. About accommodation

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