Road Trip with Parents: A Stroll Around Nanjing's Xuanwu Lake

The drive from Hefei to Shanghai is roughly 470 kilometers. If I were traveling alone for work, I'd probably just hit the gas and try to get home in six to seven hours. But given my parents' age, and since I had enough time off, we decided to stay overnight in Nanjing.

Since our family had been to Nanjing several times before, we didn’t feel the need to plan any sightseeing and just booked the Holiday Inn by Xuanwu Lake.

I realized that having no urgency makes you relaxed. Since time wasn’t pressing, I drove leisurely and slowly from Hefei to Nanjing. Before reaching Nanjing, I got off the highway and slowly meandered through the Xiao Tangshan area, stopping whenever I saw a nice view. After all the stops, we arrived at the Holiday Inn around 1:30 PM.

As an internationally renowned chain, the Holiday Inn at Xuanwu Lake has a great location—Xuanwu Lake is just across the street. The hotel's facade has a wave-like design, though our phones couldn't capture the effect well.

The environment and décor were also nice, with a strong sense of design that balanced international standards with local touches.

The hotel facilities and next morning’s breakfast were decent—nothing spectacular, but not bad either.

The building plot is an irregular trapezoid; to make full use of the space, they built an enclosed structure with a small garden in the center. This way, more rooms can have large floor-to-ceiling windows, so even those without a lake view can enjoy the little courtyard and greenery.

After resting for over an hour, we headed to the shore of Xuanwu Lake. After the rain, the lake was still misty, evoking the feel of a Chinese ink wash painting.

We strolled along the lakeside path in Xuanwu Lake Park, taking in the lake and mountain views, and admiring the flowers and plants.

Before we knew it, it was dinner time. Fortunately, nearby at the Sun Palace Theatre there are many dining options. We decided to try a restaurant called Green Huaiyang.

The restaurant had a nice ambiance, but what impressed me the most was actually the drinks.

That’s travel for you—everything is unpredictable, and everything brings surprises.

Tip: Xuanwu Lake scenic area is huge. If you plan to visit the Xuanwu Gate area, this hotel isn’t the most convenient choice.