Nanjing Through Local Eyes: Waiting for Sunset at Yuzui Wetland Park
Nanjing Yuzui Wetland Park
Address: Jiangxinzhou Subdistrict, Jianye District, Nanjing
Transport: self-drive
Visit: April 2022
My friend and I have the same work schedule, so our days off align perfectly. We immediately agreed to head out on this bright, sunny day to Yuzui to watch the sunset! We set off after three in the afternoon, both to avoid the blazing sun and to time our arrival just right for sunset.
Yuzui Park is a wetland park built along the Yangtze River, stretching for several kilometers in a narrow strip. To minimize walking, we needed to choose the right entrance. My clever friend suggested picking Gate 1, near the metro station—it would definitely be open. The western extension of Metro Line 2 had recently reached Yuzui, and it's just a few hundred meters from the station to the park, very convenient. The parking lot is right next to Gate 1.
Under the blue sky, amid lush greenery, the red tower stood out strikingly.
The park is a public park with no admission fee; just scan the venue code to enter. It feels wide and open. Right at the entrance is a bus food village—a collection of colorful buses converted into food stalls.
On one side, you can rent bicycles for sightseeing.
The river embankment not only serves flood control but has also become a fitness track for locals. People enjoy jogging, cycling, and exercising with the river breeze and fresh air—it's a genuinely delightful experience. Cycling along the colorful riverside bike path is also the fastest way to see the park.
We opted not to cycle, instead taking a leisurely stroll. By the river, there was a large lawn bordered by a ring of tall trees.
In one corner of the square was the International Friendship Forest. I hadn't expected the park to be so lively. The square was full of people relaxing and having fun; the soft lawn and shade made it a prime spot for picnics. Some set up camp, others sat on mats, flew kites, ran around chasing one another... laughter filled the air.
On the river side was that red-and-white beacon tower that appears in so many social media photos.
This tall beacon is the 'Qinhuai Riverfront Position Marker.' Its design incorporates Chinese architectural elements like wooden railings, dougong brackets, and lanterns, giving it a classical elegance. It harmonizes with the riverside scenery and guides passing ships. It's now a popular photo spot.
Bright sunlight made the red-and-white beacon dazzling. Steps on the north side lead directly down to the riverbank.
The riverside view is vast. This is the widest point of the Yangtze in Nanjing, reaching 3 kilometers across. Standing here, you can watch the rushing water, the boats passing by, and the waterside path winding along.
The nearby Nanjing Third Yangtze River Bridge and the slightly more distant Nanjing Dashengguan Bridge layered upon each other. The Third Bridge, with its gray-toned twin steel towers and steel box girder, was China's first steel-tower cable-stayed bridge and the world's first with curved steel towers. Beyond it, the lower blue structure is the Nanjing Dashengguan Yangtze River Bridge, China's first high-speed rail river crossing and a key part of the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. Ships on the river, cars speeding across the bridge, and bullet trains racing by—all intersecting to create a magnificent 3D portrait of modern transportation.
Beautiful scenery naturally attracts people; everyone strikes poses—whether professionally or casually—as long as they're having fun.
Reeds swaying by the river.
A former cargo wharf has been transformed into a riverside viewing platform.
A wooden wetland boardwalk stretches over the water like a winding dragon.
Against the blue sky and green forest backdrop, the red-and-white lighthouse stands out, harmonizing with the riverside scenery and guiding ships home.
Leaning on the railing, feeling the gentle river breeze, listening to the melodies of the tides and the low hum of ship horns—if you have time, you can quietly wait here for the sunset.
It was our first time here, but we didn't want to stop. We followed the winding boardwalk deeper into the lush woods. It felt like entering a great forest—so pleasant. On either side of the boardwalk, water plants grew thick, swaying freely with the river breeze. Near the embankment were willows and towering poplars, some so thick you'd need two pairs of arms to hug them, 20 to 30 meters tall. Many riverside trees had long, exposed roots without bark, giving a sense of age and endurance. Everywhere was green—early summer's vibrant, life-filled hues.
From this angle, the Jiangxinzhou Bridge crossed the main channel of the Yangtze not far away, landing on Jiangxinzhou Islet. That green oasis is Jiangxinzhou, with a red-and-white beacon at its tip, and a narrower branch of the river winding south from the tower.
Standing by the river, the vast Yangtze, the busy shipping traffic. The trees on the opposite bank, the undulating skyline of buildings, and the rolling hills were like staves of a musical score, composing a riverside symphony.
Swap the foreground reeds for waterweeds—does it give a different feeling?
Tall reed plumes blossomed freely, swaying in the spring breeze, glowing in the sunlight, utterly captivating.
As the boardwalk curved, different angles revealed new scenes of the wetland's beauty.
This cable-stayed bridge with the world's largest span of its steel-concrete composite tower type stretched across the river, with vessels of all sizes busy on the water. The Jiangxinzhou Bridge is also the Nanjing Fifth Yangtze River Bridge. In Nanjing, five river bridges, tunnels, and the metro have made crossing the Yangtze easy. 'A moat turned into a thoroughfare'—the vision of a great man of a generation, now realized with even greater richness.
There's a waterside platform here, though now the area below it was just a sea of grass; perhaps by June or July the river would rise and submerge it.
We posed for a photo leaning on the railing, with the dense forest and the black-and-white lighthouse behind us as a backdrop.
A child became fascinated with my camera.
Seeing this sea of grass, even though it barely qualifies as a 'sea,' the lush, velvety green excited us. My friend and I had planned to visit Shijiu Lake in April to see its grass sea, but our schedules never aligned. By the time we missed it, the lake had already risen; to see the Shijiu grass sea, we'd have to wait until late March or early April the following year.
This grass sea was an unexpected delight. The fuzzy green grass was like an emerald carpet. Depending on the light, it shifted through countless shades of green—light, fresh, pale, deep—rippling and reaching all the way into the river.
Under the blue sky, towering poplars shot up in green, and the ground was a thick carpet of grass that enveloped us. In the midst of it, the grass rolled like waves of wheat, gentle and appealing, and a faint, sweet earthy fragrance filled the air. Closing my eyes and listening, it was like attending a concert: the wind was the conductor, the reeds and trees the musicians, playing a captivating natural concerto.
A backlit photo frame.
The boardwalk was blocked off at the platform, probably due to the pandemic, so we could go no further and turned back. We strolled unhurriedly along the boardwalk, soaking in the scenery. On the river, cargo ships glided by like moving hills, or like train carriages threading through the water.
The Nanjing Third Yangtze River Bridge and the parallel Dashengguan high-speed rail bridge shone like silver dragons leaping the chasm—magnificent. Below Dashengguan Bridge, ships shuttled back and forth; on the bridge, cars streamed endlessly; on the rail bridge, high-speed trains raced by...
From sunrise to sunset, from history to today, waterborne passenger and freight transport that once dominated is gradually being replaced by aviation, high-speed rail, and highways.
Standing on the park's embankment, I felt the ancient city of Nanjing—embraced by the Yangtze and its tributaries, nestled among hills and waters, with Purple Mountain coiling like a dragon and Stone City crouching like a tiger. Such a beautiful blend of mountains, rivers, city, and forest.
Around six o'clock, like most visitors, we stopped our wandering, found a spot we liked, and stood still, quietly waiting, carefully watching every subtle change as the sun descended.
A crowd on the platform awaiting the sunset.
My friend orchestrated my pose from all angles to capture this hand-gesture photo.
As the sun dipped lower, the afterglow draped Yuzui Wetland Park in a crimson veil, and the lighthouse, bathed in the setting sun, took on an added serenity.
The sunset's last rays filtered through the leaves onto the lighthouse, lending it a touch of romance and mystery.
The sun's reflection shimmered on the water, sunlight dancing on the surface as gentle ripples spread. The water's ripples and the swaying reeds seemed to move to the same rhythm.
Watching clouds unfurl and fold on the horizon, seeing the river painted in softest orange—the most beautiful days of April on earth.
Quietly waiting as the sun inched lower,
Hiding behind the trees, then sinking below the horizon.
After the ethereal sunset, we waited quietly for the bridge lights to come on.
Gradually, the bridge lights illuminated, the park's path lights flickered on, and the beacon light began to flash.
Against the deep blue night sky and river, a ribbon of colorful lights cut through the inky scene.
The light ribbon's reflection on the water created a dazzling spectacle.
On the boardwalk at night, the river breeze carried away the day's heat. Delving into the wetland to feel its beauty was a soothing experience.
As night fell, the platform emptied, and we finally moved onto the waterside deck for a different view. We snapped a flurry of photos of the lighthouse, and at last caught a shot with its light shining.
The beautiful sensory experience left us wanting more, so we promised to return. When I recommended the park to another friend later, she told me that years ago, before it was turned into Yuzui Park, she'd seen finless porpoises leaping out of the water here. How wonderful! Seeing various waterbirds fluttering is common, but spotting a porpoise must be a stroke of luck. On a sunny day, whenever I have time, taking the metro to Yuzui Wetland Park to wait for the sunset is a truly lovely thing to do.
