A Nanjing Native’s View of Nanjing – The Lake and Flower Sea at Anji Mountain Reservoir

Anji Mountain Reservoir

Address: Jiangning District, Nanjing

In recent years, due to the pandemic, people’s travel range has been restricted; those with work units have almost all been grounded by an unwritten rule. Traveling outside the city or province became risky. To stay safe, we could only explore within Nanjing. So Nanjing’s own mountains and waters, its nooks and crannies, were discovered one by one. Our small chat group even changed its name to ‘Roaming Around Nanjing’.

Jiangning District is an area rich in mountains and rivers, with a vast territory. Many places once untrodden are now being discovered and promoted by travel enthusiasts. The recent buzzword ‘Nanjing’s Lugu Lake – Anji Mountain Reservoir’ piqued my curiosity. Because I once drove to Lugu Lake myself. After buying the entrance ticket and stepping onto the first viewing platform, the first sight of Lugu Lake left me awestruck. How wonderful it would be if Nanjing also had a Lugu Lake! I really wanted to see if it was true. I mentioned it to a friend, who had stumbled upon Anji Mountain Reservoir two years ago, so we made plans to go again.

This is the road to the Garden Expo Park. I’ve been there eight or nine times over the past year, so it’s extremely familiar. The road conditions are good, and the scenery on both sides is pleasant. Passing the Garden Expo Park, we continued east on Husheng Road for 5 km and arrived at the navigation destination: Anji Mountain Reservoir. The dam was undergoing major construction.

We couldn’t walk on the dam due to the construction, so we had to go down to the lake and walk beneath the dam. With my mind filled with the beauty of Lugu Lake, I was truly disappointed at first glance. How could this be called Nanjing’s Little Lugu Lake? It’s just Anji Mountain Reservoir in Tangshan. So sometimes, netizens’ reviews can really let our imaginations run wild, skyrocket our expectations, and then lead to disappointment.

Although Anji Mountain Reservoir in front of me was no Little Lugu Lake, it bore a striking resemblance – both in form and spirit – to the Yutian Reservoir in my hometown. My hometown’s Yutian Reservoir is similar in size, surrounded by rolling hills, with shimmering blue water and green mountains reflecting each other. Especially the serene atmosphere here made me feel as if I were standing by my hometown Yutian Reservoir, filled with an incomparable sense of peace and contentment.

A village faintly visible among the mountains by the reservoir. Today’s red hoodie brought a splash of warmth to this tranquil scene.

We crossed the dam to the southern side of the reservoir, where the hillsides were densely planted with tea bushes, arranged in neat rows spiraling all the way to the mountaintops. There is a waterfront path along the mountain’s edge, with the lake on one side and the mountain on the other. Walking along this path, circling the mountain and the water, we could see small groves and tea gardens. An expanse of green, embraced by verdant hills, lush trees providing shade. The cottage in the tea garden held a sense of waiting and anticipation. From this angle, enjoy the scenic beauty of the dam and the reservoir, with its lake and mountain views. As we strolled along the path, we took in the mountain and water scenery. There are many treasures in the mountains – besides tea leaves, there are plenty of fruits. Juicy wild strawberries. This mountain forest is full of untamed charm; the trees grow with an almost artistic flair, and vines brazenly intertwine with each other.

As we walked along the boardwalk, we reached a shallow area. Wanting to get closer to the reservoir, we left the boardwalk and climbed down the slope to the lake. The encroaching mountain ridges have shaped the reservoir into something like an irregular octopus. Cradled by two mountain ranges, this part of the reservoir becomes a tranquil harbor. In the shallows, rocks are exposed and branches sprawl in all directions. Looking closely, each scene resembles an artistic painting. Does this rock look like a cute dolphin? This shallow area forms a mudflat. What could be the purpose of the fence built from these branches? In my eyes, it looks like a work of art.

From the map, the reservoir is large, and with mountain ridges jutting in, the route around the lake is inadvertently lengthened. We didn’t plan to circle the whole lake, so we decided to turn back, thinking of going to the flower sea on the west side of the dam to take photos. So we scrambled back up onto the boardwalk, using hands and feet, and retraced our steps along the boardwalk. The iconic stone pillar. We also encountered a few scattered tourists here. Knowing the way well, we quickly reached the dam and dashed down to a vast sea of flowers. A yellow flower sea spread across the ground, the single color creating a bold, sweeping presence. Not posing formally, just walking casually, my companions randomly pressed the shutter, capturing all sorts of poses. It felt very free and natural. Standing amidst the flower sea, looking up at the dam under renovation. This very distinctive tree. A blue path leading to a village. The village beside the flower sea is now mostly vacant. Trees of various shapes in the flower sea make excellent embellishments. The pink flowers on the small hillside became our backdrop; the clicking of cameras resumed, and the hilarious expressions had both the photographer and models bursting with laughter.

If you navigate to Anji Mountain Reservoir, you’ll arrive directly at the dam. Another navigation option is ‘Houxing Road’, which takes you to the other end of the wooden boardwalk. Many people navigate there to walk the boardwalk for fun. The shoreline of Anji Mountain Reservoir is winding, making it a popular route for hikers. After our photo shoot in the flower sea, we drove to Houxing Road. The road winds through the mountains all the way; there are villages in the hills. We drove along the winding village road through the mountains, and here we came across an interesting spot: a small mound with a Danxia landform feel. Further ahead, we unexpectedly encountered another reservoir – Yaowan Reservoir. Both are reservoirs, but they gave me different feelings. Looking around, I had a sense of déjà vu – I’ve been here before. I recalled that during the pandemic in 2020, when I didn’t work for several months and was exploring the outskirts of Nanjing like crazy, I had been here. That time I entered from Qinglin Community on the south side. Because it didn’t leave a strong impression, I never turned it into a travel journal. Today we came from Anji Mountain Reservoir on its north side. It turns out that in the Tangshan area, the reservoirs are like pearls, and through my journeys, they can be strung into a beaded curtain. I thought I should go back and find the photos to compile a travelogue, forming a record that connects points and surfaces.

This trip wasn’t stunning in terms of Anji Mountain’s scenery, but I had a wonderful afternoon with fun companions. I’m used to traveling alone and rarely travel with companions, but going out with like-minded friends is another kind of fun. ‘The most important thing in a journey is not the scenery, but the people you meet.’ I saw this sentence a long, long time ago. Because it resonated with me deeply, I easily remembered it, and it has been proven true time and again on my trips.