December 2023 Self-Drive Autumn Viewing Trip in Jiangnan

After being captivated by the stunning, refined beauty of Japan's autumn maple leaves in 2019, I kept thinking: China is so vast, surely there must be similar scenes of stunning, refined beauty? I went to Benxi around National Day, and the sea of red there was unforgettable, but it was a rugged beauty more akin to North America, not the same as the maple elegance of Kyoto. That led me to think of the affluent Jiangnan region, which might have the leisure and taste to cultivate such scenery. So I planned a Jiangnan maple-viewing trip and started searching online for where to go and when the leaves would turn. Based on all the information, I decided on Qixia Mountain in Nanjing and the classical gardens in Suzhou. Initially, I set the time for mid-to-late November, but that autumn had high temperatures. I kept following comments about the maple leaves at Qixia Mountain, and it seemed the best red would come in late November to early December. So the dates were settled.

December 1, 2023, Friday. Theme: On the road. First stop: Hefei.

We set off for Hefei at 9 a.m. Along the way, the north was a bare, leafless world. After turning from the Qingyin Expressway onto the southbound highway, the scenery gradually came alive. Trees began to show yellow leaves, and then green leaves appeared.

We arrived in Hefei after 5 p.m. The city, like many others, had road construction everywhere.

After driving all day and having only a perfunctory lunch, we decided on a proper dinner. We searched online and, not wanting to walk far or drive again, chose the Four Seasons Restaurant next to our hotel. It was newly opened and served Anhui cuisine. Our dining principle is to always pick local flavors. We ordered a set meal for two for 65 yuan, with generous portions: Four Seasons pickled fish, stir-fried pork, sautéed greens, West Lake beef soup, and rice. The portions were huge—we couldn't finish—and the taste was decent.

After dinner, we looked at the map and noticed a park nearby—Feicui Park. We decided to go for a stroll to stretch our legs after sitting in the car all day and to aid digestion. The park was bustling: ballroom dancing, square dancing, ball games, and brisk walking. The ginkgo trees along the path were perfectly yellow, both on the ground and on the trees. It felt like we had come at just the right time.

December 2, 2023, Saturday. Theme: Anhui Museum, Anhui Geological Museum, Hechai 1972.

Because of a flu outbreak in the north, we decided to drive rather than take the metro to avoid crowds, even though metro would have saved us parking hassle. Since it was off-peak season, the museum's underground parking had plenty of spaces, though the parking fee was rather high.

We visited the new Anhui Museum, located at 268 Huaining Road, Hefei. Permanent exhibitions include "Anhui Civilization History" and "Huizhou Ancient Architecture," "Anhui Four Treasures of the Study," and "Jianghuai Treasures." We gradually absorbed the influence of Liangzhu Culture. During our visit, there was a special exhibition of Ming and Qing cultural relics from the Nanjing Museum, where we got an early look at a replica of the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu world map.

Right next door was the Anhui Geological Museum, also free by reservation. Short on time, we just walked through briefly. The museum covered Anhui's geological features, plus exhibits on biological evolution, geological evolution, and minerals. It was a great museum—both informative and enjoyable.

The museums closed at 5 p.m., so we headed to the nearby Hechai 1972, the country's first cultural and creative park converted from a former prison. At dusk, it was crowded, with outdoor stage performances and an eclectic mix of modern and vintage decor. It was cold, but many young people were taking photos. We strolled around briefly and returned to the hotel.

It was too cold that evening, so we craved something warm and brothy and settled on Huainan beef soup. We searched online and found a Dawān Huainan Beef Soup nearby, less than two kilometers away. We took a taxi to a bustling neighborhood—on the map it was called Qirichao Street—full of snack stalls. The soup was delicious.

December 3, 2023, Sunday. Theme: Huaihai Road, Li Hongzhang Memorial Hall, Xiaoyaojin Park, then on to Nanjing.

We checked out after breakfast and drove to Huaihai Road, parking at the Huaihai Road parking lot—a multi-story facility with plenty of spaces. A short walk from the lot brought us to Huaihai Road and soon to the Li Hongzhang Memorial Hall, free to visit. The museum displayed Li Hongzhang's life and calligraphy, giving us some insight into modern Chinese history. The small exhibition didn't take long, so we continued on, viewed the exterior of Mingjiao Temple, and had lunch at the Budaoweng Anhui Restaurant (Huaihai Road Pedestrian Street branch). We ordered a two-person set: chopped pepper fish head, vegetable salad, Hunan-style stir-fried pork liver, and Wanbei oil tea soup. Everything tasted good, but the portions were enormous, which felt wasteful. After lunch, we walked to Xiaoyaojin Park, a historic Three Kingdoms battlefield where the Wei general Zhang Liao defeated his enemies. The park featured statues and halls related to the Three Kingdoms period and is a beloved green space for Hefei residents. The autumn colors were perfect—maples red, ginkgo golden. Many young parents were out with their children, and as usual, there were ladies doing fashion walks. After our stroll, we set off for Nanjing.

We reached Nanjing at 5 p.m. For dinner, duck blood vermicelli soup was the obvious choice. We found a Huiwei Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup nearby, plus some soup dumplings—all delicious.

December 4, 2023, Monday. Theme: Confucius Temple, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

The original plan was Qixia Mountain, but overcast skies wouldn't do the red leaves justice, so we postponed that and toured city sites instead. With museums closed, we opted for the Confucius Temple—a 5A-rated scenic area.

We parked at the Maoye Tiandi parking lot next to the scenic area, having read that it had plenty of spaces. Indeed, it was huge, attached to a shopping center not yet fully open.

It was low season, so Confucius Temple wasn't crowded. The whole area is free; we paid only for the inner temple exhibits, which included a display on Confucius's life and the history of Chinese academy education.

After leaving the temple, we admired the Qinhuai River from the Wende Bridge, then strolled through Wuyi Lane and grabbed a snack at a small eatery: wontons, tangyuan, and soup dumplings. The restaurant was spacious but had only three families dining—typical for the off-season. As the sun came out, we decided to head to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum to see the autumn colors.

Following the navigation, we arrived at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum parking lot, only to be stopped by several local aunties offering to guide us into the scenic area by car for 100 yuan. Normally, we'd park and pay for a shuttle plus parking fees per person. We weren't sure what the real situation was, but since we only wanted to admire the autumn scenery and weren't intent on paying respects inside, we drove on to the next spot, Meiling Palace. We parked at the Ming Xiaoling Museum parking lot for a flat 10 yuan off-peak. Meiling Palace wasn't free. From a distance, its scenery matched the rest of the mausoleum area—no red maples or golden ginkgo, just typical late-autumn greens and faded colors. We had no interest in the presidential couple's living quarters, having just seen their Lushan villa this year—rather simple compared to modern life.

Despite the lack of vibrant colors, the area was lush with trees, so we settled into the KFC across from Meiling Palace, bought coffee and ice cream, and lazily enjoyed the forest view.

After coffee and a rest, we wandered nearby, then checked into a hotel closer to Qixia Mountain.

For dinner, we went to the nearest shopping center, Jiuxiao Mengtiandi. Upstairs, we were accosted by three young people—two women and a man—one of the women noticeably less articulate but the other two very pushy. We ended up choosing the weaker salesperson and ate at Chujia Beijing Roast Duck. Considering we'd just come from the north, it wasn't the smartest choice.

December 5, 2023, Tuesday. Theme: Qixia Mountain area.

After breakfast, we headed to Qixia Mountain. As we neared the parking lot, traffic backed up. Even though it wasn't a holiday or peak season, Qixia's red leaves were a strong draw.

We chose the West Gate parking lot, a large one, but we ended up in an unfinished expanded dirt area.

The sun was shining, and Qixia Temple's maple leaves were exactly what I'd hoped—dazzlingly red, brilliantly radiant. We started snapping photos from the temple gate entrance. Inside, the maples in front of the bell and drum towers presented a world of brilliant red, even more stunning. In front of the main hall stood two towering ginkgo trees, golden and intoxicating against the blue sky.

Before the main hall, a sign pointed left for a maple-viewing route, but as lay visitors, we continued ahead to tour Qixia Temple. Afterward, we followed the crowd and soon encountered groves of maple after maple. The path was uphill, so after a stretch we sat down to rest and eat a picnic lunch. I checked a tourist map photo I'd taken at the entrance and realized we'd strayed off the suggested route, but there were still beautiful maples and many people around, so we decided to follow our current path to the main road.

Luckily, Qixia Mountain isn't very high, and we easily reached the peak at Tianjie. We rested there, gazing at the Yangtze River, then began our descent at 2 p.m. along the official scenic route. From Shihuang Linjiangchu to Red Leaf Valley to Peach Blossom Lake, the scenery kept getting more beautiful. With winter days short, by 4 p.m. the light in the mountains wasn't ideal. We regretted not taking this path in the morning, but the escalating beauty was its own reward. By 5 p.m., dusk was settling, and we left Qixia Temple with that final perfection, concluding the maple-viewing centerpiece of our trip.

For dinner, we chose a well-reviewed changyu noodle shop near the hotel. We asked what changyu was, worried about small bones, and the owner said it was eel. We ordered a 26-yuan soup noodle and a 36-yuan stir-fried eel noodle, which came with a bowl of eel soup. Both were tasty.

December 6, 2023, Wednesday. Theme: Nanjing Museum.

After breakfast, we drove to Nanjing Museum. We'd researched parking in advance: the museum had an underground lot, and we imagined it would be as empty as the Anhui Museum, just with higher fees. But as we approached, traffic jammed. When we finally crept to the underground entrance, a sign read "Full" and directed us to a parking lot about a kilometer ahead at the Zhongshan Hotel. We saw no other options, so we parked there, noting that spaces were tight; it would probably fill up in peak season.

We walked the kilometer to the museum. From the outside, it didn't look large, but once inside with the crowds, we started with the Jiangsu General History exhibition. By the time we finished, it was past 2 p.m., so we headed to the special exhibition hall. It was the museum's 90th anniversary, and the special exhibits were rich: the museum's own history, a jade exhibition on loan from sister museums across the country, spanning from ancient to modern times, representing both civilizational development and the highest artistry in jade carving—truly breathtaking. There was a pink lotus jade pot that required queuing to see, and the Jiu Chan Yu Ye, valued at 900 million, was stunning. Lost in these delights, closing time came quickly. Unsatisfied, we decided to return the next day.

Lunch had been a quick bite, so for dinner we wanted a feast. We searched near the hotel and found Liuchao Ruiting (Muxuyuan branch), a Huaiyang cuisine place a few hundred meters away. We ordered abalone in abalone sauce over rice, honey bean and pepper beef cubes, chicken juice white fish, Sichuan pepper pork slices, seasonal vegetables, mixed fruit platter, and lemon passion fruit juice—all sounding wonderful. The main dining hall had only the two of us. Two staff members—one a waitress, one a salesperson—took turns chatting with us; one was from Anhui, the other from Huaibei. It was like dining with a side of local culture.

December 7, 2023, Thursday. Theme: Nanjing Museum, Ming Palace Ruins Park.

To avoid parking hassles, we took a bus to the museum, five stops away. The bus was empty, plenty of seats. At the museum, we went straight to the special exhibition hall. There we saw the museum's 9-kg centerpiece treasure, the largest solid gold object I'd ever seen. We revisited the museum's history and jade culture exhibitions, then the art gallery. Two days of museums were exhausting, and since we know little about calligraphy, painting, or sculpture, we kept it brief. Around 3 p.m. we left and walked to the adjoining Ming Palace Ruins Park, free with ID. The park has a small indoor exhibit about the Ming palace, which was the main attraction; the so-called ruins amount to a few stones, with everything else a modern city park. After a quick loop, we found a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Dinner was at a Huaiyang restaurant across from the museum, again a two-person set, and again portion sizes were staggering: Jinling salted duck, northern Jiangsu sour cabbage beef brisket pot, "dancing" taro, nourishing ginseng pigeon soup, Huaiyang rice cake, a health drink, and rice. We also bought a bottle of yellow wine. We left a lot uneaten.

Stuffed, around 7 p.m. we took the bus back to the hotel. Once again, the bus was nearly empty, with seats to spare.

December 8, 2023, Friday. Theme: Xuanwu Lake, then heading to Suzhou.

After breakfast, we checked out and went to Xuanwu Lake Park. We'd planned to also visit Jiming Temple to see if it had any red maples or golden ginkgo. We first navigated to the East Gate parking lot, but after a short walk, the map showed Jiming Temple was far, so we drove to Xuanwu Gate and parked at Huanya Catherine Plaza. We walked into Xuanwu Lake, strolled around Yingzhou, saw the ginkgo avenue at Liangzhou, then over to Lingzhou and finally to Jiming Temple. There was no autumn scenery inside, so we didn't enter, instead walking back through Beiji Pavilion Park to Catherine Plaza. We had a simple meal at a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant: stir-fried rice noodles, a pineapple bun, and a drink. Then we set off for Suzhou around 3 p.m. Our hotel was in the old city, subject to traffic restrictions—non-local cars couldn't enter until after 6:30 p.m.

We first found a crab roe noodle shop near Shantang Street. After parking underground, we saw many shops selling crab roe noodles and ended up at Qianshengxing Su-style Noodle Restaurant (Shantang Street branch).

After checking in, we tried to book Suzhou Museum but found the main hall fully reserved for the weekend; only the West Hall had slots. We hadn't expected such popularity. With rain forecast for Sunday, we decided to visit the outdoor Tiger Hill on Saturday and the indoor Suzhou Museum West Hall on Sunday.

December 9, 2023, Saturday. Theme: Tiger Hill Scenic Area, Guanqian Street, Pingjiang Road.

After breakfast, we drove to Tiger Hill. Parking was easy, and crowds were moderate. It's essentially a park with a rich cultural feel, with some ginkgo and maples. Following the suggested route, we toured the central axis, then the outer loop, and returned to the hotel to rest.

In the late afternoon, we took the metro to Guanqian Street and walked to Pingjiang Road. It had that classic "small bridges, flowing water, houses" atmosphere: girls in period costumes, boats gliding along the canal, stone-paved roads, old-style architecture. The snack scene wasn't what we'd expected, so we chose a riverside restaurant on Jianglu Gusu Street for dinner: stir-fried jinhuacai (a local leafy green), whitebait scrambled eggs, salted duck, crab roe tofu, and rice. The food was so-so, but the window view was lovely. After dinner, we wandered back, stopped for a bowl of red bean paste with glutinous rice balls in an alley, then reached the snack street on Guanqian Street where we had a few shengjian (pan-fried buns) before taking the metro to the hotel.

December 10, 2023, Sunday. Theme: Suzhou Museum West Hall.

After breakfast, since our hotel was in the old city with peak-hour traffic bans, we decided not to extend our stay and moved to a hotel closer to Lingering Garden and Shantang Street.

It was a rainy day, yet the Suzhou Museum West Hall was still crowded. We started with the Suzhou General History exhibition, noting cultural influences from both Liangzhu and Dawenkou cultures. The "Remembering Suzhou: Suzhou Craftsmanship Hall" showcased exquisite jade, ivory, bamboo, and wood carvings, plus paintings and calligraphy, often combined with Suzhou embroidery—a reflection of the refined life in this affluent region. The International Cooperation Hall displayed ancient Roman athletic-themed artifacts on loan from the British Museum.

The museum's basement had a restaurant, decent options with both Chinese and Western. We had noodles, which were fine.

Museum-going is tiring, and by 3 p.m. we were exhausted, so we headed back to the hotel to rest.

The hotel was at Laikemao Shopping Center. For dinner, we had Drunken Flower Chicken Pot, drunken shrimp, eco-chicken, chicken soup with oysters, razor clams, and youcai—all very tasty.

After dinner, we strolled along Tongjing North Road in front of the hotel. The roadside ginkgo trees were perfectly yellow; a day of wind and rain had knocked many down, forming a thick carpet. Under the streetlights, the remaining leaves glowed golden—this was Suzhou's autumn color.

December 11, 2023, Monday. Theme: Lingering Garden, Xiyuan Temple, Shantang Street.

After breakfast, we walked to Lingering Garden. The sky was overcast but dry. The garden is small, yet within that compact space, winding corridors and rockeries create ever-changing views, showcasing Suzhou gardens' exquisite design. The ginkgo leaves had fallen, but the maples were at their peak—red on the trees and a thick red blanket below, adding a layer of natural beauty.

After touring Lingering Garden, it was lunchtime, so we went to Xiyuan Temple for its famous vegetarian Guanyin noodles. Crowds were big. After eating, we strolled around the temple grounds, seeing cats, pigeons, ancient trees, and a few maples. The temple is small, so we quickly finished and went back to the hotel to rest.

Later, we took the bus to Shantang Street. Not long, it also had that "small bridges, flowing water, houses" charm, smaller than Pingjiang Road but more crowded and more commercial, with many snack and souvenir shops. We tried osmanthus cake, braised chicken feet, fresh-baked pork mooncakes, and crab roe mooncakes. When the lights came on, we admired the evening view. For a proper dinner, we ate at a modest family-run restaurant outside the scenic area: shepherd's purse wontons, crab roe soup dumplings, and fresh pork and egg yolk zongzi. The staff were all middle-aged or older—clearly a neighborhood favorite—and the food was excellent.

December 12, 2023, Tuesday. Theme: Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou Museum Main Hall, Zhongwangfu, Pingjiang Road.

After breakfast, we visited Humble Administrator's Garden. It's larger, with extensive water features, which made it slightly less exquisite than Lingering Garden in terms of detail. The autumn scenery was weaker too, with fewer ginkgo and maples, though I've heard the summer lotuses are beautiful.

After touring the pavilions and halls, we went to the Suzhou Museum Main Hall, a modern building with Suzhou character designed by I.M. Pei. We saw the star treasures: a celadon lotus bowl and a pearl reliquary. The other exhibits were similar to the West Hall. The main hall has a café, so we had coffee and pastries for lunch and took a break. Then we explored Zhongwangfu, a large, maze-like complex where we wandered from room to room. There were introductions to the Loyal King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, extensive (and very positive) materials on the Taiping Rebellion, modern art, and wood carving exhibits. Afterward, we walked back to Pingjiang Road, retracing our steps. Having learned from last time, we wanted to eat at Parkson Shopping Center, but few restaurants were open there, so we crossed the street to Yang Yuxing and had crab roe noodles and rice—just okay. Overall, food in the Pingjiang Road area was mediocre.

December 13, 2023, Wednesday. Theme: Nanxun Ancient Town.

After breakfast, we set off for Nanxun Ancient Town. It's a town, not heavily ancient, but still with that typical "small bridges, flowing water, houses" feel. The scenic area isn't large. We had noodles inside—I had a bowl of lamb noodles. My cold symptoms were obvious, with sneezing and a runny nose, so we hurried through and then headed to Wuzhen. Dinner was at Xiaozhen Dachu Private Kitchen: duck in soy sauce, steamed Xizha white fish, hand-torn cabbage, and rice—quite tasty.

December 14, 2023, Thursday. Theme: Morning at Dongzha, afternoon at Xizha.

Wuzhen Scenic Area is split into Xizha (West) and Dongzha (East), with tickets at 150 and 110 yuan, or a combo for 190. We bought the combo. We started with the cheaper Dongzha, having read that Xizha's nightscape is beautiful, so we planned to see it in the afternoon and into the evening.

Right inside Dongzha was a boat dock. For 30 yuan each, we took a boat to the far end of the scenic area. Since it wasn't crowded, the boat left on schedule with just the two of us. We walked back along the old street, which felt genuinely old. There were a few sights: a dye house, a distillery, a bed exhibition, etc. Mao Dun's former residence was closed, but Mu Xin's was open. We finished around noon and had lunch outside: Dongpo pork, duck in soy sauce, scallion oil mussels, winter melon soup, and rice at Jiade Weidao Restaurant. After a rest at the hotel, we headed to Xizha. The parking lot was much busier; it took a while to find a spot. Inside, there was another dock, but we'd already taken a boat in the morning, so we walked along the paths. The "small bridges, flowing water, houses" atmosphere felt more authentic than Dongzha and more ancient than Nanxun, whether due to preservation or skillful restoration. We strolled past various spots—a wedding museum, a Mao Dun Literature Prize museum, and so on. When we reached the far end, the lights came on, and we walked back enjoying the nighttime views. We couldn't find a restaurant we liked along the way, so we decided to grab a roadside meal on the way back to the hotel.

Near the hotel was a bustling intersection with many restaurants. As we turned in, a waitress from one restaurant enthusiastically stopped our car, saying she was from Shijiazhuang. Inside, the place was empty. Seeing that prices were clearly marked, we didn't bother looking further. We ordered Jiangnan Yipin Chicken, stir-fried youcai, and rice—it was okay.

With that, the sightseeing part of our trip ended. That day, Wuzhen's temperature was 10–22°C; the next day it dropped to 5–14°C, and the day after that, below zero. Shijiazhuang had already seen two days of snow and was cooling down too. It was time to head home and see snow.

December 15, 2023, Friday. Theme: On the road, overnight in Linyi.

After breakfast and checkout, we bought some Wuzhen specialties at a nearby supermarket and started the return journey. We encountered intermittent wind and rain. Starting at 8°C, the temperature dropped as we headed north. We had lunch at the Yangzhou Guangling service area and saw warnings about slippery roads around Linyi and Jinan in Shandong, so we decided to stay overnight in Linyi. We arrived before 5 p.m., with the outside temperature now 3°C.

Dinner was a set meal at the Linyi Hotel: Bandit Luhua Chicken, cucumber with pig ear in garlic sauce, aged-vinegar jellyfish, oil-drizzled celtuce, and seafood geda soup. I packed up the leftover chicken and rice.

On the way to dinner, we got a real taste of the northern cold.

December 16, 2023, Saturday. Theme: On the road.

After breakfast, we hit the road and soon saw snow. The snow increased; by the Jinan section, there were signs of partially cleared snow. Past Jinan, on the Qingyin Expressway, the landscape on both sides was a vast snowfield. Many stretches of the highway had only one lane cleared, so cars and trucks lined up and proceeded in order. Once in Hebei, both lanes were clear. Around 3 p.m., we reached home, first washing the car to remove road salt, then refueling before finally arriving.

After parking, our neighbor was shoveling snow, and we cleared our own front path. Back to home life.

The entire journey: 2,880 km over 15 days. The Jiangnan autumn viewing trip was a complete success. Earlier this year, we went to the northeast to see snow but didn't encounter much. Who knew that at year's end, heading south for autumn colors, we'd see vast snowy plains on the way back. The world is full of surprises.