Water City Xinghua, Picturesque and Poetic
Foreword
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 made the beginning of 2020, the Year of the Gengzi, somewhat difficult. Adults and children were all quarantined at home, almost going stir-crazy. Fortunately, with the efforts of the entire nation, as spring warmed and flowers bloomed, we achieved a basic victory against the epidemic, and work and production resumed. The little "monsters" cooped up at home could finally be let out to stretch their wings.
March and April are the season for rapeseed flowers. Xinghua's Qiduo Rapeseed Flower Fields, one of the world's "Four Great Flower Seas," became our first choice for a spring outing. Of course, this is also a must-visit spot in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai for admiring rapeseed flower seas!
Water-Nourished Xinghua, Picturesque and Poetic!
Xinghua, here we come!
Water-Nourished Xinghua, Picturesque and Poetic
Running through the golden rapeseed flower sea of Qiduo, chasing the joy of childhood with kites.
Water City Xinghua, Picturesque and Poetic
A glance back over the golden carpet is the most beautiful scenery of spring.
Hiding half her face behind a round fan, that is the unique tenderness of a young girl.
In the beautiful rural countryside, spinning and running among the flowers, playing with chickens and ducks, listening on a small boat to the willow branches blowing the breath of spring.
Strolling through the romantic purple flower sea of Li Zhong Water Forest, where mist rises in the fantastic foggy woods, breathing in the fresh floral scent, embracing beautiful nature, riding a raft and drifting slowly through the metasequoia forest, listening to hundreds of birds singing in the branches.
Dressed in ancient clothing, walking quietly on the wooden plank road of Little Jiuzhaigou, leaving a gentle reflection in the emerald water.
In the Xinghua Museum, pausing before each painting and calligraphy, stopping in front of each collection, experiencing the cultural heritage and long history of the Hometown of Chinese Novels, the Hometown of Banqiao, and the Cradle of Water Margin.
Listening to the vivid stories of the tour guide, experiencing the unique charm of Yangzhou-style gardens in the Boat Hall of Li Garden.
Strolling through Zheng Banqiao's former residence, reciting the poem "A room need not be large to be elegant; flowers need not be many to be fragrant," and feeling the fresh elegance of this genius of poetry, painting, and calligraphy.
Holding an oil-paper umbrella, walking along the ancient and charming Jindongmen Old Street, touching every old brick, every old house, and the long historical stories behind every old craft.
In the delicious snacks, feeling the lively烟火 (fireworks) atmosphere of Xinghua.
Awakening the dormant taste buds of winter with the incredibly fresh river and lake delicacies.
Tasting the delicious Banqiao Family Feast, feeling the poetry and painting on the tip of the tongue.
Xinghua, formerly known as Zhaoyang, also called Chushui. Xinghua has a lot of water, water everywhere. If Suzhou's Taihu Lake area is small bridges and flowing water, then Xinghua can be said to be big bridges and flowing water.
Located in the Lixiahe Plain in the middle of Jiangsu Province, Xinghua is crisscrossed by waterways, with rippling waters and flowers blooming on the patches of land (duo fields). It was one of the earliest seven prefectures and counties in the Lixiahe area. In the past, Xinghua belonged to the Yangzhou Jiangdu region, serving as the back garden of the then most prosperous metropolis Yangzhou, a spiritual paradise for literati and scholars. It can be called Little Jiangnan in central Jiangsu.
As the saying goes: "When you reach Yancheng, you don't miss home; when you reach Xinghua, your heart blossoms." This means that when you reach Yancheng, seeing its prosperity makes you not want to go home. Going further to Xinghua, it's not just "not missing home" but your heart is dazzled, because Xinghua is even more prosperous and makes people linger.
Xinghua is not only picturesque but also poetic in history. Ancient Xinghua was a famous city producing many top scholars and celebrities. Xinghua is a famous historical and cultural city in Jiangsu Province, the Hometown of Chinese Novels. Three of the Four Great Classical Novels have some connection with Xinghua. Shi Nai'an wrote "Water Margin" here.
Xinghua is a county-level city under the administration of Taizhou. Self-driving is the most suitable and convenient way to reach Xinghua. Of course, Xinghua also has a bus station, where you can take a bus from nearby areas.
Xinghua has a dense water system, naturally forming numerous fish ponds, crab ponds, and paddy fields. As a major breeding base for Chinese river crabs, Xinghua is famous for its water town tourism and aquatic products.
01. River and Lake Delicacies — A Taste-Bud Feast That Makes Eyebrows Fall Off
Taizhou has a saying about "Three Strange Crabs": "Crabs climbing out of bamboo traps are not enough to sell; they are eaten as a dish without steaming or boiling; they are hot inside but cool outside, puzzling foreigners." One of the strange crabs is Xinghua's Zhongzhuang Drunken Crab, which requires 21 steps but is not steamed or boiled. It is opened and eaten immediately, with the color of fresh crab, tender meat, and full fragrance. Xinghua's Red Paste Hairy Crabs are famous not only for their green shell, white belly, golden claws, and yellow hairs, but also for their red paste and fresh meat. Besides hairy crabs, Xinghua's crayfish, drunken snails, pufferfish, and field frogs are also very fresh and delicious, making people salivate.
02. Xinghua Morning Tea — Delicate with a Sense of Ritual
03. Banqiao Family Feast — Poetic and Picturesque Delicacies
There are many accommodation options in Xinghua, including star-rated hotels and artistic, high-appearance homestays. Recommendations:
1. Tianbao Garden Hotel
2. Yunduo Homestay
Day 1: Suzhou → Xinghua → Zheng Banqiao and Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall → Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence → Jindongmen Old Street
It is about 280 kilometers from Suzhou to Xinghua, which takes about 3 hours by car. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, there were not many cars on the highway, and the often red-alert Jiangyin Bridge was also smooth. Departing at 8:00, we could reach downtown Xinghua around 11:00. We first went to the pre-booked Tianbao Garden Hotel to check in. As work and production gradually resumed, travel also began to normalize. By applying for and showing the Su Health Code online plus measuring body temperature, we could check in normally.
Gongjita Private Kitchen
After putting our luggage in the room, we planned to have lunch. Near Gongjita Park, not far from the hotel, there was a private kitchen serving local Xinghua specialty cuisine. Gongjita Private Kitchen was a quaint three-story building. The private room decoration was quite distinctive, and the environment was quiet. Spring in Xinghua is the best season for eating wild vegetables and river delicacies. After two months of quarantine, it was just right to satisfy our cravings.
Gongjita Private Kitchen
This vermicelli was especially delicious, but you had to eat it quickly; otherwise, it would soften and be impossible to pick up with chopsticks.
Tender spring broad beans
Children's favorite roast duck. The kids were excitedly surrounding the chef as he sliced it, admiring the young man's knife skills.
Gongjita Private Kitchen
Gongjita Private Kitchen
Xinghua Museum (Zheng Banqiao and Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall)
After a satisfying lunch, we were ready to explore Xinghua properly. Let's start from the city center. Xinghua is the hometown of Zheng Banqiao, and the tourism slogan is "Hometown of Banqiao, Cradle of Water Margin." Naturally, we first visited the Xinghua Museum. Especially when traveling with children, visiting museums is a must—learning through fun.
Why go to the Xinghua Museum first? Actually, the Xinghua Museum is also the Zheng Banqiao and Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall. It is connected to Li Garden on the east and to the Xinghua County Office on the south. It features Zheng Banqiao's art and culture, Chinese classic culture, celebrity culture, and collection culture. Moreover, it is a "six-in-one" museum, packing so many museums into one, offering great value. What are the six? I won't reveal now; let's see them one by one.
The exhibition area consists of 6 permanent displays and 2 temporary exhibition halls. The permanent halls are: "", "Chushui Long Flow — Xinghua Historical Materials Exhibition", "Shi Nai'an Cultural Relics Exhibition", "Xinghua Literature Museum", "Great Man's Style and Motherland's Scenery — Lv Houmin Photography Art Museum", and "Exhibition of Xinghua Contemporary Celebrity Achievements".
Entering the museum, you can see a sculpture of Zheng Banqiao. Beside it is a fountain and green water, with pavilions and corridors forming a small garden view. The museum houses more than 2,500 artifacts/sets, including 5 national first-class artifacts/sets, 48 second-class artifacts/sets, and 110 third-class artifacts/sets. The main categories include paintings and calligraphy, pottery, porcelain, and bronze ware.
The first floor of the museum is the Xinghua Museum titled "Chushui Long Flow," which displays and narrates Xinghua's historical development. It is very helpful for understanding Xinghua's long history. It is the only national third-class museum in Taizhou and is a patriotic education base at the provincial, city, and county levels.
"Chushui Long Flow — Xinghua Historical Materials Exhibition" uses concise methods to show Xinghua's long-standing development history and brilliant cultural history; "Xinghua Literature Museum" focuses on displaying the lives, achievements, and works of a large number of literary giants and celebrities such as Shi Nai'an, Li Chunfang, Lu Xixing, Liu Xizai, Ren Dachun, Li Qing, Li Xiang, Bi Feiyu, Fei Zhenzhong, and Wang Gan.
The Tang Dynasty unearthed silver ingot is the treasure of the Xinghua Museum, of high value for studying the history of Chinese currency, especially silver currency.
Various bronze wares
Going up the stairs from the deep part of the garden, the right side is the Zheng Banqiao Memorial Hall, with a sculpture of Zheng Banqiao at the entrance.
The exhibition theme of the Zheng Banqiao Memorial Hall is "Triple Marvel Genius — Zheng Banqiao." It has a rich collection of paintings and calligraphy by Zheng Banqiao, representing the Qing Dynasty "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou," and other historical celebrities from Xinghua, forming a feature of the Xinghua Museum's collection.
"Triple Marvel Genius — Zheng Banqiao" uses three chapters—"Life Achievements, Artistic Achievements, Far-reaching Influence"—to show the origins of Zheng Banqiao's people-oriented thoughts and artistic ideas and their impact on later generations.
Another treasure of the museum is the authentic calligraphy and paintings by Zheng Banqiao.
"Suffering loss is a blessing; it's hard to be muddled"—under that is the clay sculpture of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou.
On the second floor, another exhibition hall is the Shi Nai'an Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, with a statue of Shi Nai'an at the entrance.
Shi Nai'an, a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu, was a literary figure of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He led a wandering life and devoted himself to writing in his later years. He is the author of the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin," holding a high status in Chinese literary history.
The exhibition hall is divided into four parts: Shi Nai'an's family background, Shi Nai'an himself, Shi Nai'an's creation of "Water Margin," and Shi Nai'an's enduring legacy. The design uses lacquer paintings, wooden pillars, bamboo tubes, and glass concave carvings of figures to highlight the rugged spirit of the Liangshan heroes, allowing visitors to explore Shi Nai'an's Water Margin world in a deep and quiet environment.
The unearthed artifacts from the tomb of Shi Nai'an's family, the author of "Water Margin," are unique to the Xinghua Museum. Among them, the "Epitaph of the Late Chushi Shi Gong Tingzuo" is the most important artifact for contemporary research on Shi Nai'an, drawing attention from the academic community and the public.
After visiting the museum, next door is a classical garden, originally the private garden of a wealthy merchant named Li Xiaobo in the Qing Dynasty. The gate faces east, with a gate tower, hidden wall, two side rooms, a front courtyard well, and a south-facing main hall. Ancient trees tower, quiet and elegant, featuring the characteristics of late Qing Dynasty Yangzhou gardens.
Entering Li Garden, the first building is the Boat Hall, which is one bay wide and seven bays deep, shaped like a pleasure boat inside and out. There is a story behind the construction of this Boat Hall. Separated by a high wall from Li Garden was once a prison. Every day, prisoners clanked their shackles, disturbing the feng shui of the Li residence. So the owner built this Boat Hall to transform the sound of shackles into the sound of anchor chains when a boat sets sail or returns—a marvelous idea.
Unlike the common Jiangnan gardens in Suzhou, Xinghua's Li Garden features gray bricks and black tiles, typical of the Jianghuai Yangzhou-style gardens, combining the delicacy of Jiangnan gardens with the simplicity and grandeur of northern gardens.
Passing through a gate, we continued inward. Every step offered a new view. Among the bamboo groves, a pavilion was hidden for resting.
Turning a corner, we reached the Xinghua County Office and Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall.
Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao was a representative of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou." "Three perfections in poetry, calligraphy, and painting; once an official, he returned home" is the best summary of his life. Xinghua is the hometown of Zheng Banqiao, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. There are many stories and relics about Zheng Banqiao in Xinghua.
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
"A room need not be large to be elegant; flowers need not be many to be fragrant." Zheng Banqiao's former residence is a refined and elegant garden house with gray bricks and black tiles, featuring characteristics of northern gardens, reflecting Zheng Banqiao's proud, carefree, indifferent, and unconventional qualities...
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
In the backyard, there is a private garden with small bridges, flowing water, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and a winding corridor of steles. In front of a waterside pavilion, the clear water flows leisurely, surrounded by flowers in full bloom.
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence & Memorial Hall
In ancient times, Xinghua had four gates: east, south, west, and north. Among them, the east gate and north gate were more prosperous, commonly called "Golden East Gate" and "Silver North Gate."
Jindongmen mainly refers to the area east of Bazigiao within the old city and all the streets, alleys, rivers, and bridges outside the east gate. It has a history of over a thousand years. Since the construction of the Changfeng Sea Wall in the east during the Dali period of the late Tang Dynasty, the ancient area gradually became a gathering place for trade and cultural exchanges.
Historically, this area was bustling with commerce and relatively concentrated handicraft industries. Through the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods, it formed a historical district with 600 years of cultural accumulation. The area retains rich historical remains and cultural relics, such as Shangchizhai Pharmacy, Zhuangyuan Archway, Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence, Zhao Haixian's Western-style Building, and Cheng's Grand Sima Mansion. It is now a provincial-level historical and cultural district in Jiangsu.
The entrance of Jindongmen Old Street is marked by a Ming and Qing Dynasty building facing south, which is very conspicuous. This is the provincial-level cultural protection unit and Xinghua's century-old brand—Shangchizhai Pharmacy, first built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, around the 60th year of Kangxi, Xinghua County, then under Yangzhou Prefecture, had a thriving medical atmosphere. The small county had several renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctors. Because Shangchizhai has a long medical history and passed down famous doctors through generations, it has been known together with Xinghua's "Heshan Hall," "Fusheng Hall," "Zhonghe Hall," and "Dasheng Hall" as the "Four Halls and One Pharmacy" of Xinghua.
"Drinking the water from Shangchi, one will know things in thirty days." This is an allusion from "Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Bian Que," meaning that using pure water from Shangchi to decoct Chinese medicine can achieve the best effect. The pharmacy name "Shangchizhai" signifies this meaning.
Jindongmen Street has not been commercially developed much; it is full of lively烟火 atmosphere, with mostly local residents coming and going. The neighborhood still retains traditional craft workshops such as tinware.
Holding an oil-paper umbrella, take a walk on the ancient old street and feel the once bustling scene.
Jiashu Alley was originally built by the descendants of the Ming Dynasty censor Shu Chu. It was named to distinguish it from the larger Shu Alley in the south of the city. The east side of the alley mainly contains the former residence of the Qing Dynasty famous doctor Zhao Haixian, while the west side has a tall gate building with polished brick masonry and exquisite carvings, with multiple main halls, verandas, and studies spanning east and west.
To the south is the Heshan Hall of the Qing Dynasty famous doctor Wei Yintang, consisting of two courtyards east and west, with five rows from north to south. The ancient residential complex in Jiashu Alley mainly consists of Ming and Qing buildings, forming clusters with gray bricks and black tiles and horse-head walls, possessing high historical, cultural, and architectural value.
Turning out of the alleys of Jindongmen Old Street, it was getting late. We returned to Gongjita Private Kitchen, where a very special themed banquet was waiting for us: the famous Banqiao Family Feast. Zheng Banqiao was a gourmet, writing many poems about food. The Banqiao Family Feast is based on dishes mentioned in Zheng Banqiao's poems, folk stories about him, and the traditionally inherited Banqiao family feast, using local specialties from Xinghua to continuously explore and innovate, forming a feast with strong water town characteristics.
Zheng Banqiao was not only a genius in poetry, calligraphy, and painting but also had his own understanding of food, consistent with his philosophy and aesthetics. He had his own dietary views, advocating "cabbage pickled in salt, red beans boiled in salt, the solitary purity of Confucian flavor," and favored a life of "left pole a pot of wine, right pole a fish, cooking fish and drinking wine, chatting freely." Ingredients should be sourced locally, emphasizing freshness: "Fish bought from the lake is best; cook the fish with lake water."
Chrysanthemum fried rice tea is the first tea offered to guests in Xinghua.
The main cold dish is called "Orchid, Bamboo, and Stone Painting," derived from Zheng Banqiao's famous poem: "Bite the green mountain and do not let go; the root is originally in the broken rock."
Around the main dish are eight small side dishes: Banqiao Drunken Shrimp, Kowloon Drunken Snail, Muddled Bean Sprouts, Shaoyang Salted Duck Egg, Salted Vegetable with Small Fish, Garlic Fragrant Dried Tofu, Orchid-shaped Radish, Chushui Pig Head Meat
Four small dishes: Tender Ginger, Tea Beans Boiled with Peanuts, Fermented Tofu, Sauced Melon Seeds
Hot dishes include Shepherd's Purse and Spring Turtle Soup, Cobblestone Road, Golden Money String, Yonglu Garden, Pearl Four Happiness, Lotus Leaf Duck, Ma Yatou Needlework, Rice Wine Grilled Fish Head, Honey Glazed Olive Taro, Banqiao Tofu, Cabbage and Radish Xianzi Rice.
Besides the delicious taste, the greatest enjoyment of the Banqiao Family Feast is the poetic and picturesque presentation of each dish. Lotus Leaf Duck comes from: "One hundred sixty miles of lotus fields, tens of thousands of fish and ducks by the edge"; Rice Wine Grilled Fish Head comes from: "Drinking wine under the river moon late at night, a beauty grills fish head with delicate hands"; Xianzi Vegetable Rice comes from: "White cabbage, green salt, Xianzi rice; clay pot, sky water, chrysanthemum tea."
Xinghua Tianbao Garden Hotel
After dinner, we returned to Tianbao Garden Hotel. Tianbao Garden Hotel is a four-star hotel in Xinghua with complete facilities. Under the current epidemic situation, the registration work was thorough.
The room was spacious, and the view from the window was excellent, showing the entire city of Xinghua.
Xinghua Tianbao Garden Hotel
Xinghua Tianbao Garden Hotel
Xinghua Tianbao Garden Hotel
Xinghua Tianbao Garden Hotel
Day 2: Morning Tea at Qingfeng → Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers → Bishui Dongluo → Li Zhong Water Forest
It is said that Xinghua morning tea is as famous as Guangzhou and Yangzhou morning tea. A day in Xinghua begins with morning tea. There is a saying in the Yangzhou-Taizhou area: "In the morning, wrap the skin with water; in the evening, wrap the water with skin." "Wrap the skin with water" means drinking morning tea. After morning tea comes "wrap the water with skin," which means soaking in a bathhouse. The next day, we got up early. Although the hotel had a rich buffet breakfast, we decided to experience the local morning tea atmosphere.
Qingfeng Tea House is on the second floor of a hotel. Xinghua people's morning tea is delicate with a sense of ritual, emphasizing: one tea, three dim sum, one noodle. The first course is Fuxiang tea. In the old days, Fuxiang tea was made from Anhui Kuizhen tea, pearl orchid, and Hangzhou Longjing. The second course is "pour over," which refers to seasonal small dishes.
The third course is scalded dry tofu shreds (gan si).
The fourth course is dim sum: Shao Mai, crab roe buns, and steamed dumplings are the three treasures of Xinghua morning tea.
Besides the three treasures, there are many other choices for morning tea dim sum in Xinghua: lotus root sandwiches, crab roe buns, crispy spring rolls, crisp cakes, fried dumplings, tofu pudding, fried stinky tofu, glutinous rice stuffed lotus root, roasted sweet potatoes, fried pancakes, and so on.
Crab roe buns are firm and satisfying, with thin skin, rich filling, and delicious broth.
The last course is fish soup noodles, which soothes the whole stomach and mind.
After morning tea, we went to the most anticipated Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers. Due to the epidemic, we couldn't travel far, and Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers, as one of the world's "Four Great Flower Seas," was naturally the best choice for a check-in in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai.
Spring has arrived, and March and April are the season when rapeseed flowers bloom across the country. There are many places to see rapeseed flowers, but Qiduo has its unique charm.
"The river has ten thousand bends of emerald water; every patch of land is yellow with flowers." The most beautiful season in Xinghua is spring when rapeseed flowers bloom. The thousand-islet style patchwork field (duotian) landscape is famous nationwide. As a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, it is one of Xinghua's two national protected units. Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers are ranked among the world's "Four Great Flower Seas" alongside the world-renowned Provence lavender fields, Dutch tulip fields, and Kyoto cherry blossoms.
Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers lead the country. The water-town patchwork fields have a long history, quite similar to mountain terraces. Long ago, during dry seasons, people dug mud from low-lying areas and piled it on higher ground. Over time, they formed small islands in the water, of various shapes and sizes, disconnected from each other, giving birth to Xinghua's most distinctive thousand-acre patchwork field landscape.
Every year during the Qingming Festival, the patchwork fields (duotian) surrounded by water are covered with golden rapeseed flowers, like golden silk patterns embroidered on green satin. Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers perfectly integrate rapeseed flowers with water scenery, featuring unique patchwork field landforms and winding endless river channels.
There are three ways to visit Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers: The first is to take a painted boat or wooden boat. Drifting on the blue waves, the flowers on both sides of the fields come into view, unfolding one after another, like a golden maze, all set against the blue sky, creating gorgeous pastoral oil paintings, fully displaying the unique romance of "boats moving on water, people wandering among flowers" in a water town.
The second is to climb up for a distant view. There are three high towers in the scenic area to enjoy the Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers: one is a three-story observation deck at the entrance, the second is a high white pagoda, and the third is a three-story pavilion at the end of the boat ride.
Standing on the high pavilion with a spring breeze blowing, the blooming rapeseed flowers and crisscrossing waterways complement each other, presenting a magnificent view of "rapeseed flowers blooming, covering the ground with gold."
In addition to water tours, wooden bridges connect some of the patchwork fields, forming a wooden boardwalk where people can stroll among the flowers. This is more suitable for lively children and convenient for taking photos.
"Children run hurriedly chasing yellow butterflies; they fly into the rapeseed flowers and are nowhere to be found." The kids, cooped up for two months, were like released birds, hopping and skipping in the golden flower sea, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Adjacent to the world's "Four Great Flower Seas" — Qiduo Rapeseed Flowers, there is a beautiful rural village, Dongluo Village, built around Pingwang Lake and living by the patchwork fields. It is a four-star rural tourism area in Jiangsu Province and was selected as one of the first pilot villages for characteristic pastoral countryside construction in Jiangsu in 2017. With the development of tourism and economy, the water-town rural villages of Xinghua and the lives of local villagers have undergone tremendous changes. The hometown is becoming more and more beautiful, giving rise to a group of beautiful new villages represented by Dongluo Village.
In spring, Dongluo Village is embraced by clear waters, with flowers blooming in front and behind houses—rapeseed flowers, peach blossoms, and pear blossoms echoing each other. The patchwork fields are colorful like a painting, and the river ports are rippling with blue waves.
There are many children's playground facilities on the entrance square, including aerial ropes and swings.
The houses in Dongluo Village are all gray bricks and black tiles. Green trees line both sides of the river. The 24 solar terms are hand-painted on the entire wall. The village has set up an entrance square, a village service center, a grand auditorium, and a village square. Children play football and frolic on the square, making us feel how happy today's children are.
The Rural Development Exhibition Hall displays the old life scenes of Dongluo Village and its development process.
If you come to see the rapeseed flowers, you can also choose to stay in Dongluo Village. There is a high-appearance waterside homestay called Yunduo, hidden deep in the village among lush flowers.
The homestay environment is very quiet, and the interior design is quite artistic. The lobby also has handcraft classes and reading rooms that children love, while adults drink tea and chat, with the fragrance of rapeseed flowers wafting in.
We had lunch in the village's communal canteen, reminiscent of the old public canteens. Living by the water, one eats from the water. This is a check-in spot for tasting river delicacies. Xinghua's crayfish is the most famous; we had to order a portion to try.
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
The last stop of the trip was the magical Li Zhong Water Forest Park. The unique water-town landform has also brought many wetland resources to Xinghua. Li Zhong Water Forest is the largest man-made ecological forest in Jiangsu Province.
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
In spring, both sides of the roads in Li Zhong Water Forest are covered with patches of February Orchid, creating a romantic purple flower sea. The flowering period of February Orchid can last until May-June.
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
The most peculiar landscape of the water forest is the "Dreamlike Fog Forest." In the early morning, water vapor slowly rises in the forest. Among the tall metasequoia trees, the purple flower sea appears faintly in the mist, making one feel like walking in a fairyland.
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
"Boats travel in the forest sea; clouds drift on the water" is the unique charm of Li Zhong Water Forest. Whether on a raft or walking on the boardwalk, the forest is mainly composed of metasequoia and pond cypress. Beautiful egrets fly through the forest, combining movement and stillness, forming a water-town landscape of "water in the forest, birds in the forest."
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
In Little Jiuzhaigou, the wooden plank road winds through secluded spots, wooden tables and chairs are full of rustic charm, stone bridges span the water, pavilions reach the clouds, and various buildings are dotted among green trees and clear waters.
The Li Zhong Water Forest in the rain has a Nordic forest atmosphere.
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Li Zhong Water Forest Park
Urged by the light rain, we ended our wonderful two-day-one-night trip to Xinghua. Thank you for your appreciation. If you have any questions or suggestions, please message me!
Final Chatter
@Wuren Shaobai: A wild photographer, travel foodie, father of two babies, who likes to walk around and take pictures, sharing all the little beautiful things and interesting stories on the journey!
