Shanghai Departure: 6-Day Self-Drive Tour of Jiangyin, Taizhou, Gaoyou, Nantong in 2020 (Feima Water City, Rishe Garden, Port Carved Flower Building, Wolf Mountain)

My wife took annual leave, and we went on a self-driving trip. Due to the impact of the epidemic, we couldn't travel too far. The total distance for 6 days was 917.8 kilometers. This trip took us to Taizhou and Gaoyou, two of the few remaining cities in the Yangtze River Delta that we had not yet visited. On the last day, we climbed Wolf Mountain in Nantong, nearly 10 years after my previous visit.

October 25, 2020 (Jiangyin weather: cloudy, 12 to 21°C)

Left home in Pudong, Shanghai at 11:40.

Brief traffic jam on the Hujia Expressway caused by a three-car collision.

Arrived at Shanghai Ring Expressway Hujia Toll Station at 12:30, cumulative distance 42.3 km.

Arrived at Shenhai Expressway Shaxi Service Area for a rest at 13:01, cumulative distance 80.8 km.

The expanded Shaxi Service Area now has many restaurants.

Arrived at Huwu Expressway Gushan Toll Station at 13:45, cumulative distance 134.8 km, toll fee 42.66 yuan.

Due to traffic ahead on the expressway, we took some local roads.

Hailan Feima Water City. A man-made attraction, large scale, European-style buildings, offering a sense of novelty. Convenient for self-driving: no entrance fee for strolling, plenty of parking spaces, and free parking even in the underground garage.

Strolling around Feima Water City mainly involves a loop around the artificial lake.

Under the lakeside promenade, enjoying coffee and lake views is a slow-paced pleasure.

The dining facilities at Feima Water City are very good.

Many young people, and the milk tea shops were doing good business.

The art museum has a large underground parking lot.

Arrived at Huwu Expressway Xinqiao North Toll Station at 15:27, cumulative distance 151.2 km.

Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge.

Arrived at Jinghu Expressway Guangling Service Area for a rest at 16:09, cumulative distance 201.7 km.

Arrived at Jinghu Expressway Taizhou Toll Station at 16:43, cumulative distance 242.0 km, toll fee 61.75 yuan.

There is an elevated expressway from the toll station to downtown Taizhou.

Checked into Taizhou Hotel, officially five-star, business twin room, 318 yuan (without breakfast). Facilities are somewhat dated, like a government guesthouse, but cleanliness is good – carpets clean, bathroom clean. Soundproofing is poor; we could hear conversations from next door. The hotel is not in a bustling area, and it was quiet at night. The hotel has plenty of outdoor parking spaces.

The hotel's food street is excellent, with affordable prices and delicious local specialties.

Morning market on the food street offers breakfast items like steamed buns and wontons. In the evening, it mainly serves à la carte dishes at reasonable prices.

Grilled black fish, 78 yuan, not as tasty as expected.

The hotel street side sells Taizhou specialty snacks.

As of that evening, cumulative distance 259.6 km, average fuel consumption 5.8 L/100 km.

October 26, 2020 (Taizhou weather: cloudy to partly cloudy, 11 to 20°C)

Took a photo of the scenery outside the hotel window from the room.

Morning tea at the hotel's food street. Meat buns 4 yuan each, generous filling. For some reason, the food street wasn't busy with few customers. But I saw some locals buying breakfast to take home.

The lobby decoration does not match the standard of a five-star hotel.

Wuyi Road parking lot. Parking in downtown Taizhou is convenient, with many free on-street parking spaces.

Walked from the parking lot to Guangxiao Temple.

Taizhou Guangxiao Temple, a key Buddhist temple in Jiangsu Province, entrance fee 20 yuan.

The Most Auspicious Hall (Zui Jixiang Dian) is the only hall with that name in temples across the country.

Next to Guangxiao Temple is the Chongru Temple, which houses the Taizhou School Memorial Hall, a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit. The Taizhou School was founded by Wang Gen, a disciple of the famous Ming dynasty thinker Wang Shouren. Unfortunately, the memorial hall was under renovation and not open.

Taoyuan Road on the east side of Taizhou Old Street has many free parking spaces. From there, you can walk to the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall (Mei Garden) and Taoyuan.

Chunlan State Guesthouse next to Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall, four-star standard, very quiet for accommodation.

Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall, located on Fenghuang Dun in Taizhou city center, surrounded by water on three sides, shaded by green trees, with elegant scenery. In February 1985, then-President Li Xiannian inscribed the hall's name.

Discount ticket via Ctrip: 15 yuan.

Mei Lanfang was born in Beijing in 1894 (the 20th year of Guangxu reign) with ancestral home in Taizhou, Jiangsu.

There is a parking lot in front of the memorial hall.

The Lotus Supermarket at the corner of Yingchun East Road and Dongfang South Road has now ceased operation.

KFC is my favorite fast food.

Parking lot opposite Taizhou Old Street.

Taizhou Old Street. The most frequented by group tourists visiting Taizhou, but actually not very meaningful.

Hailing North Road in front of Rishe Garden.

In the Rishe Garden parking lot, we saw an elderly couple traveling in their RV. This lifestyle is enviable.

Taizhou Rishe Garden, the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units, ancient architecture category, dating from Ming to Republic of China.

Rishe Garden, also known as Qiao Garden, discount ticket via Ctrip: 15 yuan.

Wanghai Tower on Fengcheng River, discount ticket via Ctrip: 17 yuan.

Inside the garden there is a section of the ancient city wall ruins.

Parking lot near Wanghai Tower.

Checked into Taizhou Hotel, officially five-star, business twin room, 318 yuan (without breakfast). Chunlan sculpture in the hotel lobby.

Dinner still at the hotel's food street.

As of that evening, cumulative distance 274.6 km, average fuel consumption 6.1 L/100 km.

October 27, 2020 (Taizhou weather: cloudy to partly cloudy, 15 to 20°C)

Morning tea at the hotel's food street, 10% discount via WeChat ordering.

View from the hotel room window.

Taizhou Taoyuan, which contains the former residence of Kong Shangren. Kong Shangren was a poet and playwright of the early Qing dynasty, a 64th-generation descendant of Confucius. While living here, he completed the second draft of The Peach Blossom Fan. Taoyuan is located beside Taizhou Old Street, discount ticket via Ctrip: 17 yuan.