Visit Qinhu Lake in Jiangyan, Taizhou, Explore the Traditional Boat Festival, and Tour the Ancient Qintong Town

The Qingming holiday is almost here. In Jiangyan District, Taizhou, Jiangsu, the period around Qingming each year is the liveliest time locally. This is because the day after Qingming is the traditional local festival—the Qintong Boat Festival.

Many tourists from outside may be unfamiliar with the Qintong Boat Festival, so let me give a brief introduction. It originated in the Song Dynasty. At that time, the famous military strategist Yue Fei led his Yue family army in a fierce battle against the Jin troops on Qinhu Lake, defending the land. Later, local people, in memory of the Yue family army, would row boats to the lake on Qingming Festival to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. Over time, this became a water-town custom. Today, this custom has earned the reputation of "Qintong Boat Festival is the best under heaven," lasting up to a month. Experts hail it as "a grand view of folk culture and a panorama of water-town customs." It is a national intangible cultural heritage and well worth seeing.

Since Qingming is very close, I came to Jiangyan this time. I heard that there would be a rehearsal for the boat festival in a village near Qinhu Lake, so I hurried over to check it out. The Qintong Boat Festival typically features five types of boats: pole boats, rowing boats, flower boats, tribute boats, and "guifu" (sedan-chair) boats, embodying the people's good wishes and hopes for national peace, prosperity, and longevity. What I saw this time was a traditional pole boat rehearsal. Even though it was only a rehearsal, they took it very seriously. Before the boat set off, they burned incense and set off firecrackers, attracting local villagers and a few tourists to stop and watch.

On one boat, there were over a dozen people with a dozen poles. Seeing them all work together, the small boat moved swiftly. Lifting the poles was like a formation of spears; plunging them was like giant pythons diving into the water. This rehearsal involved only two boats. Just imagine: during the actual festival, thousands of boats will float on Qinhu Lake, with tens of thousands of participants. How spectacular that scene will be! So, starting from the second day of the Qingming holiday, if you have the chance, you must come to Qinhu Lake in Jiangyan to witness this awe-inspiring sight.

After watching the boat rehearsal, we took a stroll around the village. It was a typical Jiangnan water-town landscape, with a well-maintained environment and very friendly villagers. Such a beautiful countryside truly belongs to the region of "Su Daqiang" (a nickname for Jiangsu's strength).

Leaving the village, we headed straight to the ancient Qintong Town by Qinhu Lake—a thousand-year-old living town. The town and its surroundings are rich in the flavor of daily life, with very little commercialization. Most shops mainly sell local specialty snacks. This town has thrived for a thousand years, leaving behind many beautiful verses by literati from past dynasties. We first bought some traditional pastries from an old street outside the town, which are said to have a 300-year-old heritage.

These little pastries are quite exquisite. The patterns on them represent the magical tools of the Eight Immortals. The boss said the seemingly simple process is actually a result of practice making perfect, and ordinary people can hardly master the heat. But I have to say, the pastries fresh out of the pan are truly delicious. Two people could easily finish a small box in no time.

Then we bought tickets and entered Qintong Ancient Town. Three ancient trees left a deep impression on me. One is a boxwood that doesn't look particularly tall or lush, yet it is 180 years old. If placed by the roadside, many people wouldn't notice it, which makes one marvel at the vitality of a tree.

The other two are a camellia tree and an old locust tree, both over a thousand years old. The thousand-year-old camellia tree is recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-living camellia tree, and it is stunning when in bloom. Clearly, the camellia tree is the "star" of the ancient town. All visitors stop here to take plenty of photos. The Guinness World Record certificate is also enlarged and hung nearby.

The other old locust tree is tall and lush, though it had no leaves yet in this season. This locust tree is often used by people to make wishes and pray for blessings.

There are also some exhibition halls worth visiting in Qintong Ancient Town. One that left a strong impression on me is the Family Motto Hall. Ancestral culture has always been a cohesive force for the Chinese nation. Compared to material wealth, excellent family mottos and traditions are invaluable treasures passed down to future generations. Here, I learned about some famous family mottos and appreciated the charm of inheriting good family traditions.

In addition, there are some bed-and-breakfasts run by locals in the ancient town, with reasonable prices. Staying there allows you to better experience the daily life atmosphere of the town in the morning and evening. Jiangyan is inherently a place with a slow pace of life. If you just want to wander around Qintong Ancient Town, 2 to 4 hours is recommended. But if you want to fully experience local life, it's best to stay overnight.

Qinhu Lake National Wetland Park

Our last stop in Jiangyan was the Qinhu Lake National Wetland Park, a national 5A-level scenic area with excellent ecology. The park is very large. The route is: first buy a ticket to enter, then take a painted pleasure boat to cruise the lake, then visit the wetland museum and walk along the wooden boardwalk to observe the wetland. You can also opt for small transportation such as rowboats or electric sightseeing cars.

Perhaps few people know that a large number of elk fossils have been found around Qinhu Lake and Qintong Ancient Town, so this area is also called the hometown of elk. A large herd of elk is raised within the park. It's quite rare to get so close to elks, and I even managed to capture the spectacular scene of elks crossing the river together.

As a wetland park, Qinhu Lake is not short of waterfowl. The waterfowl hall has mandarin ducks, geese, and more. Since you're closer to the waterfowl here, the chances of getting good photos are higher. Shots of birds spreading their wings or playing in the water are very exciting.

I also share some photos of Qinhu Lake scenery with everyone. Now, as the Qingming holiday approaches, the Boat Festival will liven up the lake. If you come here then, don't miss other wonderful spots in the scenic area.