The Most Beautiful April Days: Seeking Spring and Appreciating Flowers – A 7-Day Self-Drive Tour from Jiangsu Xinghua's Rape Flower Fields to Luoyang Peonies in Henan

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Day 1, April 3: On the first day of the Qingming holiday, we set off as planned. Due to the short holiday, there was heavy traffic on the highway, and several accidents caused severe congestion. Originally planned as a 10-hour drive, it took over 11 hours, but we still managed to arrive in Yancheng just before dark. We checked into Yancheng Lingxiang International Hotel for 258 yuan. This hotel deserves a special mention—though its location might be a bit remote, its service quality, cleanliness, and facilities far exceed what you'd expect for the price. The bathroom's automatic toilet and large bathtub really elevated the experience. Highly recommended!

Day 2: Around 8:30 am, after breakfast, we drove to Qianduo Scenic Area in Xinghua, Taizhou, 90 km away, arriving around 10 am. Since it was the Qingming holiday, all parking lots were full, so we had to park on the side of the road.

Travel Diary Contents:

1. Every spring, I get an urge to take Ali to Jiangnan in search of spring. I've made self-drive plans many times but never followed through. This year, with the pandemic over, I finally decided to take annual leave and combine it with the Qingming holiday to head south.

2. Before departure, I made a feasible itinerary: Day 1: Depart at 8 am, stay in Yancheng, drive 950 km (about 10 hours). Day 2: Visit Xinghua's Qianduo rape flower fields (90 km, 1.5 hours), then drive to Wuxi (230 km, 3 hours), stay in Wuxi. Day 3: Visit Yuantouzhu, then drive to Suzhou (evening). Day 4: Visit Tongli Ancient Town, then drive to Yangzhou (220 km, 3 hours). Day 5: Visit Slender West Lake in Yangzhou, then drive to Kaifeng, Henan (650 km, 7.5 hours). Day 6: Visit Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, then drive to Luoyang National Peony Garden (200 km, 2.5 hours). Day 7: Return trip, 960 km (about 11 hours). Since it was just the two of us, the schedule and attractions were relaxed without stress or fatigue.

3. Legend says Qianduo was the Eight Trigram Formation set by Yue Fei, the Taizhou prefect, against Jin troops. Xinghua's average elevation is under 2 meters, so farmland is prone to waterlogging. Local residents dug mud from low-lying areas during dry seasons and piled it higher, creating small island-like fields. These fields vary in size and shape, separated by water, accessible only by boat. The landscape resembles a 'kingdom of ten thousand islands.' During Qingming, when rape flowers bloom, the blue sky, clear water, and golden islands create a stunning scene: 'Rivers have many bends of clear water; fields have no mound without yellow flowers.' It's called the 'World's Most Beautiful Rape Flower Sea.' Climb the pavilions for a panoramic view. There are water routes; you can take a boat through the flower sea for a different perspective. On foggy days, you might see a misty golden wonderland. The best time to visit is around Qingming. Every photo becomes a beautiful wallpaper. I've seen rape flower seas by Qinghai Lake, on the Hulunbuir grasslands, and in Wuyuan's terraces—each unique—but this mound-style sea is my first and truly worth the trip.

Tickets: Book one day in advance via travel apps: group price (10+ people) 80 yuan. Individual tickets: use the 'One Mobile Tour Xinghua' mini-program to buy a combo (ticket + one-way boat) for 90 yuan; at the window, 100 yuan. The one-way boat ticket can be used on either an electric boat or a rowboat. It's recommended to walk in and take the boat back, enjoying the flower sea from both land and water.

Let's take a look at this unique 'boats move in water, people walk among flowers' Qianduo waterborne rape flower sea!

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4. Around 2:30 pm, after visiting Qianduo, we drove to Wuxi (230 km, 3 hours) and stayed at Wuxi Jinrui Grand Hotel for 317 yuan. This hotel is not recommended; it's worth at most 200 yuan.

Day 3: Around 9 am, we went to Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle). This peninsula in northern Taihu Lake is shaped like a turtle head. You can explore its large gardens, take a boat to feel the vastness of Taihu, visit Taihu Fairy Island, and enjoy cherry blossoms in spring—embodying 'Taihu's best scenery is indeed Yuantouzhu.' Every spring, cherry blossoms bloom, and there's a lively cherry blossom festival. Surrounded by water on three sides, Yuantouzhu offers beautiful mountain and lake views. From Luding Mountain, you can see the lake and boats. Yuantouzhu's cherry blossom viewing is unique: 'water, land, air' panoramic views and nighttime viewing with lights. Tickets: 105 yuan at the window, 90 yuan via mobile scan, both including the boat to Taihu Fairy Island. Other packages (e.g., night show) are available via scan. Opening hours: 8:00-17:30, but you can stay later with night shows.

Enter and head to the boat dock for the ferry to Taihu Fairy Island (about 1 hour visit). Don't worry about queues; each boat holds 400-500 people. Then visit Changchun Bridge and Cherry Blossom Valley. If short on time, half a day suffices; with more time, you can spend a whole day.

Honestly, we came mainly for the famous Yuantouzhu cherry blossoms, but we missed them by a week. If we'd come a week earlier, we might have missed Qianduo's peak rape flower season. Life isn't perfect—that gives us a reason to start again.

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Above are our photos: only a few scattered cherry blossoms, quite a pity.

Add location This is the scenic area's promotional image of Yuantouzhu at its cherry blossom peak—definitely worth another visit.

After Yuantouzhu, we drove to Suzhou Wuzhong Hilton Happy Inn (358 yuan, about 70 km, 1.5 hours). This Ctrip 4-star hotel had good environment, service, and food. We had local specialties for dinner: Yangchun noodles, shrimp dumplings, and local stir-fry—delicious and recommended.

Day 4: After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 am, we drove to Tongli Ancient Town (20 km, 40 minutes). Ticket: 80 yuan per person. You can enter without a ticket but can't visit attractions; only the town itself. Boat rides: 120 yuan per boat (max 6 people), but you can share.

Tongli Ancient Town, a water town in Suzhou's Wujiang district, is surrounded by lakes and divided into seven islands by rivers. Nearly every house is adjacent to water, with narrow alleys and Ming-Qing buildings. It's usually quiet and peaceful. At night, lights along the eaves create a beautiful scene. The town is small enough to walk; you can also pay for a rickshaw. There's also a paid boat tour (Wufu Water Tour) covering the town and Luoxingzhou.

The entrance is on the south side. Inside, you'll see bridges and flowing water. The famous Three Bridges are in the center. The combo ticket includes nine attractions: Tuisi Garden, Pearl Pagoda Garden, Songshi Wu Garden, Taihu Water Conservancy Exhibition Hall, Chongben Hall, Jiayin Hall, Gengle Hall, Luoxingzhou, etc. They are scattered throughout the town—small gardens, former residences, and special exhibition halls.

Don't miss the snacks: Mingqing Street and Zhuhang Street near the entrance are snack hubs. Tongli pastries like Wa Di Su, Qian Shi Cake, and Malt Collapse Cake are famous; also try osmanthus dumplings and Zhuangyuan Trotter. If staying two days, you can sleep in a local guesthouse, but facilities may not match hotels. Outside, near Huanhu West Road, there are budget hotels.

We took a 50-yuan rickshaw ride for a few attractions—mainly for the experience. Afterward, we joined a group boat ride. Since it was just after Qingming, there were few tourists—perfect for us. Recommended: Tuisi Garden, Pearl Pagoda Garden, and Taihu Water Conservancy Exhibition Hall—exquisite and well-designed.

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We left Tongli around 2:30 pm to drive to Yangzhou (220 km, 3 hours) for tomorrow's Slender West Lake. We arrived at 6 pm and stayed at Yangzhou Zitu Hotel (225 yuan). Had dinner at a local restaurant 'Dongyuan Xiaoguan' for Yangzhou fried rice and Yangchun noodles—authentic, tasty, and affordable!

Day 5: We arrived at Slender West Lake around 9 am. 'In March, fireworks descend on Yangzhou'—a must-visit in spring. Slender West Lake is a narrow river where you can walk along the banks, enjoy gardens, pavilions, and literary works, or take a boat ride like Emperor Qianlong.

It's a famous lake garden with lush greenery in spring—willows, camellias, pomegranates, azaleas, etc. For centuries, scholars and poets lingered here, leaving behind poems and paintings. Many scenic buildings were built accordingly.

Five-Pavilion Bridge is a landmark, over 200 years old. On full moon nights, each of its 15 arches reflects a moon. 24 Bridge is another famous spot, from Du Mu's poem. The original bridge is gone; the current one is rebuilt.

This was also a must-visit for Emperor Qianlong during his southern tours. Big Rainbow Bridge, Fishing Terrace, White Pagoda, and Xichun Terrace all have stories related to him. It's said 'Yangzhou produces beauties'—the female guides here are a scenic highlight.

In summer, there are night tours with illuminated pavilions and moon reflections. Night tours are by boat, cool and relaxing.

The scenic area is large, from Big Rainbow Bridge at the southeast to Guanyin Mountain in the north, with dozens of attractions. There are four gates; most enter from the south gate on Big Rainbow Bridge Road. Ticket: 95 yuan; with boat: 145 yuan. We bought the combo—first enjoy gardens and pavilions on foot, then take a boat for a different view. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperative.

Add location 'Twenty-four bridges on a moonlit night, where does the jade lady teach the flute?'

Add location Five-Pavilion Bridge is the symbol of Slender West Lake.

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The overcast weather made photos of the scenic lake look poor—apologies.

We finished around 2 pm. We'd planned to stay in Kaifeng tonight, but it was 650 km away, and we didn't want to arrive too late. So we adjusted. By 6 pm, we decided to stay in Lankao County's Wanyue Puhua Hotel (215 yuan), near Kaifeng, arriving at 8 pm. Dinner was local shaobing and braised noodles—quite good. Wanyue Puhua is a decent hotel in Lankao; breakfast was just okay.

Day 6: After breakfast, we drove to Kaifeng's Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden (60 km, 1 hour). Tickets: 116 yuan per person online; boat: 30 yuan per person.

This park is based on Zhang Zeduan's famous painting 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival', recreating the Northern Song capital Bianliang (now Kaifeng). It's divided into three parts: Welcome Plaza, North Garden, and South Garden, bringing the painting to life.

Here you'll walk among large-scale Song-style buildings: Fuyun Pavilion, Rainbow Bridge, Shuixin Pavilion, Shuangting Bridge, Jiulong Bridge, etc., plus taverns, tea houses, pawnshops. Staff and vendors wear Song clothing, making you feel you've stepped into the Northern Song capital. There are also play areas for kids with dart throwing, archery, rope climbing, etc.

You can watch performances like 'Bao Gong Patrols the Bianjing River', 'Wang Yuanwai Marries His Daughter', 'Yue Fei Musters Troops', 'Cockfighting', 'Stilt Walking', 'Cuju Match', and more.

From March to November, there's a large-scale water show 'Great Song – Tokyo Dream' at night. It strings together eight classic Song poems and the painting, taking audiences back 1,000 years. The show lasts about 70 minutes.

After the show, night lighting comes on—red lanterns everywhere, bustling streets shining with a different charm. Climb Shangshan Gate for a panoramic view of Kaifeng at night.

The 'Tokyo Night Market' and 'Sunyang Zhengdian' offer local cuisine: the former has affordable snacks, the latter traditional imperial Henan cuisine (more expensive).

There are also folk craft workshops like Zhuxian Town New Year paintings and Bian embroidery—watch artisans at work and buy souvenirs.

The park is huge, with ongoing construction. To really see it all, you'd need a full day. Since Ali really wanted to see Luoyang's peonies, we bought only daytime tickets. We caught two performances: 'Yue Fei Spears the Little King' and 'Great Song Court Dance'—quite atmospheric. Night scenery and big shows will have to wait for next time, haha.

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Since we still needed to see the peonies in Luoyang, we hurried onward. It's 200 km, about 3 hours. When we arrived at Luoyang National Peony Garden... [Note: The original content cuts off here.]

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The Most Beautiful April Days: Seeking Spring and Appreciating Flowers – A 7-Day Self-Drive Tour from Jiangsu Xinghua's Rape Flower Fields to Luoyang Peonies in Henan

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