A Trip to Romantic Yuantouzhu and Leisurely Jinqi, with a Side of the Magic City

As we all know, last year's cherry blossom season came right after the pandemic broke out, and no one dared step outside, let alone go flower viewing. As for me, after admiring the red leaves last year, I'm still out of work. My friend said her compensatory leave was about to expire and wanted me to take her out for a trip. So, we decided on a four-day trip to Jiangsu and Shanghai and set off immediately. The weather warmed up early this year, and the predicted peak bloom for Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms was earlier, so we moved our departure from March 25 to March 18. On March 17, we took a red-eye flight to Wuxi and landed in the early hours of the 18th. I was prepared for the cold and had already put on my jacket before exiting the plane, but my pants were so thin that I still felt chilly—another transition from 28°C to 10°C. Wuxi is a really peculiar city; it's the first time I encountered airport-area hotels without shuttle services. We had to call a Didi, and the storefronts had their lights off—how could they attract any business?

Day 1 - March 18: We only arrived at our accommodation at 2 a.m. My friend was hungry and ordered delivery; we finally fell asleep after 3 a.m. I longed to sleep deeply, but the noise of cars on the road outside woke us up, so we just got up and got going.

Originally we planned to take a taxi to the airport and then the subway to our next stop, but there was a bus nearby that went straight to the subway station. At the bus stop just a dozen steps away, we saw bus 753 pause briefly ahead of us and then zoom off. I waved frantically from behind, but it was no use. While waiting, we took the chance to snap photos of the cherry blossoms along the street. After two bus transfers, we finally reached Wangshan Road—since I stayed here last time I visited Wuxi, I came back. As we got off, we saw pink-and-white weeping cherry blossoms (malus halliana). We were so thrilled that we whipped out our phones and started snapping away. After dropping off our luggage, we went looking for food, passing a kindergarten that made me super envious. We spotted a street with character and strolled in, finding a noodle shop where we each ordered crab roe noodles. The fresh crab flavor filled our mouths, and our happiness meters were off the charts. After finishing, we wandered along Culture Street, again lined with weeping cherry blossoms. We saw Fan Li's business principles—still worth learning from today. Realizing it was getting late, we decided to head directly to our next destination. My friend thought we'd go back to the accommodation for jackets; it was only around 12°C, and she ended up going around in just a hoodie. On the way to the bus stop, the median strip had Shirley poppies, which I'd never seen before—they were so stunning we took another round of photos.

Today's luck was really that bad—just one street away from the bus stop, but while waiting for the red light, bus 131 sailed by. More waiting. We finally reached Jinkui Park, and it was my first time seeing a sizable cherry blossom grove. There were pale pink and white blossoms; the white ones were already in full bloom, while the pale pink ones would probably need a few more days. Quite a crowd was flower-gazing. It looked stunning to the naked eye, but photos captured none of it. The Cherry Blossom Avenue was beautiful, with white blossoms beside it like a blanket of snow—so refreshing. We came to Jinkui Park mainly for the cherry blossoms, so after the avenue, we walked to the nearby Xuntang Ancient Town, passing the Wuxi government buildings and Shangxianhe Wetland Park—envy those civil servants here. It was quite a walk, about 2 km, so I'd suggest taking a taxi if you're not used to walking. Passing through birdsong and flowers, we crossed Shangxian Bridge and spotted some traditional buildings—just find a path leading there. We met an orange tabby who patiently waited for me to snap its photo before leaving. Little bridge, flowing stream, and houses—my kind of scene. I suppose this is what 'spring river warmth the duck knows first' means. We followed the ducks into a garden: a classic Jiangnan garden. Exiting the garden and turning a corner, we were back at the same bridge. This ancient town is even smaller than the Humble Administrator's Garden. Small as a sparrow, but with all its vital parts. After the stroll, night fell. We boarded the last bus of the day, transferred to the subway, and went to Nanchan Temple. Passing through a bridge tunnel, we found a food street. We strolled and snacked until full, then walked along the river to Nanxiatang (the opposite bank of Nanchang Street). I remember falling in love with Nanchang Street on my first visit—a free waterside ancient architectural complex, not inferior to the six famous ancient towns at all. Last time I left early to catch a flight and missed the night view; this time, I came specifically for it. The familiar scene of a river flanked by two banks... We took no turning back, walking deep into Bodu Port, where the night was quiet, the lighting dim, and life brimming. Today's activity level was excessive. I had planned to take a taxi back, but I was talked into taking the bus, and we ended up walking 26,000 steps—my friend said we'd done a year's worth of walking in one day. Speaking of which, we hadn't spotted a single convenience store all day. Don't people in Wuxi need to buy water? Luckily, just before our guesthouse, we finally saw a shop. We swept up four bottles of water in one go. Then it started raining. Good thing we reached the shelter. My friend went back and ordered delivery again—this trip, she's led me astray.

Day 2 - March 19: We had agreed to wake up early, but it rained outside. We dawdled and even considered ordering breakfast delivery, but no one delivered. We ate something random and by the time we reached Yuantouzhu it was past 10 a.m. We packed our luggage and left it at the Yuantouzhu visitor center (only suitcases under 24 inches accepted, deposit 50 yuan per piece, pick up before 4 p.m. to get the deposit back). We bought tickets online the day before for 83 yuan per person. As soon as we passed the ticket check, there were cherry blossoms—but it was a rainy day. Turning left after the entrance, we walked about 200 meters to the park shuttle bus, which only had one stop, right at the entrance of Cherry Blossom Valley. The moment we stepped in, we were overwhelmed by cherry blossoms and couldn't move. I don't know how long we took photos before finally advancing. As we wandered, we spotted 'Innocent' selling cherry blossom ice cream. The early blossoms here had all fallen. Passing by full-bloom white cherry blossoms, we were amazed to see thickets of snow willow nearby—such a contrast with the sparse ones I'd bought at home. I heard those tiny flowers are early cherry blossoms. One of the very few photos where my friend didn't refuse to photograph me. Crossing a bridge, we saw weeping cherry blossoms again near the Cherry Blossom Villa. A clearing in front of the villa had a cherry blossom food festival setup—just the usual mass-market festival eats. We randomly had a bowl of rice noodles with snail broth and headed straight for the Cherry Blossom Viewing Pavilion. We came to Yuantouzhu specifically for this pavilion and Changchun Bridge, but unfortunately this area wasn't in full bloom yet—probably a few more days to go. Even without visiting the Cherry Blossom Post Office, we could see wind chimes all over the trees. All kinds of ancient-style photo setups occupied the prime viewing spots. These drums were for an upcoming event; it was bad luck we came too early—only when we reached the other side did we see some performers rehearsing. Crossing the bridge brought us to the Sino-Japanese Cherry Blossom Friendship Forest, which felt like another cherry blossom avenue. After seeing the Sino-Japanese Cherry Blossom Forest stone, heading further led to our dining spot, and continuing on was the Cherry Blossom Post Office—truly brimming with wind chimes. Passing some restaurants, we saw the ferry dock. Walking further, we spotted a sign saying 'Best View of Taihu Lake' and entered to find this white-walled, black-tiled pavilion with a railing, a scene of perfect poetic charm. Rainy day—too bad we couldn't photograph the sunset at Changchun Bridge. Last time I only saw trees with green leaves and didn't find it that attractive. We strolled along Changchun Bridge and then took a boat. Last time I only sat inside the cabin; this time there were no seats left, so we went to the upper deck, which was packed. I witnessed a flock of seagulls dancing in the air. After reaching the fairy island, an announcement told us to take the 4:30 p.m. boat back. Around 3:30, when we reached the statue of Laozi, the visitor center called to ask if we were done and reminded us to collect our luggage before 4 p.m. When they found out we were still on the island, they got anxious and told us to board the boat immediately and have one person take the battery car back to the main entrance to get the bags because they were closing. I didn't expect the visitor center to close so early. We had no time to go up the hill either. Less than half an hour after arriving, we hurried onto the boat, and it departed before 4 p.m. The ticket included the bus, but the battery car cost an extra 20 yuan per ride. Last time I rushed to catch the battery car because I missed the last bus; this time, even though we had time, we couldn't escape the battery car. We had to exit the scenic area to get back to the visitor center—once out, no more lingering. Ahhhhhhh. The visitor center kept one person waiting for me. After collecting the luggage and the deposit, they promptly turned off the lights and locked the doors at 4:30 p.m. I even saw tourists carrying luggage into the park—maybe they were staying at the villa? We got our drowsy friend onto the tourist bus straight to Wuxi Station. We took a high-speed train to Kunshan South, then transferred to bus 133 to Jinqi. Fortunately, the train was on time, and we caught the last 133 bus at 7:00 p.m. It was my first time on a bus where you had to swipe your card both when boarding and alighting. The streetlights were a bit dim here. The B&B we booked tonight was deliberately chosen to be close to the bus stop. The owner had a strong accent; my friend could understand him, but for me it was a bit hard. Should I call him chatty or just warmly hospitable? After leading us to the room, he explained everything meticulously, as if afraid we wouldn't know how to use the TV. It felt like a newly opened B&B, with the simple decor I love, plus water-town-themed wallpaper. It was very late; we dropped our luggage and rushed out to find food. Not far into the ancient town, we saw the legendary Crispy Chicken snack shop, said to be the earliest to open and the latest to close in all of Jinqi. We blindly picked some skewers and ate them sitting in the nearby sheltered corridor. They were just ordinary fried snacks, nothing special, but not expensive. Since everything was deep-fried, we felt greasy in the end. Sitting on the waterside viewing corridor by the river reminded me a bit of Xizha in Wuzhen, but the dim lights also brought back memories of Zhouzhuang's dark nights. Apart from that Crispy Chicken shop, almost all stores in the town were closed. We strolled to the ferry dock and finally saw Gulan Bridge. There were few people at night, and some lights created a nightscape. After wandering, we returned to Milu beside Crispy Chicken. A quiet water town ancient town is the life I yearn for. After a loop, we felt the town wasn't big (certainly bigger than Xuntang), but the greasy aftertaste forced us to buy some fruit to cleanse our palates. Tonight was the only night we didn't order delivery.

Day 3 - March 20: Another easy-going morning. Going downstairs, we remembered the B&B included breakfast, but my friend, determined to try local flavors, refused it. We found a random breakfast shop and ordered xiaolongbao, pan-fried xiaolongbao, and another kind of bun I forgot. We both agreed the plain xiaolongbao tasted better than the crab roe ones. The pan-fried xiaolongbao weren't as greasy as the Cantonese variety; one bite and its broth squirted onto my skirt, scalding me—it was so good I wanted to order another serving. After breakfast, we spotted old houses with peeling paint in a small alley, that Jiangnan water-town feel, another uncommercialized residential area—I love it here. This was the spot where we entered the ancient town yesterday; now the shops were all open. The scenery was different from the night: along a tributary river, early spring was in full swing. I put on the Han-style skirt I'd prepared for Yuantouzhu—of course we had to take some ancient-style photos. Though no rain today, it was still around 10°C. Stripping off the jacket for the photos with my friend sent a chill through me. We met a guy and I became a photo prop, but his photography skills far surpassed my friend's. 'Dark willows and bright blossoms—another village appears.' Little bridges and flowing streams, everyday life; may the spring breeze always green the willows. The Lotus Pond Zen Temple was free to visit, but we were in a rush so we skipped it. Gulan Bridge—if we came in summer, the pond would be full of lotus fragrance. From the sheltered corridor, we could vaguely see the tomb of Lady Chen. It was almost 11 o'clock. My friend has no sense of time when taking photos. We originally planned to have lunch in Shanghai, but it was clear we wouldn't make it. We each got a drink to tide us over on the high-speed train, while I admired their wall paintings. My first time in 'Big Shanghai'—obligatory tourist photo. Maybe it was hunger, but my stomach started hurting. At the subway station, I bought a bun-sized cream puff, quite delicious, but it didn't help the pain. Our hotel near Shanghai station, Shidan Hotel, was hard to find following the navigation; we ended up in front of the public security bureau. Asking passersby, we learned the bureau was the building's back entrance; the main entrance was behind it. The receptionist said there used to be an alley you could turn into from the back, but it had been sealed off. 'Big Shanghai' is something else—the hotel cost was double the previous three nights (probably because it was the weekend), but the facilities were classy, even with a mini fridge (though unused). Dropping the bags, we rushed to the old street. Shanghai's old buildings might not be as old as Suzhou's, but they felt like a Chinese-Western blend from the Qing dynasty era. I heard the old street is slated for renovation, and roadside stalls were clearing out stock. Yuyuan Department Store—walking further brought us to Chenghuangmiao (City God Temple), with Yuyuan Garden apparently in this area. Throughout the walk, my stomachache never eased. My friend dragged me into McDonald's, but we ended up ordering spicy chicken, which I couldn't eat. My first experience with Shanghai public restrooms: after countless twists and turns, it turned out to be on the second floor—every inch of land is gold in Shanghai. I wasn't really hungry, it just hurt. Leaving McDonald's, we turned into a square next to Chenghuangmiao, which was big, with various flower lanterns and densely packed pavilions. Perhaps because it was the weekend, loads of tour groups were there, crowds everywhere. Suddenly I spotted someone embroidering. I wondered about the difference between Su embroidery and Guangdong embroidery; my mom used to do embroidery when she was young, and I still treasure her works. Looking back, I was startled by a 'tycoon gold' building—it certainly matched its name. I wanted to find a Lawson convenience store to try that internet-famous bread. Following the navigation, I couldn't find the store at the destination. On closer inspection, the address was at B2 floor. Argh, I couldn't see any stairs nearby even after wandering around, so I gave up. On a Shanghai street, the crosswalks even have traffic lights. Now for Shanghai's main event—the Bund (we originally hadn't planned to visit Shanghai, but my friend insisted on seeing the night view, so here we were). Walking toward the Oriental Pearl Tower, we saw a long row of glittering European-style buildings. We stepped onto the viewing promenade, trying to take photos with no one on either side, snapping countless useless shots. We also argued all night about whether that blue building looked like a bottle opener or a nail clipper. It was probably below 10°C, plus the wind from the river, which made me shiver—and don't forget my stomach still hurt. We fooled around a bit. Who would've thought that after walking the entire promenade, we'd find Nanjing Road nearby. Along the way, we saw many newlyweds in wedding photos, shivering at the sight. We followed the crowd into this street, and looking back we could still see the Oriental Pearl Tower. Using the map, we wandered here freely. Before entering the subway station, we browsed a section of Nanjing Road—full of brand stores. I wondered if side alleys here hide food stalls like Guanqian Street in Suzhou? Forget it, stomach hurts, time to go back. My friend resumed her old habit, ordering delivery yet again. Knowing my stomachache, she specially ordered congee. Maybe it was psychological, but I felt a little better afterward. However, Shanghai delivery aftermath: I got a hardcore lesson in garbage sorting.

Day 4 - March 21: Originally, we planned to cap off our cherry blossom trip at Gucun Park today, but a route check showed a two-hour round trip, and our flight to Guangzhou was at 2:30 p.m., requiring us to be at the airport before then. We scrapped Gucun and just hung around the train station area. Garbage sorting propaganda was everywhere. The roadside public toilet was surprisingly clean—so Shanghai in its living vibe. Before departing, I'd learned there might be mild sandstorms here, but the previous two days were rainy. Today I got a real taste of the Magic City's morning haze. I'm not sure if this place is open to visitors; maybe it was too early and not yet open. We strolled to Jing'an Sculpture Park, said to have cherry blossoms too, but as you can see, they'd all withered. Some eco-themed sculptures, and the scent of spring. By about 11:30, we left the park. Given my stomachache yesterday, my friend felt it was because she made me eat spicy hotpot, skewers, and spicy chicken with her, so she found a salad place to eat 'grass'. Today, a certain little friend finally wore two layers. Shanghai's road names are a convenience—they've named streets after practically every Chinese city. At the airport, we unexpectedly saw a Lawson, bought an ice bread and a strawberry moon mochi cake—both delicious!

Hongqiao Airport has self-service luggage check-in and ticket printing, very convenient. At first, we lined up at the foreigner check-in counter, encountering a group of oppa, and thought they were fellow townsfolk. Is Guangzhou that hot? They were already wearing slippers. After security, my friend told me the person in front of her wearing boots had to remove them for inspection, and the nearby benches were precisely for that. OMG, I've flown several times and never encountered that—an eye-opener!

First time on a plane with 10 seats per row, so huge. It was a long walk to our seats. Each seat had a screen to watch movies, shows, or play games—just no earphones provided. After climbing, we saw a beautiful sea of clouds, making up for missing the cloud sea on Huangshan. The airplane meal was decent; dining while watching the sunset was a kind of pleasure. Descending now—goodbye, cloud sea. Landing safely in big Guangzhou, my cousin warned me it had dropped to 17°C, and I weakly replied that the temperatures there were even lower than this for the past few days, so I barely needed to take off any layers—perfect!

Though the trip was short, it was still joyful traveling together. I originally didn't want to write about per-person costs, but I'll briefly list them anyway: round-trip flight: 380 + 545 = 925 yuan; high-speed rail and other transport: 185 yuan; 4 nights' accommodation: 315 yuan per person; food and drink: 320 yuan per person; Yuantouzhu ticket: 83 yuan; souvenirs: 65 yuan. Total per-person expense didn't even reach 1,900.

Laid-back as we are, after seeing some foods recommended on Douyin earlier, we just ate whatever we encountered, so we didn't fuss too much about food.

My deepest impressions of Wuxi:

1. Remember to buy water from vending machines at subway stations; it's hard to find stores or supermarkets on the streets.

2. Eat out if at all possible; don't order delivery. The delivery guys we saw were very leisurely, strolling while delivering.

3. I heard Wuxi Airport is a dual-use civil-military airport, so photography is forbidden.

Man proposes, heaven disposes. Originally, this year's temperatures rose earlier than usual, but right before our trip a cold snap slowed the cherry blossoms' growth. Regrettably, we missed the peak bloom and that romantic cherry blossom rain—instead, we watched cherry blossoms while getting rained on. Seeing photos of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Pavilion others posted on the 25th made me drool with envy.

Next stop, I hope it's Jiuzhaigou, but the Chengdu–Lanzhou high-speed railway seems to have stalled at the Jiuzhaigou station. So can you still reach Jiuzhaigou by high-speed rail?