Qiandao Lake Travel Guide: The Long-Neglected "Backyard" of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, 15 Hidden Ways to Play Revealed!
Preface
Warm spring is coming🌷It’s a good day to enjoy the flowers and ride a bike. You Xiaoxia can’t wait.
Picture @Photo.net
When it comes to cycling, everyone is definitely familiar with Qiandao Lake, and their impression of it is still stuck on the endless lake and the source of Nongfu Spring water. After several in-depth explorations, You Xiaoxia discovered that Qiandao Lake actually hides countless hidden treasures.
Good news! Tourists planning a trip to Qiandao Lake should take note: From January 20th to February 28th, 2022, the Qiandao Lake Scenic Area will offer free admission to residents (including migrant workers and Zhejiang residents) who have not left Zhejiang Province within 14 days and hold a green QR code.
What I'm saying is, why not grab this bargain now? Today's article features 15 hidden gems about Qiandao Lake that 80% of tourists don't know about. These 15 hidden gems will give you new ideas for exploring Qiandao Lake and will definitely refresh your stereotypes about it. So plan your weekend adventures!
01 Take a yacht to the island and enjoy the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains
The scenery of the central lake area and the southeast lake area (both are free of charge) are both nice, but You Xiaoxia prefers the process of "going to the island", taking a boat to enjoy the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains. Everywhere he looks, there is green.
If conditions permit, you must take a yacht and watch the speedboat slowly sail out of the dock, creating waves in the clear water. Surrounded by mountains, you can enjoy the comfortable lake breeze and experience the wonderful artistic conception of "the boat is sailing in the lake and people are swimming in the painting".
02 Go to Tianyu Mountain Observation Deck and overlook the panoramic view of Qiandao Lake
Tianyu Mountain Park is located in the northwest corner of Chun'an County. Private cars can drive directly to the summit (or take a scenic shuttle bus or hike up). It's said to be a "viewing platform unknown to 90% of tourists." The park boasts a beautiful ecological environment, with forests covering the nearby mountains, clear lakes in the distance, rolling mountain ranges, and azure skies. Despite being located in the heart of the county, it feels like being in a paradise.
The most commendable view is undoubtedly the view from the top of the mountain, where you can see the entire Qiandao Lake. In the distance, the Qiandao Lake Bridge connects the east and west lines of the entire Qiandao Lake. There are also countless spectacular bridges across the entire lake. Even without an aerial camera, you can still capture great photos in minutes.
When you come to Tianyu Mountain, don’t leave in a hurry. It’s best to stay until the evening. The sunset here is so beautiful that it can be like an oil painting. Once you see it, you will never want to take your eyes off it.
03 Check in at the "Internet celebrity" lighthouse and take photo shoots
There are two lighthouses in Qiandao Lake, one at the Intercontinental and the other in Beer Town. It is strongly recommended to check in when the sunset is approaching.
The lighthouse itself is almost pure white, connected to the surrounding beaches, rocks, lakeside parks, and the endless lake. There are very few tourists here, and it is definitely a small and beautiful secret place with few people, and the Japanese style is well captured.
Photo @Shen Yiming
04 Stay at the "Thousand Island Lake Tuscany" manor
đź“ŤWest slope of Jiangjia Town
The low- and mid-rise houses, with their red tiles and white walls, sit quietly on a vast expanse of green grass. As the gentle light of sunset descends, those within feel as if they have arrived in a rural estate in southern Italy.
The lake view room here has a great view! You can see the entire lawn, swimming pool and lake through the window.
In the spring and summer evenings, watching an open-air movie, having a BBQ party, or trying the cooking of the auntie at the B&B are all rare and pleasant experiences.
05 Pailing Peninsula, Cycling the Most Beautiful Greenway Around the Lake
Qiandao Lake is a paradise for cycling enthusiasts. There are professional cycling trails and stations offering cycling experiences (30 yuan per hour).
Photo @Shen Yiming
If you're just looking for a lakeside bike ride, Pailing Peninsula offers arguably the most beautiful cycling section of Qiandao Lake. A 40-minute ride, crossing two bridges, will take you to Shangjiangbu Bridge, one of the most beautiful bridges in Qiandao Lake, offering panoramic views of the lake and mountains.
06 Experience water sports such as kayaking or paddleboarding
đź“ŤShilin Harbor Sports Town, Hongye Bay Water Park
What's a trip to Qiandao Lake without some water fun? As the venue for the 2022 Asian Games aquatic events and host of numerous water sports events, Qiandao Lake boasts not only top-notch water quality but also a wealth of aquatic activities.
Here, you can confidently and boldly indulge in "water rafting." Whether it's the beginner-friendly, easy-to-use kayak or the thrilling, balancing-testing paddleboard, professional instructors are available for the ultimate experience.
07 Explore the Stone Forest and find treasures hidden in the mountains and lakeside
Many people are intoxicated by the beauty of Qiandao Lake, known as "the most beautiful water in the world", but they never imagined that the mountains and fields of Qiandao Lake actually hide the largest natural stone forest in Jiangnan.
The sheer size of the site makes it one of the four largest stone forests in China, a testament to the wonders of nature. Some peaks change shape as you step, while others feature multiple views on one rock. These remarkable creations are truly remarkable and fascinating, earning them the title of "Nature's Bonsai."
08 Visit the "Most Beautiful Rural Primary School"
đź“Ť Fuwen Township Central Primary School
Nestled among the green mountains and valleys, the Fuwen Township Central Primary School, which was redesigned from the original main building of the China Academy of Art and took five years to build, is well worth a free visit. The movie "My Hometown and Me" was also filmed here.
The entire facade of the teaching building is made of colorful translucent glass. The sunlight pours down on the spire, making you feel like you have arrived in a fairy tale world.
09 Check in at Qiandao Lake's "Little Kamakura" Baixiao Line
đź“ŤStone Forest Railway Park
It’s so cool to think that there is a “Little Kamakura” train park not far from the Nongfu Spring Qiandao Lake headquarters, on the side of the beautiful Baixiao Line self-driving road. It’s so great for taking pictures!
An abandoned railway, two green trains, and mottled marks of the old times.
10. Check in at Wenyuan Lion City and dream back to the ancient city
In 1959, due to the construction of the Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station Dam, the ancient Lion City was submerged by the vast blue waves and sank to the bottom of the lake, forming today's beautiful Qiandao Lake.
After entering the new millennium, after 11 months of underwater exploration, people restored and rebuilt this thousand-year-old ancient city on the original site, which is today's "Wenyuan Lion City".
Wenyuan Lion City has restored the underwater ancient Lion City at a 1:1 scale. It features the Xin'an culture of 1,400 years ago, including rickshaws, movable type printing, women's workshops, etc. You can come here to explore and dream back to the thousand-year-old ancient city.
11. Visit Qinchuan Ancient Village and discover the atmosphere of everyday life
Qinchuan Ancient Village is shaped like a ribbon, about one kilometer from northwest to southeast. There is a small river running from east to west, dividing the village into two.
Qinchuan Ancient Village, with its predominantly Ming and Qing dynasty Hui-style architecture, boasts a history of over 750 years. The village is small and relatively unknown, with few tourists, yet it evokes a sense of authentic life.
The elderly wash clothes by the stream, chat on the bridge, and eat in front of the door, while the children fish by the river, all of them are content and happy, as comfortable and peaceful as a paradise.
12. Visit the Chun'an Museum and learn about local stories
If a city is a book, then its museum is definitely the best catalog. Here we can quickly see its past and present, and Chun'an Museum is such an existence.
See how water plays a key role in the growth and evolution of a city, understand the local geography and scenery and the intangible cultural heritage that is still vivid today, and see how hundreds of thousands of local villagers left their homes to create the beautiful waters of the Thousand Islands today.
Here, you can savor these long-treasured and touching stories.
13. Check in at Beer Town and get drunk
When I arrived at the entrance of the beer town, I was attracted by the buildings here. The walls inlaid with various colorful stones made me feel as if I was in a foreign world.
There are also bagged beers available for check-in. The mellow draft beer is so good that even girls who don't drink much can enjoy a few sips. While here, you can also visit the Qiandao Lake Beer Museum to learn about the history of beer.
14. Check out Qilong Alley, the Qiandao Lake version of "Little Chongqing"
Qillong Lane is a famous night market pedestrian street in Qiandao Lake. It is not only a check-in spot for young people, but also carries the memories of Chun'an people about the old city.
Crossing the parallel alley, there is a 123-step open-air staircase. There are small stalls scattered on both sides of the alley, selling local Chun'an delicacies, hand-peeled walnuts, rice noodles, rice soup, fried dumplings... There are also some handicrafts, clothing and other small shops.
Because of this long staircase, Qillong Lane is called the Qiandao Lake version of "Little Chongqing". You can come here at night to explore the local authentic flavor.
15. A pot of delicious "organic" fish head
How can you miss the fish heads when visiting Qiandao Lake? The scenes of giant fishing nets in Qiandao Lake in "A Bite of China 2" have whetted the appetites of foodies and further fueled the popularity of Qiandao Lake fish!
There are many ways to cook Qiandao Lake fish head. It can be stewed or boiled. The most famous one is to have two dishes with one fish. A taste of the soup made from the fish head is smooth, delicious, oily and tender, which will leave you with an endless aftertaste.
Picture @Photo.net
Conclusion
With the opening of the Hangzhou-Huangshan high-speed railway in the past two years, Qiandao Lake has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Take advantage of the free admission and pick a nice weekend to reach the lake in just 1-2 hours by car or high-speed rail! How many of these 15 off-the-beaten-path ways to enjoy Qiandao Lake have you tried?
