Recommended Summer Travel Destinations | Lishui, a Hidden Gem in Nanjing: A Summer of Berries and Plums
Preface
South of Jinling City, on the upper reaches of the Qinhuai River, there is a place called Lishui.
Lishui Countycheck the details
Lishui County, under the jurisdiction of Nanjing Municipality, is the southern gateway to Nanjing, East China's second-largest city. It is the source of the 100-mile Qinhuai River and is known as Nanjing's "Back Garden." As the source of the Qinhuai River, Lishui boasts a charming blend of waterside charm, rural scenery, and mountainous landscapes. With a forest coverage rate of 35%, the county boasts Wuxiangshan National Forest Park, earning it the nickname "Natural Oxygen Bar" and "Urban Green Lung."
Recommended month: All seasons
4121 recommendations, visited in 2013
There is the Wizard of Oz from My Neighbor Totoro and the sea train from Spirited Away; there are romantic French rose gardens and seas of gardenias covering the hilltops; there are villages left over from ancient times and poems and paintings written by literati... In midsummer, there are also fruits that ripen after the sunshine and rain in the south of the Yangtze River, such as bayberry, blueberry, loquat... a summer filled with the "berry and plum flavor"!
About Lishui | The Tranquility of the Upper Qinhuai River
"Jiangnan, the beautiful land of the south, Jinling, the imperial city. Green waters meander, red towers rise in the distance." Perhaps, like me, your impression of Nanjing is primarily of the famous historical sites and attractions of the millennia-old capital. It's the bustling urban life, the lingering tourists at Confucius Temple, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and Jiming Temple... But slow down, find inner tranquility, and take a mini-vacation near the city. Discover Lishui, a region far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, and discover a different perspective on Nanjing.
Lishui District is a district under the jurisdiction of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. It is located in the south-central part of Nanjing City. Because it is located at the junction of Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province, and Nanjing City, Zhenjiang City and Ma'anshan City, it integrates elements of many regions.
Lishui boasts a rich history and has been a hub of prominent figures. Famous figures such as Li Bai, Yan Zhenqing, and Yang Wanli have visited the city and left behind numerous poems praising it. Lishui boasts numerous cultural relics, including Wuxiang Temple, one of the 480 temples of the Southern Dynasties; the Wuxiang Mountain Cliff Carvings; Tiansheng Bridge; Yanzhi River; Changle Bridge; Putang Bridge; Yongshou Pagoda; and the Tomb of the Imperial Concubine. Furthermore, cultural relics include the Zhongshan Hao (a type of calligraphy tool), the Xiaoguan Stele, the Luoshan Dragon, and the Mingjue Iron Painting Forging Technique. Lishui, with its rich historical and cultural heritage and abundant tourism resources, is a truly captivating and worthwhile experience.
Fall in love with the romance of a French-style manor at Nanjing Rose Garden
Summer flower season is in full swing, and the rose fields are already in bloom! Roses, Chinese roses, hydrangeas, and more are bursting into bloom in all colors. Promise me, don't miss out on this summer romance!
Nanjing Rose Garden is a large park, boasting nearly 1,000 acres of rose fields, rose valleys, and rose groves for viewing and cultivation. It also offers dining, B&Bs, fishing, photography, conferences, weddings, and outreach, making it a great place for events. For flower viewing, it's recommended to wear comfortable shoes for easy walking. You can check in using the park's map.
Recommended flower viewing spots
✔️The rose maze is one of my favorite areas. Climbing roses of various colors and sizes wind up from the wooden fence, giving it a French courtyard feel. It's relatively cool, so you can hike while smelling the flowers.
✔️The Road of Happiness, connecting the Tunnel of Love and the Pet Paradise, is quite interesting. It's decorated with large roses, and the road signs are filled with interesting declarations of love. The scenic chairs along the road are also great for taking photos.
✔️Cute Pet Paradise: Wandering through a sea of vibrant flowers, you'll discover a surprising paradise. Sika deer are leisurely grazing, calmly watching passersby to see if anyone wants to feed them carrots. Haha~
This little white rabbit's cabin is so adorable! The lazy bunny is lying on the ground stretching! With his ears erect, he's hopping around so adorably! In the small yard next to it is a group of geese, so cute and adorable! This area is definitely a favorite for families with children.
✔️There is a small blue cabin on the flower sea viewing platform, a French manor covered with roses, where you can rest, go to the bathroom, watch the sea of flowers, and swing.
✔️Experience the greenhouse. This indoor experience garden is also very rich, with various cultivation huts and distinctive small buildings. If you are tired of walking outdoors, you can come in and take a walk to cool down.
✔️The Hobbit House covered with moss and green plants is so cute. The colorful roses in the front yard of the house make you travel to the fairy tale world in a second.
✔️Romantic Windmill This windmill is on the hillside near the cultural and creative dining area. The pink windmill lives in the rose garden, which is very beautiful for taking pictures!
Besides roses, the park's hydrangea fields are a must-see! The hydrangea trail is truly spectacular and beautiful, a sight to behold. The predominantly white and blue wood hydrangeas create a particularly tranquil and serene atmosphere. It's said that the hydrangeas in downtown Nanjing aren't blooming well this year, so consider a weekday when there aren't many people around to enjoy some relaxing photos.
Tips:
🏷️ Nanjing Rose Garden
▫️Address: Huanshan Lake, Shiqiu Street, Lishui District (just navigate to Nanjing Rose Garden)
▫️ Time: 08:00~17:00
▫️Ticket price: 30 yuan per person
Transportation: Driving is the most convenient way to get to the suburbs of Lishui. Take the S1 train to Xiangyu Road South Station, transfer to the S9 train to Shiqiu Station, and then take a taxi.
▫️Photography: It’s great to take photos when the weather is good, and wearing light-colored clothes will make the photos look even better!
▫️Note: If you're taking a taxi, be sure to book your return trip in advance, otherwise it'll be hard to get a taxi! You can also take the bus to a nearby subway station or street vendor and then take a taxi. The weather is hot, so be careful to avoid the heat and sun, and be kind to plants and animals.
Gardenias bloom in the village of Liangpengxia
The June breeze brings not only midsummer but also the unique joy of summer. Thousands of acres of gardenias are in full bloom in Liangpengxia Village! Amidst the fragrant, satisfying countryside of a farmhouse and the quiet, cozy mountainside inn—wouldn't you love to experience it?
Liangpengxia Village is located in Yongyang Subdistrict, Lishui District, Nanjing. It sits between the foothills of Donglu Mountain and Qiuhu Mountain, and is adjacent to Zhongshan Lake and Yaojia Lake. Nestled between distant mountains and nearby water, the village is secluded and surrounded by a thousand-acre sea of gardenias, creating a unique rural landscape. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the countryside, where you can relax in a variety of B&Bs, as well as enjoy cultural opportunities like a country café, the Liangpengxia Post Office, Laoyou Restaurant, teahouses, and a small country theater. Retreat to the wild mountains and enjoy a peaceful and tranquil life.
I wandered the village, stopping to take photos. I met a kind shopkeeper who invited me in for a drink and told me stories about the village's history. The well at the entrance, the ancient tree in front of the teahouse, and the people who have lived here for generations are all filled with stories. May we always capture the beautiful moments in history. Arriving during the Dragon Boat Festival, the entire village was filled with a rich, sweet fragrance, just like the gardenia's flower language: "joy." The vibrant summer always brings a sense of hope and joy! Life is beautiful, so stop and go...
Tips:
🌟Liangpengxia Village
▫️Address: Donglu Line, Lishui District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province
▫️Transportation: Self-driving ▫️Tickets: Free
▫️Time: Open all day
// Picking sweet and sour fruits from the orchard to spend the summer
June in Lishui is filled with fragrant flowers and sweet fruits. Jiangnan's "five berries" of summer are ripe! Bayberries, blueberries, loquats...all fresh and in season, packed with natural vitamins. It's a perfect weekend getaway for everyone, young and old! Below are a few orchards ideal for fruit picking and photography. Check them out if you're interested!
1. Nanxiang Berry Garden, Baima Town
Blueberry picking, camping and barbecues are available at Shitouzhai, home to the Blue Country Berry Farm. This is a prime blueberry-producing area in Lishui, known for its large, sweet and sour berries. Some blueberry trees are taller than a person, laden with adorable blueberries. It's a perfect place for children to enjoy the experience! Besides picking blueberries, you can also camp and barbecue on site, making for a relaxing and delicious weekend.
Tips:
▫️Location: Nanxiang Berry Garden (Shitouzhai Road, Baima Town, Lishui District, Nanjing)
▫️Harvesting period: around mid to late June
▫️Picking price: 80 yuan per person, including the ticket, you can pick one kilogram of blueberries; 120 yuan per person, including the ticket, you can pick 2 kilograms of blueberries, and the excess will be weighed at 50 yuan per kilogram (the price fluctuates according to the season and market, the specific price is subject to the site, please make an appointment in advance~)
2Qiuhu Loquat Garden
It's loquat season at the Super Large Orchard, located near Liangpengxia Village. Nestled against the mountains and flanked by a lake, it's time to pick the white jade loquats. The tall and short loquat trees are laden with golden loquats. While not particularly large, these naturally grown, pollution-free fruits, absorbing nutrients from nature, are incredibly delicious.
The owner was incredibly kind and helpful, helping guide us through the area and helping us select the sweetest loquats. You can even make an appointment in advance to have them picked. Besides loquat trees, there are also bayberries in the garden. The entire lakeside scenery, with its floating water lilies, is also a great place for photos and a great view!
Tips:
▫️Address: 500 meters south of Qiuhu Village, Yongyang Town, Lishui
▫️Tickets: 20 yuan/person, you can pick and eat now~ Take away 20 yuan/jin (based on the actual seasonal price)
▫️Opening hours: 07:00-18:00
3Shiqiu Bayberry Garden
A delightful experience with Jiangsu and Zhejiang bayberries. Lishui boasts numerous seasonal bayberry picking gardens. Based on its location, I chose Qianqian Bayberry Garden in Shiqiu Street. The bayberries this season are truly enticing! The fruits are large, fleshy, and juicy, with a sweet and sour flavor that I can't help but salivate!
Tips:
▫️Address: No. 300, Hujiadian, Hengshan Village, Shiqiu Town, Lishui Film and Television Avenue
▫️Tickets: 20 yuan/person (you can pick and eat), weigh and take away 20 yuan/jin
▫️Business hours: 07:00-18:00. Pick fruits in a civilized manner and enjoy them. Friends who like fruits can go for it!
／／Hefeng Zhujia Village is an ancient folk village by the lake
Zhujia Village in Hefeng, Lishui, is an old fishing village nestled on the southeast shore of Shijiu Lake, known as the "Sky Mirror." With a 700-year history, the village still retains several century-old houses, each boasting a rich historical charm. Rural revitalization efforts have incorporated many modern cultural elements, including unique cafes, cultural and creative shops, B&Bs, and restaurants. This fusion of history and modern art creates a village that feels both intimate and unique, making it well worth a visit.
Tips:
🌟Recommended places to visit in the village: the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall, the Village History Museum, the Fengqi Mountain Elephant Temple, the Village Art Gallery, the Artists' Courtyard...
🌟Food and Beverage: The village has many local residents, but not many restaurants. A more famous one is the Zhujia Village collectively run "Huangqi Fisherman's House," which has a cultural and creative product store, restaurant, and B&B. I ate at their restaurant during my two-day and one-night stay in the village. The braised longspine fish was super delicious!
🌟 Recommended accommodation: Huangqi Fisherman's Qinluo B&B. Staying in Zhujia Village, the gentle waves of Shijiu Lake, carrying a large amount of negative oxygen ions, will significantly improve your sleep quality. Sleep well!
Friends who like camping can also go to several camping spots in Zhujia Village:
Camp 1: Luoshan Village, Hefeng Town, Lishui, Nanjing
🏷️Camping package: 350 yuan/1 adult and 1 child: Fee includes camping tent rental, one farm meal, hot air balloon ride over Shijiu Lake, lakeside KTV, daze party, farmer's market, wild kite flying, starry sky cinema, bonfire party, lakeside fireworks
Campsite 2: Tianjiejia Wild Water Campsite, Zhujia Village, Lishui, Nanjing
🏷️Camping Package | 499 yuan/two people: Includes camping activities (site usage), a farmhouse dinner for two, a field singing party, a cultural and creative product fair, a music bonfire party, and a lakeside outdoor movie. ⃣️ Bring your own tent, gear, and food, and you can even camp and play in the afternoon! Leave no trace, so please remember to protect the environment and pick up your trash after camping.
／／Shijiu Lake is the real-life version of Hayao Miyazaki's animation world
When you come to Lishui, you must take the same S9 train as the one in Spirited Away, travel through Shijiu Lake, come to the Sky Mirror in Hayao Miyazaki's comics, and lie down in the Wizard of Oz in My Neighbor Totoro.
Shijiu Lake Viewing Point
1Sea Train
The Lishui S9 line, known as the "Spirited Away" sea train, runs from Mingjue Station to Tuanjiewei in about 15 minutes. It feels like traveling across the sea, with the endless expanse of Shijiu Lake visible from the train window, a truly dreamy experience. You can also drive across the bridge, but you can't park, so the view is less impressive.
2. "My Neighbor Totoro" Grass Sea
You can navigate to "Zhangxu". You can see the complete sea of grass during the dry season (the best time is before May). The animation feeling is great!
3 Village entrance fence
At the entrance of Zhujia Village is Shijiu Lake, which is also a viewing point for sunset. Taking photos by the fence at dusk is very beautiful!
／／Tiansheng Bridge Scenic Area, the source of Qinhuai River, Jiangnan Little Three Gorges
Speaking of Nanjing's Lishui, you've undoubtedly heard of the Tianshengqiao Scenic Area. With its rugged hills, lush vegetation, vast seas of flowers, and leisurely boats... During the Dragon Boat Festival, drive to Lishui and visit Tianshengqiao to sample the "Five Reds" delicacies, celebrate the festival, and enjoy a barbecue and camping trip.
Tiansheng Bridge, named Tiansheng, was formed when the Yanzhi River was excavated, cutting through a large rock, leaving the surface of the rock as a bridge. It is often called the "Little Three Gorges of Jiangnan." The Tiansheng Bridge Scenic Area is located 48 kilometers south of Nanjing, 3 kilometers west of Lishui City, and 18 kilometers from Nanjing Lukou International Airport. The Nanjing-Gaofeng, Nanjing-Hangzhou, and Yanjiang Expressways all pass by.
This is a tourist attraction in the suburbs of Nanjing, one of the new 48 scenic spots of Jinling, Nanjing Tourism Resort, a national AAAA-level scenic spot, a national water conservancy scenic spot, a key cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province, a Jiangsu Province Tourism Resort (Experimental) Zone, and a self-driving tour base in Nanjing.
Tips:
🌟Game Guide
✔️Cruise boat: 40 yuan/person, about 20 minutes, passing under the stone bridge to enjoy the scenery
✔️Sightseeing bus: If you are traveling with elderly people and children, you can choose to take a sightseeing bus, or you can walk and stop for a rest.
✔️Suspension Bridge: The bridge is long and has suspension cables on both sides. It will be very shaky when there are many people.
✔️Music Valley: There is a Midou Music Festival during the Dragon Boat Festival, you can participate
✔️ Lishui Museum: The museum has a unique design and provides a detailed introduction to the history of the Yanzhi River and the customs of Lishui.
✔️Folk activities: Coinciding with the Dragon Boat Festival, the scenic area has a Dragon Boat Festival garden tour, where you can experience making rice dumplings, writing blessings and other activities, which is very interesting.
✔️200 meters from the entrance of the scenic area, there is a sea of roses/roses. The pink garden is so beautiful!
Tips:
🌟Tour tips for Tiansheng Bridge:
▫️Opening hours: 8:00-17:00
▫️Transportation: Self-driving is recommended, parking is convenient
▫️Tickets: 20 yuan (citizen cards available)
[Practical Tips] Lishui 3-Day 2-Night Self-Driving Tour Guide
【Itinerary】
Day 1: Nanjing Rose Garden (sea of roses and hydrangeas), Shiqiu Subdistrict Qianqian Bayberry Garden (bayberry picking), Qiuhu Loquat Garden (loquat picking), Liangpengxia Village (gardenias, Dragon Boat Festival customs, and a stay at a literary B&B)
Day 2: Nanxiang Berry Farm in Baima Town, Lishui (blueberry picking, camping and barbecue) 👉 Hefeng Zhujia Village (Dragon Boat Festival sachet experience, village history and cultural tour) 👉 Shijiu Lake scenery 👉 Stay at Huangqi Fishing House
Day 3: Tianshengqiao Scenic Area (taste the five-red delicacies and explore the natural bridge) 👉 Dongping Street Ruili Farm Wild Cycling (outdoor wild cycling experience)
【transportation】
Self-driving: Lishui is a large area and the scenic spots are far apart, so for the convenience of travel, it is recommended to travel by car.
【stay】
Day 1: I want to go to Pengxia Village Creative B&B;
Day 2: Huangqi Fisherman's Qinluo B&B in Zhujia Village, Hefeng (on the return day, you can stay in the Lishui Wanda Plaza area, which is convenient for transportation)
【gourmet food】
Nanjing crayfish, village farm dishes and other seasonal foods are all delicious
【Notes】
When traveling in summer, the weather is hot, so please pay attention to sun protection and heatstroke prevention, and drink more water
Conclusion
I have been to Nanjing many times and this was my first visit to Lishui. I really liked the countryside, mountains and historical scenic spots of this "border town".
The young woman I met at the Rose Garden who took my photo, the couple who walked me to the subway station, the owner of Qiuhu Loquat Garden, the teacher who offered me a drink of water in Liangpengxia Village, the former Party Secretary of Zhujia Village, and the B&B owner...everyone I met was warm and kind-hearted. I loved the comfort and ease of living in the countryside and camping by the lake, the cool evening breeze by the lake, and the sea of oleander blossoms along the way. I love Lishui. Goodbye.
