Yi'ai Lake Park: Explore the Relics of Su Dongpo

During his exile in Huangzhou, Su Dongpo wrote "Yi'ai Pavilion". In the 1990s, the locals named the East Lake, West Lake, and Lingjiao Lake in the city as Yi'ai Lake to commemorate Su Dongpo.
Start your walk around Yi'ai Lake from Yi'ai Qingfeng. Walk counterclockwise along the lake. The peninsula on the opposite side is called Lingao Spring Dawn, where Lingao Pavilion and Liuguang Pavilion are located. During his exile in Huangzhou, Su Dongpo lived in Lingao Pavilion for three years and wrote many poems.
When you arrive at Qingfeng Ferry, look back at Liuguang Pavilion. The pavilions and towers are hidden among the green trees.
Yi'ai Pavilion is hidden in the dense forest on the hillside opposite Qingfeng Ferry. Behind the hillside is the Su Dongpo Memorial Hall. In front of the memorial hall is a large square, at the end of which stands a tall statue of Su Dongpo.
Su Shi was a native of Meishan, Sichuan, and was known as Dongpo Jushi. He was very intelligent from an early age and passed the imperial examination with his brother Su Zhe. However, his career was not smooth, and he became a victim of political struggles and was repeatedly demoted. During his more than four years of exile in Huangzhou, Su Shi's life entered the Dongpo era. He farmed, fished, and gathered firewood, indulged in the mountains and rivers, meditated, cultivated himself, and made many friends. He transformed from pain and loneliness to self-reflection and transcendence. His free and easy-going, positive attitude towards life as Dongpo Jushi was officially presented to the world.
Leave Yi'ai Qingfeng and head south along the waterside plank road to Dongpo Bund. This is a commercial area, and you can pass through it to reach Dazhou Bamboo Shadow.
Dazhou Bamboo Shadow is also a peninsula with a lake in the middle, offering beautiful scenery.
Pass through Dazhou Bamboo Shadow and you will reach the road around the lake. The road is very wide and is an internal road of the scenic area, with almost no tourists. Occasionally, you may see electric vehicles passing by. The weather in late October is neither cold nor hot, but the sun is strong, and you may start to sweat as you walk.
The road around the lake is connected to Huangzhou Avenue, and further ahead it becomes Huxin Road. This is the southwest corner of West Lake, where Shuiyun Square is located. The lake is wide, with tall buildings along the shore. There is a pavilion on the plank road in the lake, called Sansu Pavilion. The lake is covered with lotus leaves, but unfortunately, the flowering season is over, and only a few lotus pods remain.
You can see the Huangmei Opera Grand Theater ahead. Find a hotel nearby to stay in and end your walk. Next, look forward to the long-awaited Dongpo Red Cliff.

Post by Zoey Carter | Jan 27, 2025