The ultimate day trip around Zhengzhou! Complete guide to Xinmi Qinwei Water City

【Location & Transportation】
📍Address: Qinwei Water City, Xinmi City, Zhengzhou
Just search "Xinmi Qinwei Water City" on your navigation, it's only a 1-hour drive from downtown Zhengzhou—super convenient!

🅿️【Parking Guide】
⚠️ Important!!
The parking lot is a 5-minute walk from the main entrance. If you have elderly or kids, we suggest:
1. Temporarily stop by the roadside near the entrance to let them get off
2. Then go find a parking spot (don’t be like me waiting for a spot and making my mom hold the baby for 10 minutes😭)
🙋‍♀️Tip: If the parking lot is full, you can park at a mall 1 km away for just 10 yuan/day—super cost-effective!

⏰【Opening Hours】
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM (No need to get up early, afternoon visits are perfect~)

🎡【Top 4 Must-Do Activities】
1️⃣ Qinwei Pavilion (Iconic Building)
🌟Check-in tips:
- 1st floor: Close-up shots of traditional Chinese architecture
- 2nd floor terrace: Best spot for panoramic photos (both day and night views are stunning)
- 3rd floor: Secret spot with fewer people
At night, when lit up, it shines golden and reflects beautifully on the water!✨

2️⃣ Riverside Boardwalk (500-meter waterside path)
💫Highlights:
- Boatmen rowing + folk song background music
- Best photo time: at dusk when boats pass by
Friendly reminder: Watch your kids closely, there are no railings along the shore~

3️⃣ Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Street
🎨How to enjoy:
- Watch artisans making clay sculptures and weaving grass ropes live
- Must-buy: Xinmi honeysuckle tea (20 yuan/can)
- DIY experience: 25 yuan to make a clay sculpture (more meaningful than buying!)

4️⃣ Water Screen Movie (starts promptly at 8:00 PM)
📌Viewing tips:
- Arrive 10 minutes early to secure a spot on the opposite lakeside steps
- Lower your phone brightness when filming
- The 15-minute show is super impressive!

💰【Cost Guide】
✅Free admission (really generous!)
✅Paid activities:
- Boat ride: 30 yuan/person (20 minutes; sharing a boat with 4 people is cheaper)
- Handicraft experiences: clay sculpture 25 yuan each, grass rope 15 yuan each

🚶【Classic Half-Day Itinerary】
🕕6:00 PM Stroll and snack at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Street
🕡6:30 PM Take daytime photos on the 2nd floor of Qinwei Pavilion
🕖7:00 PM Walk along the lakeside boardwalk and wait for the lights
🕢7:50 PM Shoot silhouettes at the waterside corridor
🕗8:00 PM Watch the water screen movie
🕣8:15 PM Enjoy the night view around the lake
🕤9:30 PM Head back (perfectly avoids the lights turning off)

📸【4 Popular Photo Spots】
1. Qinwei Pavilion terrace (must shoot panoramic views by day and night)
2. Boardwalk arch bridge (bridge arch + water + pavilion = perfect composition)
3. Red lantern corridor (warm light side portraits!)
4. Lakeside steps (people + water screen movie in one frame)

⚠️【Notes】
1. 👟 Wear sneakers! Walking 30,000 steps is no joke
2. 🧥 It gets chilly by the river at night, bring a jacket to avoid catching a cold
3. 📱 Keep an eye on valuables in crowded areas
4. 🌃 Don’t shoot night scenes after 9:30 PM (lights will be turned off!)
5. 👶 Keep kids away from the water’s edge (I saw a kid almost step into the water😨)

If you need a special guide for kids or elderly, leave a comment! I’ve prepared a super detailed map of rest spots and hot water supply points for you!💖