[2025 Xinghua Stay] Travel Guide for Yunduo Hostel (Updated May)

🌸【Xinghua | Water Village May Roaming Guide】500+ per capita Play around with the sea of ​​golden flowers and the ancient charm of thousands of years! 🚣♀️ ✨Opening Blow✨ Who says there is only Wuzhen and Xitang in the south of the Yangtze River? This niche treasure hidden in Taizhou - Xinghua is the wildest Jiangnan in May! 3000+ water fields are paved into a golden maze, the sea of ​​rapeseed flowers is more magical than Venice, and you can stay in the starry sky B&B on the edge of the reeds. As the hometown of the author of "The Legend of Shui Yung", even the air here is filled with the fragrance of Zheng Banqiao's ink~ (📸The nine-square grid is ready, come and copy your homework!) 🌞DAY1: Break into Hayao Miyazaki’s oil painting world ☀️Morning Light 7:00 | Thousands of Scenic Area Light Chasing Tips Tickets $120 | Opens at 7:30 to grab the C seat! Take the celebrity train ($30) through the golden tunnel and climb the 360° observation tower to take a picture of God's perspective. Remember to bring a reflector, the reflection on the water is breathtakingly beautiful ~ (💡Tips: Wear a light-colored dress for more pictures!) 🌞10:00｜Li Zhongshui forest forest breathing Tickets $80 | Riding a wooden raft ($50/person) through the thousand-year-old metasequoia forest, cat rubbing at the Tree Hole Cafe is super healing! Glass Canyon (Additional $30) Overlooking the green wild fairy trail, encounter white herons flying super smart ~ (🍵 Hidden gameplay: There is a century-old tea house at the exit of the scenic spot, drink a cup of Mingqian tea to relieve your thirst!) 🌙 18:00 | Sand Valley Ancient Town sleepless night Free | The old streets of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the twilight are like overturned honey jars! Must-eat sand ditch fish balls (Q bouncy burst juice💦) and lotus root clamps (crispy on the outside and tender on the inside), sitting in the riverside teahouse listening to the reviews, the evening breeze carries the fragrance of jasmine ~ 🏡 Accommodation Recommendation | Yun Duo B&B Push the window to see the water cedar! The 1500+/night lake view room has its own terrace, the bathtub is sprinkled with rose petals, and you can fall asleep listening to the frogs at night (🌙 There is also a small night light at the bedside, super courteous) 🌞DAY2: Unlock the post-00s private gameplay 🌅8:30|Melon picking operation in Xuyu Village Free | Donate to the watermelon shed to choose "fat", the ready-picked unicorn melon is sweeter than first love! You can also catch bunnies at the next farm ($10/time), your childhood DNA is moving ~ (🍉Egg: There are ready-made ice powder at the outlet, mint flavor sprinkled with red syrup is so good!) 🌇 14:00 | East Lo Village Art Party Free | Cosplay in the rapeseed field! Rent a Hanfu ($60/2 hours) to take pictures of ancient-style blockbusters, participate in craft workshops to knead clay figurines, camp by the lake in the evening to watch the sunset, and have guitar playing and singing at the bonfire party ~ (🎆 Must-see: 19:00 water fireworks show!) 🌃20:00 | Shopping and eating in Jindongmen Old Street Free | Take a lantern and take a night tour of the thousand-year-old street! Must-buy lotus powder dumplings by the Haichi River (melts in the mouth ❄️), there are sugar painting artists at the entrance of Zheng Banqiao's former residence, buy a phoenix shaped and take home ~ (📦Souvenir: Wanxing Dadian's sesame oil dried silk is super fragrant!) 🚗Transportation TIPS: ✔️ Self-driving is the coolest! Navigating the "Thousands of Scenic Areas", there is an oversized parking lot at the Xinghua South Exit of the Hushan Expressway ✔️ High-speed rail to Taizhou Station + taxi (80 dollars), but to reserve 1 hour during rush hour ✔️ Bus 10 roads / tour 1 road between scenic spots, but May Day forced to doubt life! Direct Didi Carpooling is recommended ($15 per person). 💣 Pit Avoidance Warning: ❗️ Don't eat "water village style meal" in scenic spots! At the same price point, go to the city area to eat crab roe soup buns more fragrant ❗️ Sisters wearing little white shoes, hurry up! There is so much moss in the canyon that I doubt my life ❗️Bring an empty wallet! The whole street is full of snacks and you can't stop coming... 🍜Food Radar: 1️⃣ Ironing dry thread: knife work is great! The golden combination of ginger + shrimp + soy sauce, the aroma explodes when mixed💥 2️⃣ Crab yolk bun: bite through the dough before sipping the soup! The crab roe is grainy + the soup is fresh and sweet, even eating 5 of them is not greasy👌 3️⃣ Sand ditch big fish ball: bigger than a fist! The fish meat is beaten for 3 hours, and it's all gelatinous when you bite it (🤤 it's great with ginger vinegar sauce). 4️⃣ Grilled river fish with rice grass: such freshness as river pork! The rice straw soaks up the fish soup, and it's so fresh that you can't help but flutter your eyebrows 5️⃣ Xing Hua Onion: Cut to thinner than hair! Mixing tofu/scrambled eggs can enhance the fragrance. I bought two cans at the supermarket and hoarded them 💰 Consumption List (2 Days 1 Night): ▪️Breakfast: Grass egg cake 10 dollars + fish soup noodles 15 dollars = 25 dollars ▪️Lunch: Sand Valley Fish Ball Set $68 (includes fish soup/fish balls/grass) ▪️Afternoon tea: lotus root dumplings 15 dollars + youth dumplings 10 dollars = 25 dollars ▪️Dinner: Banqiao Banquet 100 dollars per person (must order yellow stewed turtle!) ▪️Snack: $8 for oil dumplings + $6 for cool powder + $10 for sugar painting = $24 💸Total: about 200 dollars/day (poor travel version) 🌈Final highlights: There are no crowds of tourists here, only the rustling of the fields in the wind; There are no celebrity filter posing, just the smoke and fire of old tea drinkers gossiping; There are no cookie-cutter shops in ancient towns, only the century-old skills of intangible cultural heritage craftsmen The revitalization of May is a love letter to all those fleeing the city💌 👉🏻 Like and collect this guide, next holiday let yourself fall into this golden swamp! Draw 3 cute little ones in the comment area to get Xinghua specialty fuku bags

Taizhou, a thousand-year-old city surrounded by water, carries the profound and elegant culture of the Huaiyang region. Fengcheng River, like a jade ribbon embracing the ancient city, connects history, opera, folk customs, and modern urban prosperity. Walking along its banks feels like traveling through time, where each step touches the warmth of history, and every scene tells the poetic story of this water city. This article will take you on an in-depth tour of the Fengcheng River Scenic Area from a visitor's perspective, allowing you to experience its unique charm. I. Fengcheng River: The Lifeblood and Soul of an Ancient City Fengcheng River is Taizhou's "mother river" and the most well-preserved thousand-year-old moat in Jiangsu Province. It's not just a geographical waterway but the core carrier of Taizhou's culture. The river winds through thousands of acres, integrating the historical heritage of "city established in Southern Tang Dynasty, cultural prosperity in Northern Song Dynasty" with modern urban prosperity. Boating on the river, you can see ancient buildings and lush trees lining both banks, with the majestic Wanghai Tower and the elegant Taoyuan Garden reflected in the water. As ripples spread across the surface, the weight of history washes over you. What makes the Fengcheng River Scenic Area unique is its "double-water encircling city" ecological pattern: the inner ring centers on Fengcheng River, while the outer ring forms a "jade belt" consisting of Yinjiang River, Zhoushan River, and others, creating an interwoven urban waterscape. This pattern differs from both the delicate charm of Jiangnan water towns and the grandeur of northern water systems. Instead, it showcases Taizhou's "water-city symbiosis" through the interplay of open waters and historical relics. II. Daytime Tour of Fengcheng River: Ascending Towers, Tracing Cultural Veins 1. Wanghai Tower: Historical Echoes of the Premier Tower of Huaiyang Region Wanghai Tower is the cultural landmark of the Fengcheng River Scenic Area. Originally built during the Southern Song Dynasty, it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, finally restored in 2006 in Song Dynasty style, earning the title "Premier Tower of Huaiyang Region." From the top, although the sea is no longer visible (due to coastline changes), you can still imagine the poems left by literary figures like Fan Zhongyan and Lu You while leaning on the railings. The tower houses exhibits of historical reconstruction materials, from Song Dynasty blue bricks to Ming and Qing Dynasty wood carvings, each detail telling the story of "the tower rising and falling with the city." Notably, Wenhui Hall to the west was where Northern Song officials like Teng Zijing and Fan Zhongyan gathered for literary exchanges, where the spirit of "worrying before the world worries" took root. 2. Taoyuan Garden and "The Peach Blossom Fan": Living Heritage of Opera Culture Across the river from Wanghai Tower lies Taoyuan Garden, centered around "Chen Hermitage," where Qing Dynasty playwright Kong Shangren created "The Peach Blossom Fan." The garden features 116 varieties of peach trees that bloom like rosy clouds in spring, complementing the traditional opera stage and painted boats. While strolling through, you might encounter Kunqu Opera performers presenting excerpts from "The Peach Blossom Fan" on stone boats, their flowing sleeves bringing the joy and sorrow of Li Xiangrun and Hou Fangyu across time. Together with the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall and Liuyuan Pinghua, Taoyuan Garden forms the "Three Opera Culture Villages," embodying Taizhou's reputation as the "Home of Opera." 3. Qiao Garden and Imperial Examination Hall: Garden Elegance and Scholarly Memories Qiao Garden is the oldest surviving private garden in northern Jiangsu, known for its ingenious layout featuring fourteen scenic spots including "South Window Pride" and "Cloud-Gathering Cave." The thousand-year-old cypresses stand strong, and winding paths lead through artificial mountains, showcasing the Ming Dynasty garden-making wisdom of "seeing greatness in smallness." The Imperial Examination Hall is a physical testament to China's ancient examination system, with restored examination cells, government offices, and interactive exhibits that vividly convey the hardships and glory of ancient scholars' "decade of diligent study." III. Night Tour of Fengcheng River: Brilliant Lights, Folk Celebrations If daytime Fengcheng River is a historical thinker, nighttime Fengcheng River is a lively dancer. Taking a painted boat cruise at night is the essence of experiencing Taizhou's charm. 1. Painted Boat Cruise: A Dreamlike Water Journey of Light and Shadow Ornately decorated painted boats glide across the water as lights along both banks illuminate sequentially. Wanghai Tower dons a golden coat, while Taoyuan Garden's opera stage reflects in the water like a flowing fine-brush painting. As the boat passes Taizhou Old Street, folk performances featuring the "Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity" and auspicious lion dances unfold along the shore, with drums and laughter recreating the prosperity of Ming and Qing marketplaces. Reaching Sanshuiwan, a modern light show transports visitors to a dreamlike fairy tale world, where classical and contemporary elements collide wonderfully. 2. Taizhou Old Street: Thousand-Year Flavors on the Tip of Your Tongue The night tour inevitably ends at Taizhou Old Street. Among the gray-brick and black-tiled Ming and Qing buildings waft the charred aroma of clay oven biscuits, the buttery sweetness of Huangqiao baked flatbreads, and other local delicacies like Jingjiang pork jerky and Zintong fish cakes that make mouths water. In traditional craft shops, intangible cultural heritage artisans create lifelike "rabbit lanterns" and "Beijing opera masks" with nimble fingers. On the ancient stage, the melodious singing of Yangzhou Opera "Dragon and Phoenix Love" fills the air, while audience members either sit on long benches sipping tea or stand applauding, immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life. IV. Staying by Fengcheng River: Sleeping by the Water, Retreating to the Countryside For a deeper experience of the water city's tranquility, consider staying at Yundu Guesthouse in Qianduo Town, Xinghua. The guesthouse sits by Lake Pingwang, surrounded by water on three sides, with individual cottages complementing the terraced field landscape. In the morning, you can open your window to see light mist hovering over canola fields like an ink painting; at night, you can fall asleep under the stars, listening to frogs and insects. The bamboo chairs and pottery jars in the guesthouse evoke childhood memories, while activities like fishing and tea picking allow visitors to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle and return to the pastoral simplicity of rural life. V. Four Seasons at Fengcheng River: Symphony of Festivals and Flowers The charm of Fengcheng River changes with the seasons: - Spring: Golden fields of canola flowers in Qianduo, blooming peach blossoms at Taoyuan Garden Festival; - Summer: Cool breezes along Fengcheng River, night boat cruises become the top choice for escaping the heat; - Autumn: Lantern markets illuminate Old Street during Mid-Autumn Festival, intangible cultural heritage performances convey traditional charm; - Winter: Spring Festival folk activities in full swing, dragon and lion dances, Hanfu garden tours revive ancient New Year customs. Additionally, the scenic area regularly hosts cultural themed events, such as ancient music performances at Wanghai Tower and Mei School Beijing Opera fan clubs, offering visitors pleasant surprises in every season. Conclusion: Water City Taizhou, A Never-Ending Cultural Feast The Fengcheng River Scenic Area is a museum without walls. Here, history isn't cold relics but flowing water, opera performances, fragrant cuisine, and vibrant everyday life. Whether climbing towers to contemplate the past, boating to enjoy the night view, exploring market flavors, or retreating to the countryside, Fengcheng River welcomes every traveler to write their own water city story with an inclusive attitude. As Chinese scholar Wen Huaisha said, "The existence of Wanghai Tower is not only for ascending and overlooking but also serves as an important cultural high ground of Chinese civilization." The elegance and profundity of this land will create eternal ripples in the hearts of all who visit. Wanghai Tower at Fengcheng River

Here's the ultimate Xinghua travel guide: Recommended Attractions • Qianduo Scenic Area: One of the world's four largest flower seas. From mid-March to the end of April, over 4,600 acres of rapeseed flowers bloom in vibrant splendor. Take a boat trip through the sea of flowers or climb the observation tower for a panoramic view. In 2025, a new nighttime bamboo raft tour will be added, offering a dreamy perspective of the flower fields at dusk. Capture the morning mist over the flowers with a drone at 6:30 am. The second-floor terrace of the "Fusheng Tea House" on the east side of the scenic area is the best spot for capturing the golden sunset. • Lizhong Water Forest Park: The largest artificial wetland ecological forest in East China, known as the "Jiuzhaigou of Central Jiangsu" and a "bird paradise of East China." In 2025, the ecological trail will be extended to 8 km, and a misting system will be added, operating daily at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Take a wooden raft down the waterways. A 70-200mm telephoto lens is recommended for capturing photos of egrets among the trees. • Jindongmen Ancient Street: Known as the "No. 1 Ming and Qing Dynasty Ancient Street in Central Jiangsu," this street boasts over a thousand years of history. It retains the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Visit the former residence of Zheng Banqiao, Zhao Haixian's Western-style house, the Cheng Family Mansion, and Zhuangyuan Square. • Shijiaqiao Scenic Area: The birthplace of Shi Nai'an, author of *Water Margin*. Visit Shi Nai'an's former residence and the Shi family ancestral hall, and immerse yourself in the culture of *Water Margin*. Recommended Food • Xinghua Morning Tea: Specialties include shredded dried tofu, crab roe buns, and pine nut shumai. • Shagou Fish Balls: Fresh, tender, and bouncy, with an excellent taste. • Shagou Lotus Root Sandwiches: Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, a perfect blend of lotus root and meat flavors. • Smoked and Roasted Delights: Pig's head, goose wings, spiced dried tofu, and tea eggs—fragrant but not greasy. Accommodation Recommendations • Budget: Duotian Manju Youth Hostel, renovated from an old granary, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the flower fields. • Mid-range: Yunduo Guesthouse, a glass house suspended over the river, equipped with a smart lighting system. • High-end: Shuiyuetang Boat House Hotel, each room with a private hot spring pool and fishing gear. Transportation Guide • By car: Take the "Xinghua South" exit of the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway. Parking lot P4 at Qianduo Scenic Area is only 300m from the viewing platform. • By high-speed rail: Take the train to Taizhou Station and transfer to a bus directly to Xinghua Qianduo Scenic Area. Alternatively, arrive at Xinghua Station and take the "Flower Field Express" tourist bus. Itinerary • Two days, one night: Visit the Qianduo rapeseed flower sea in the morning of the first day, go to Wu Jindang Park (Waterway No. 1) in the afternoon, and stroll through Jindongmen Ancient Street in the evening. Visit Lizhong Water Forest Park on the second day. • Three days, two nights: After arriving in Xinghua on the first day, explore Jindongmen Ancient Street and visit Zheng Banqiao's former residence. In the afternoon, visit the Xinghua Museum. On the second day, explore Qianduo Scenic Area, experience the intangible cultural heritage of bamboo weaving, and take a night tour of Bazijiao Bridge. On the third day, go birdwatching at Lizhong Water Forest Park, then go cycling in the Wu Jindang wetland, and savor the Zhongzhuang Drunken Crab feast. Travel Tips • The queues for the boat tour at Qianduo Scenic Area are long on weekends. It is recommended to purchase fast-track tickets in advance on the "Xinghua Tourism" mini-program. • Drones are prohibited in Lizhong Water Forest Park. • If traveling in spring, take sun protection and mosquito repellent measures. If traveling in winter, dress warmly.

Don't need to enter a scenic spot to take beautiful photos? Yes! In Xinghua, Taizhou, near the Qianduo Scenic Area, in Dongluo Village of Qianduo Town, there are many farm stays and B&Bs. The scenery here is just as good as the scenic area. Friends who are interested can go and have a look, and also visit the Qianduo Scenic Area and Li Zhong Water Forest Park. For B&Bs, you can choose Xinghua Yunduo B&B or Xinghua Wuyuan B&B.

Taizhou Xinghua, as a famous historical and cultural city, in addition to the famous rapeseed fields, other tourist attractions are not well known. 📍 Jingjiang Gushan ✅ Jingjiang Gushan, the reason why it is named "Gushan" is because this mountain is really lonely, the whole Jingjiang and even Taizhou is flat, there is only this mountain. 📍 Xinghua Lizhong Water Forest 📍 Xinghua, a small treasure city full of historical heritage and beautiful scenery, is worth a look. The water forest has different scenery in all four seasons, it is a natural oxygen bar, there are many water birds inside, it is recommended to come in the morning, there are more water birds to see! 🏨 Hotel recommendation: Xinghua Yunduo Homestay ❤ Recommended reason: The homestay is located in Dongluo Village, with a total of 10 unique villa-type characteristic homestays, each with its own door and courtyard, facing the wind and water, and the scenery is pleasant. It takes 5 minutes to drive to the Qiantuo Scenic Area and 10 minutes to the Lizhong Water Forest. 🛏 Room facilities: Stayed in a row of lake view suites, the room is very clean, the environment is very elegant. Quiet at night, the beautiful scenery outside the window is like a picture. 🍽 Food recommendation: Jingjiang crab yellow soup dumplings, fried meal fish, water pickled vegetables stewed Luohan fish, red braised turtle, rice wine grilled fish head