It was entirely due to a coincidence that we had a month of free time in December, which should have been the busiest month. Should we stay at home or go out for a walk? For us who like to wander around, this shouldn't be a problem

The problem was that the originally planned short trip of about a week turned into a journey across six provinces and nine cities. It was only then that we realized how much we wanted to go out and see those beautiful people and scenery, trapped by the epidemic.

I really miss the days before the pandemic, when we didn't have to wear masks. In addition to seeing people's eyes, we can also have frank and lively conversations. You can sit lazily in the sunshine at any roadside caf é.

Yangzhou is the first stop of our trip to Jiangnan. I have visited this city several times on business trips before. In my impression, it is a beautiful small town with various scenic spots concentrated in a small area. As long as you are willing, you can even measure this city with your feet. The slow pace of life, the abundance of delicious food, and the lively atmosphere of fireworks make this city have an incredibly attractive urban charm.

But this time, as tourists, when we were able to slowly experience this city, we found that like other cities, Yangzhou was crowded with parents delivering their children in front of schools, electric bikes whizzing through the streets, and diners complaining that the taste was not as good as before in restaurants. Perhaps because of this, the distance between us and this city suddenly narrowed.

As tourists, we obediently chose a park as our first stop. This beautiful courtyard was first built in the Ming Dynasty and was renovated after being purchased by Huang Zhiyun, the salt merchant of the Jia and Dao dynasties, forming its current layout. Due to the character 'yun' in his name, Huang Zhiyun named his garden 'Geyuan', which resembles the shape of bamboo leaves.

I once planted bamboo everywhere in my garden, conveying the owner's admiration for his gentlemanly demeanor.

The rockeries in the courtyard are designed with themes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Standing on the rockery "Autumn Mountain" in the garden, admiring the exquisite scenery in the yard, I couldn't help but exclaim: the biggest advantage of traveling during the off-season is that there are fewer people. When I came here before, it was difficult to see the rockery, only people filling the yard. This time, you can stand quietly in a certain place and experience the feelings of the owner who looked at their own property back then, and then leave yourself with a deep sense of grief. I also want to be a creative person, but I have to listen to my wife when decorating my own home

Thank you to Mr. Chen Congzhou for his book 'Talking about the Garden', which allowed me to have a general understanding of the regulations and craftsmanship in the garden even without understanding the connotations of the various scenery. I strongly recommend that you read this book before starting your garden journey. The book not only provides detailed explanations of the construction and regulations in the garden, but also helps readers understand the background knowledge of the elements that make up the garden.

In fact, every garden is a subtle display of itself by the owner. Huang Zhiyun never left the business district in his life. Although he had a red roof, the official claim of the salt transport envoy was that he donated money one by one. But from the perspective of naming his own garden, his true capital should be his unconventional thinking and logical planning ability,

Skinny West Lake

The day we went to Shouxi Lake was misty and rainy. There are not many tourists in the morning, and some elderly uncles and aunts are strolling and exercising in the park.

The lean West Lake in the off-season belongs to the locals again. Walking on the long embankment, I feel the surrounding flowers, trees, and lake water slowly blowing like a gentle breeze.

The thinness of Slender West Lake comes from its slender lake surface. In some waters, the lake looks more like a river because it is the off-season, and night tours have been suspended. I cannot appreciate the "24 Bridges on a bright moon night, where can jade people teach to play the flute" that Du Mu has seen. However, when I walked over the Wuting Bridge, I heard the gentle sound of wind chimes in the breeze, and looked at the weeping willows and pavilions in the mist barrier on the lake in the distance. I couldn't help but wonder how different the scenery that ancient people saw hundreds of years ago was from what I see now? How much has changed in human relationships and scenery now

Shouxi Lake was once a part of the Yangzhou moat, with several gardens located along the waterway. Ancient people could take boats to explore various scenic spots. Nowadays, the Slender West Lake has added scenic spots such as the Yangpai Bonsai Museum and the Calligraphy and Painting Academy, but it feels like the space has become larger and the delicacy in the gardens has weakened a lot. I bought a ticket with my own money and had to walk it all until my butt hurt. The end result was that the Jinshan Temple, which was separated by a road, really didn't have the energy to stroll around