Walking mode: Self driving

Walking time: June 2021

Walking route: Nanjing - Gaoyou Cultural Park of the Last Battle of the Anti Japanese War - Gaoyou Lake Reed Swamp Wetland Ecological Park - Nanjing

Tourist attraction: Gaoyou Lake Reed Swamp Ecological Wetland Park

Address: 3 kilometers west of Jindun Village, Gaoyou City, Yangzhou City

Leaving the last battle of the Anti Japanese War in Gaoyou Cultural Park, we will move on to our next destination - Gaoyou Reed Swamp Ecological Wetland Park. Following the navigation along the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, driving not far on Provincial Highway S237, you will discover a height limit of 2.65 meters. Our bus cannot pass through. Looking for another way, I encountered a height limit of 2.05 again. The driver could only take a detour around the national highway, and after several turns, he finally stopped spinning aimlessly. After taking the national highway, we arrived at the canal and saw the busy canal, feeling at ease.

Familiar Jieshou Ancient Town. In September 2018, I was on a business trip in Baoying and took advantage of my half day free time to drive to Gaoyou Lake to see this ancient town of Jieshou. Jieshou is named after its location at the junction of Gaoyou, Baoying, and Jinhu counties and cities in Jiangsu Province. Established in 957 AD, the town has a history of over a thousand years. It is a transportation hub and commercial center in the northern part of Gaoyou, the most prosperous and lively town in the Lixiahe area, and a shining pearl along the Grand Canal. The ancient town is well protected, without any commercial atmosphere, and all are indigenous people. The small ancient town has many famous historical sites such as the former site of Huazhong Xuefeng University, Jieshou Old Street, Jieshou Huguo Temple, Jieshou Post Station, Gaoyou Jieshou Folk Customs Museum, Jieshou Canal Grand Pier, Ming and Qing Dynasty North and South Streets, Daqing Post Office, Jieshou History Exhibition Hall, Rural Normal School, Taiping Street, etc. It is worth visiting.

I didn't stop at the ancient town today, I just sat in the car and took a distant glance. A boundary old dock has been restored and built here, and there was no such landscape in 2018.

You can see this white twin tower spatial cable-stayed bridge - Jieshou Canal Bridge - from a distance on Provincial Highway S237. The bridge appears so pure between the blue sky and the green water. The bridge forms an "S" shape starting from S237, crosses the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, and ends at the western embankment of the canal. Perform an "S" - shaped rotation along the bridge.

Walking on the Jieshou Canal Bridge, watching the busy canal freight.

Crossing the canal from the east to the west and looking back at the bridge. Because with this bridge lake area, it is connected to the boundary of the ancient town. Follow the embankment road along Gaoyou Lake.

Small boats are drifting by the lake.

Various free range poultry roam freely.

Arriving at the reed marsh ecological wetland by the shore of Gaoyou Lake. This is the entrance of Reed Pond Park. It is similar to my scene three years ago. It is still under construction. There is an additional memorial archway like this, with a big logo. The simple door panel room is the ticket office, which is quite rudimentary.

Added some colorful embellishments. Thinking back to my first time at Gaoyou, in this simple and authentic ancient town of Jieshou, I took a closer look and really liked it. Leaving Jieshou, I just casually drove up to the dam to observe Gaoyou Lake and stumbled upon this scenic spot. At that time, a parking lot was being built here, and tickets were also needed to enter the scenic area. Due to time constraints, I did not enter the scenic area. But instead, driving directly on the west bank of the Grand Canal between Gaoyou Lake and the Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, enjoying the scenery of Gaoyou Lake while driving. I didn't expect to continue our relationship here today.

We boarded a ferry that could accommodate over twenty guests and entered Gaoyou Lake. The ticket is for a round trip of 60 people per person.

The ship is sailing at the northeast corner of Gaoyou Lake

The scenery on the embankment road by the shore

Fishermen driving boats on the lake

The vast Gaoyou Lake stretches endlessly like a vast expanse of water. A variety of aquatic plants adorn the lake surface.

Gaoyou Lake is one of the six major freshwater lakes in China, with vast and clear waters, lush green streams, and lush ecology.

The total area of Gaoyou Lake Reed Swamp Wetland Park is 35 square kilometers, including 8 square kilometers of land area and 27 square kilometers of water area.

Birds on the lake freely rise, fall, and fly.

The people on the boat are leisurely and content

The lake grass in the scenic area is lush at times,

Thousands of acres of reeds stretch as far as the eye can see, with vast beaches covered in lush green grass and diverse wildlife, making it a natural oxygen bar.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the boat sailing leisurely in the river will make you feel refreshed and completely immersed in a green world.

The rivers and lakes are clear and blue, with fertile soil and water, making aquatic plants very abundant. Reeds and cattails are abundant on the lakeshore, and at this time, the emerald green color is like a green ocean.

The long waterway leads us into the vast lake

Come to our destination - the island. The small dock of the barge, disembarking and landing.

A small island shaded by green trees

The island has a somewhat scenic appearance here, with a entrance and a tourist center

There is also an introduction to the scenic area and a topographic map of the scenic area

Adorned with various colorful flowers amidst lush greenery.

The island is surrounded by lakes on all sides

A Chenzhou Bridge, although a replica bridge, has a legend about Bao Zheng's disaster relief efforts. There is a tall Huanzhu Pavilion at the bridgehead.

I climbed to the top floor of the Huanzhu Pavilion and enjoyed the scenery from a high altitude.

Two images captured from different heights

My companion greeted me on the bridge

Wetland mudflat landscape

The dam divided and arranged the lake surface. On one side of the dam, there are various greenhouses for animal husbandry, and on one side of the dam, various vegetables are planted in an orderly manner. Seeing this scene, I knew that this place was living a self-sufficient and prosperous life.

The water area on the surface of Gaoyou Lake in the distance is divided into several sections by dams.

Looking at Chenzhou Bridge from the Huanzhu Pavilion.

Take a 360 degree panoramic photo at the towering Huanzhu Pavilion.

The river is crisscrossing, with abundant water and grass, and the vegetation on the riverbank is also rich and colorful.

Today we had lunch at a restaurant on a small island in the middle of the lake, and after getting off the tall Huanzhu Pavilion, we ran towards the island.

The small island has built a leisure palace on the water side according to its circular shape. There is a tall observation deck in the center, which is connected to the buildings by bridges on all four sides. There are supporting facilities such as restaurants and guest rooms. All the meals here are self-produced and self sold green food. The fish, shrimp, chickens and ducks raised by oneself in the lake, and even the vegetables are fresh ones grown by oneself. Although it looks like ordinary dishes, due to its pollution-free nature and the use of high-quality ingredients, seafood is eaten and cooked freshly, while agricultural products are freshly picked and stir fried. Therefore, the taste has received unanimous praise from everyone, especially from an old professor in the same industry. You should know that our old professor doesn't pay attention to whether the food is high-end or not, but he is very particular about the taste of the food. The first time I had a dish called Xianlingyang, it tasted great, mainly because I felt very fresh after eating it for the first time.

After the meal, the full sense of happiness continued to wander in the scenery. The pavilions and bridges on the island are filled with greenery.

The lotus leaves and water chestnut leaves in the water are also green and lively.

Returning to the Huanzhu Pavilion at the bridgehead,

We were not in a hurry to return to the dock, but headed to the next destination - the Reed Swamp Maze. Walking on such a colorful road, the mood is beautiful!

On one side of the path is a lake, and on the other side is a ridge. The lake area here is planted with a large number of aquatic plants such as lotus root, water chestnut, water chestnut, and wormwood.
Various vegetables are planted in the ridges by the water's edge.

My friends looked at these plump and tender vegetables with surprise and joy.

This row of amaranth is plump and tender

A field of chili peppers, hanging full of pointed and slender chili peppers.

A small piece of watermelon field also produced slender watermelons

Tomatoes are also abundant fruits hanging on the branches

Turn right and continue. There are two rows of boat houses in the lake, which are a boat house hotel. The entire hotel is built on a boat as its base, surrounded by steel cables, and every room is situated by the water.

The small wooden boat in the reed marshes maze small dock has a sunshade canopy and is powered by batteries. Each ship can accommodate ten people, with each person costing 50 yuan.

This is our boatman, smiling and not saying much, basically asking and answering questions one by one. It seems that boatmen do not work as tour guides.

The small boat was slowly sailing, making waves. The reed poles on both sides occasionally grazed the edge of the boat, making a rustling sound. Besides, it's quiet here. Among the 50000 acres of reed land, only our two boats are sailing. The boatmen in the maze sailed freely, and neither of the two boats met.

The reed maze belongs to the original ecological lake wetland. The 50000 acre reed maze is large in scale and majestic, forming a unique landscape of "boats sailing in the lake and fish jumping into the cabin".

The lush reed marshes stretch endlessly over thousands of acres of reeds.

Entering here will make people wash away the impurities, and humans and nature will be refined in purity.

The reed marshes in summer are lush and verdant.

Swinging in the wind with multiple postures, graceful reeds cluster together. Every posture is free and casual, interweaving into layers and clusters, like white clouds falling on the riverbank. The wind blows, and the reed marshes stir up green waves, one after another, a spectacular sight.

A 50000 acre ecological reed marsh is located in a corner of the vast Gaoyou Lake. Vast lakes, dense reeds, narrow, deep, and winding water reed spaces in various forms.

We meander through this reed space.

Show off your 'combat boots'“

Suddenly, I saw my companions' boat ahead and wanted to give them some photos. In the blink of an eye, the boat was submerged in the reed marshes and disappeared without a trace.

I sat at the bow of the boat under the scorching sun, taking the best view of the scenery here. My companion took a picture of my back at the stern of the ship. This is the old saying, if you take pictures of the scenery, you also become the scenery in the eyes of others.

The small boat was brightly colored in red and yellow, shining brightly in the green water, blue sky, and green reed marshes.

Our companion's boat quietly appeared behind us again. Before I could even take a photo, our boat turned and disappeared without a trace.

There is a duckling in the bottom right corner, which looks very inconspicuous in the photo. But in fact, in the reeds here, unnamed birds inhabit the lake, their chirping sounds pleasant and lively. The birds fly up, as if emitting a series of tremolo sounds in the water. Wild ducks shuttle through the reed beds, stretching and shrinking their heads in the green bushes. They are disturbed and scared, so much so that they only wear flying swords and disappear without a trace, making it difficult for the camera to capture their sound and shadow.

The reed marshes in summer are a thriving scene. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but you can also watch birds.

Walking through the reeds, the figures of white egrets, herons, and wild ducks fly into the sky, sometimes brushing against the green reeds, and sometimes suddenly rushing into the water.

Walking through the narrow waterway deep in the maze, we arrived at the open area on the periphery. In the open water, the wind brought a hint of coolness. Everyone is satisfied with this boat trip to Gaoyou Lake. Friends from a team are probably going on a boat trip to reed marshes for the first time! Expressed gratitude to the companions who arranged the itinerary. The experience of life is truly wonderful. In 2018, I got close to Gaoyou Lake for the first time, but I only had a brief encounter before leaving. I didn't expect to have a deeper intimate encounter with it in the same place three years later. The joy of fate's continuation fills the journey with joy.

After wandering around the maze of reed marshes for half an hour, I returned to the shore, followed the flower path back to the dock, and took a boat back to the parking lot.

From a distance on the lake, you can see the Jieshou Canal Bridge that connects the Grand Canal and Gaoyou Lake.

Gaoyou Lake Reed Swamp Wetland Park boasts the beauty of the lake, the softness of the water, the greenery of the reeds, and the wonder of the scenery, connecting our beautiful day in Gaoyou. Although this is a scenic spot, there are few tourists here, and only our team of twenty people and two boats are wandering around in the reed marshes. The scenic area has not changed much from the outside when I came here three years ago. Why is such a peaceful and romantic habitat rarely taken care of? Think about the 60 yuan boat ticket and the 50 yuan reed marsh maze boat ticket. It's really cost-effective to spend 110 yuan on a ticket here. Let's talk about the cruise ship first! It's actually a ferry from the central island to the shore. If you don't eat or play the maze, why go to the island? Just like a few years ago when I drove on Dike Road and looked at Gaoyou Lake, it had a wider and more magnificent feeling. Would it be better to adjust our business strategy in such a unique place, which is adjacent to the historically distinctive Jieshou Town? Looking forward to meeting again, this place will be even more beautiful.