It was entirely by accident that we had a free month in December, which should be the busiest month. Should we stay at home or go out for a walk? This should not be a problem for us who like to stroll around

The problem was that the short trip originally planned for a week turned into a flight across six provinces and nine cities. Only then did we realize 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 epidemic, when we could not wear masks. In addition to seeing people's eyes, we can also meet each other frankly and have a lively conversation. You can sit lazy in the sun in any roadside cafe.

Yangzhou is the first stop on our trip to Jiangnan. I have visited this city several times before on business trips. In my impression, it is a beautiful small city with beautiful attractions concentrated in a small area. If you want, you can even measure the city with your feet. The slow pace of life, the delicious food that can be seen everywhere, and the fireworks everywhere give this city an extremely attractive market charm.

But this time, as tourists, when we could slowly experience the city, we found that like other cities, Yangzhou was crowded with parents sending their children off in front of schools, electric cars roaring through the streets, and restaurants complaining that the taste was not as good as before. Perhaps because of this, the distance between us and this city has suddenly become closer.

As tourists, we chose Geyuan as our first stop in a disciplined manner. This beautiful courtyard was built in the Ming Dynasty. It was purchased by Huang Zhiyun, the general salt merchant of the Jia and Dao dynasties, and was renovated to form today's pattern. Because of the word Yun in his name, Huang Zhiyun named the garden "Geyuan", which was similar to the shape of bamboo leaves.

Geyuan once planted bamboo everywhere, conveying the owner's flaunt of his gentleman's style.

The rockery in the yard is set with spring, summer, autumn and winter as its themes. Standing on the rockery "Qiushan" in the garden, admiring the exquisiteness in the yard, I couldn't help but sigh: The biggest advantage of traveling in the off-season is that there are few people. When I came here before, it was difficult to see the rockery, and I could only see the people full of the yard. This time, you can stand somewhere and quietly experience the owner's feelings when looking at his own industry, and then leave yourself filled with mental sorrow. I also want to be a creative person, but I have to listen to my wife's instructions when I decorate my home...

Thanks to Mr. Chen Congzhou for his "Talking about the Garden", I can roughly understand the regulations and craftsmanship in the garden even without understanding the connotation of the scenery everywhere. I strongly recommend that you read this book before embarking on a garden trip. The book not only provides a detailed explanation of the construction and regulations of the garden, but also helps readers understand the background knowledge of the garden's constituent elements.

In fact, every garden is actually a hidden display of itself by the owner. Huang Zhiyun has never left the business circle in his life. Although he has a red hat, his official title as a salt transportation envoy is based on his donations of money. But judging from the fact that he named Geyuan, his real capital should be his eclectic thinking and logical planning ability.

slender West Lake

The day we went to Slender West Lake was misty and rainy. There were not many tourists in the morning, and some elderly uncles and aunts were walking in the park and exercising.

In the off-season, Slender West Lake belongs to the locals again. Walking on the long embankment, I feel that the surrounding flowers, trees, and lake water are slowly like a breeze.

The thinness of Slender West Lake comes from its slender lake surface. In some waters, the lake is more like a river. Because it is the off-season, the night tour project has been suspended. Du Mu has seen the "Twenty-Four Bridge Bright Moon Night, Where is the jade man taught to play the flute" I can't appreciate it, but when I walked through the Wuting Bridge, I heard the gentle sound of wind chimes in the breeze, and looked at the weeping willows and pavilions in the fog barrier on the lake in the distance, I still couldn't help but think, Hundreds of years ago, How different is the scenery they see and what I see now? Nowadays, how much has the customs changed...

Slender West Lake was once part of Yangzhou's moat. According to the waterway, many gardens were once located. The ancients could visit various scenery by boat. Nowadays, Slender West Lake has added scenic spots such as the Yangpai Bonsai Museum and the Painting and Calligraphy Institute, but it feels that the space has become larger and the exquisiteness in the gardens has become much weaker. I spent money to buy tickets, and I had to visit it even if I walked until my butt ached. The end result was that I really didn't have the energy to visit Jinshan Temple...