Road Trip Diary Across Four Provinces: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi – A Perfect Blend of Travel and Leisure

7-day itinerary 🚘 Total mileage: ~1,255 km | 💰 Toll fees: 471 CNY | Destinations: Yangzhou—Taihu Lake (Huzhou)—Qiandao Lake—Huangshan—Wuyuan Huangling—Nanchang (Jiangxi). Due to the scorching weather, we skipped many attractions and focused on scenic views and hotel relaxation 🏖️ **Day 1️⃣: Slender West Lake, Yangzhou (Pics 2-3)** *Actually spent three days in Yangzhou; rented a car on the third day to start the road trip 🚗* **Stay:** [Yangzhou Seclude West Lake Hot Spring Resort]—Adjacent to Slender West Lake, featuring authentic hot springs (slippery and soothing!) and a pool surrounded by traditional Chinese architecture. Great value and convenience for sightseeing. **Attractions:** Slender West Lake, Grand Canal Museum (book in advance; closed Mondays), Dongguan Street & Ancient Canal, Ge Garden, He Garden, Ye Chun Garden, Daming Temple, etc. **Food:** Must-try: Yangzhou-style breakfast tea and Huaiyang cuisine. **Day 2️⃣: Taihu Lake, Huzhou (Pics 4-7)** **Stay:** [Huzhou Taihu Moon Bay Hot Spring Villa] (part of the Sheraton "Donut" 🍩 complex—same property. An older hotel but well-maintained, with convenient dining/activities). **Food:** Taihu’s "Three Whites" and dry-tossed noodles are delicious. **Day 3️⃣: Qiandao Lake, Hangzhou (Pic 8)** **Stay:** [Qiandao Lake Wen Yuan Lion City Pushi Hotel] (located in the ancient Lion City, featuring Hui-style architecture. Unique but breakfast was mediocre; lunch/dinner required nearby restaurants. The entire town is under renovation with almost no shops—not recommended). **Food:** Qiandao Lake fish head. "Hongfu Restaurant·18-Year-Old Shop" near the town served excellent fish head soup. Tried Qiandao Lake beer—flavor was average. **Day 4️⃣: Qiandao Lake, Hangzhou (Pics 9-11)** **Stay:** [InterContinental Qiandao Lake Resort] (scenery: 10/10, worth staying. However, overcrowding may have impacted service standards—room cleanliness was fine, but pool water was murky). **Food:** Fish head dishes everywhere. Only one restaurant nearby (Xianshan Restaurant), a 6-7 min walk left from the hotel—good taste and value. **Day 5️⃣: Huangshan—Hongcun—Huizhou Ancient City, Anhui (Pics 12-15)** **Stay:** [Huangshan Qinman Hot Spring Resort] (a standout homestay: 25x5m swimmable pool (unlike many "decorative" hotel pools). Private hot spring available (1-hour limit; reservation needed). Highly recommended!). **Attractions:** - *Huangshan*: A must-visit (requires 2+ days for proper exploration, but skipped due to heat). - *Hongcun*: Beautiful, highly recommended. - *Huizhou Ancient City (She County)*: Mediocre. **Day 6️⃣: Wuyuan Huangling, Jiangxi (Pics 1, 16-18)** **Stay:** [Huangling Yishanju Boutique Hotel (Huangling Scenic Area)] – Infinity pool with breathtaking views overlooking Huangling village. Worth staying! Downsides: Hui-style layout lacks bathtubs; average breakfast; staff were very kind. Overall, highly recommended for the scenery and sunset views. **Attractions:** - *Huangling*: If staying at Yishanju, you can drive up the mountain (recommended, as the cable car closes at 8 PM—hiking down is unsafe). - *Wunvzhou Resort*: Looked too commercialized; skipped. **Day 7️⃣: Nanchang, Jiangxi (Pics 19-20)** **Attractions:** - *Tengwang Pavilion* - *Haihunhou Museum* (A must-visit! The only figure in Chinese history to hold titles of emperor, king, marquis, and commoner—also a gold-obsessed tycoon.) - *Jiangxi Provincial Museum* (book ahead) - *August 1st Uprising Memorial* (book ahead) **Stay:** Near the airport: [Ganjiang Greenland Platium Hotel (Ganjiang New Area)]. Nanchang Airport lacks 5-star hotels—only two within 10 km. This one had poor hygiene/facilities (not recommended). The other option: [Jinjiang Liting Hotel Nanchang Airport New Town] (6.1 km from the airport; untested). 🚗 The route may seem hectic, but it wasn’t exhausting—daily drives ranged 1-3 hours. Mostly swam at hotels, haha! 😆