Huizhou Ancient City + Zhanqi Fish Lantern + Shendu Morning Mist

I've long wanted to take the boat from Shendu to Qiandao Lake, but going to just one spot felt not cost-effective. This time, I connected several points with the route: Shexian North Station - Huizhou Ancient City - Zhanqi Village - Shendu Port - Qiandao Lake Passenger Terminal - Qiandao Lake High-Speed Rail Station. Two and a half days plus one night made the trip quite full. Shexian has long been the seat of Huizhou Prefecture, so the ancient city is large. The main street has a commercial atmosphere similar to other ancient cities, but the winding alleys are full of local life. On the hilltop, there is an abandoned middle school where you can overlook the entire ancient city. After a quick stroll, I headed to Zhanqi. Coincidentally, there was a fish lantern performance this Saturday, and the village was lively and festive, giving an early taste of the New Year atmosphere. The fish lantern event was from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, starting from Dunmutang, circling along the main street, and ending at Longtou Square where people played with fish, interacted by touching fish, and carried fish lanterns. I stayed overnight in Shendu, having booked a homestay near Shendu Port and boat tickets in advance. The homestay owner arranged a car from Zhanqi to Shendu for 80 yuan for the 15 km trip. The next morning, I took the 7:40 AM passenger boat from Shendu to Qiandao Lake. It was off-season, so there were few people. At sunrise, thin morning mist rose over the river, with scattered ferries, fishing boats, and water birds. The autumn colors were rich, making it a perfect time to experience the Xin'an River Landscape Gallery in its true form. The boat journey took four and a half hours to reach the Qiandao Lake Passenger Terminal in Chun'an County. The river gradually widened, and the water changed from green to blue. At the terminal, I saw familiar Zhejiang A license plates, marking the end of the trip.