Chengdu's 1-Hour Lotus Boat Adventure! Thousand-Acre Lotus Pond Navigation Map

🌈 Highlights: ◾ Every summer I search for the perfect boating route to admire lotuses. After exploring ponds along the Pujiang and Xiejiang river systems, I concluded—there wasn't one! ◾ Until discovering this heavenly water route between Fujiang River islands—nearly ten lotus ponds, 700+ varieties, forming a 5km floral waterway. The only true lotus-boating paradise near Chengdu! 📍 Location: Suining's Boat (Lotus) Mountain District [Fig.9], 1h direct by HSR from Chengdu . ✨ Why is this route "legendary"? ✔️ Boat-friendly: Open green waters allow free paddling through lotus leaves (see Fig.9 for restricted red zones) ✔️ Floral diversity: Hundreds of thousands of plants, 700+ varieties representing 70% of global lotus species across seven color groups (some varieties absent this year but still spectacular) ✔️ Expansive distribution: Four areas—"Jiulianzhou Wetland", "Guanyin Lake Wetland", "Shenglian Island", "Renli Dock"—with ponds spanning 5km of waterways, most concentrated at "Shenglian Island" and "Jiulianzhou" . 🎯 Best boating times 🌅 Dawn (5:30–8:30): Golden hours avoiding heat and crowds! Soft light reveals blooming water lilies and rare varieties 🌃 Night (18:00–20:00): Launch from "Renli Dock" to paddle "Lianmeng River" lotus ponds "Linxian Pavilion" and "Lingquan Temple" become magical when lit (avoid core scenic areas due to occasional patrols) . 🛶 Launch points [Fig.9] ‣ Prime: A.Guanyin Lake Wetland, C.Renli Dock, D.Zilian Crossing (hard-surface docks) ‣ Secondary: B.Guanlian Platform (requires fence climbing; muddy during high water with uncertain conditions) . 🚗 Accommodation & Transport: ‣ 🏠 Stay: "Shenglian Island" recommended. "Marriott Hotel" perfect for post-dawn naps before evening paddling ‣ 🚄 HSR: To Suining Station (1h). 15-minute taxi to World Lotus Expo Garden ‣ 🚗 Drive: Navigate to Jiulianzhou Ecological Wetland Park (2h). Great for walking/photos (no boating here) . ✨ Must-See Lotus Varieties 📸 Photographer's list: ▫️ Flame Lotus: Fiery petals stunning at dawn backlight ▫️ Nine-Grade Fragrant Lotus: Pink-yellow gradient with premium fragrance ▫️ Colorful Water Lilies: Close at night—catch their 7am "wake-up" blooming 🎉 Novelty varieties: ▫️ North American Victoria: Leaves large enough to seat children, ultra-photogenic ▫️ Thousand-Petal Buddha Lotus: Shenglian Island's "treasure", up to 1,000 petals ▫️ Golden Lotus: Sacred Buddhist flower that "surges" from the earth .