Jiaoshan offers a scenic retreat brimming with vitality

A travel blogger wrote it well: Jinshan has a myth, Beigushan has a history, and Jiaoshan has a culture. Take the bus to the Jiaoshan Scenic Area station, and right off the bus is the south gate of Jiaoshan, where the ferry docks. The area is not large, akin to a small park, and a stroll for 2-3 hours is quite fitting. Passing through the mountain gate, the incense at Dinghui Temple wafts gently. Beyond the cliff carvings, robust and tender, they subtly grace the cliffs weathered by time. Ascending the steps, the grandeur of the pavilion is obscured by the surrounding dense forests and bamboo, and the once open view is no longer visible. The Wanfo Pagoda is temporarily closed for maintenance, but as a landmark, it remains a popular subject for photographers. After passing the Xijiang Tower, circling back to Biefeng An, and descending the steps, a small path leads along the river behind the mountain, directly back to the cliff carvings, and then via the Jiangshan wooden walkway back to the ferry dock. It is sunset, and the journey is exceptionally beautiful. Jiaoshan, surrounded by water on all sides, floats in the river, likened by the ancients to a floating jade. I think it is perhaps a small piece of jasper, petite in form but broad in spirit. With an elevation of just over 70 meters and a modest size, it is indeed a small piece of jasper. With a broad view, looking towards Zhenjiang, towards the Yangtze River, watching the sunset glow in unison, the heart feels as wide as the heavens and the earth.