Liyang

A lake-and-mountain retreat where Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui meet, with Tianmu Lake, the Nanshan Bamboo Sea and clusters of hot-spring hotels, plus the 365 km Liyang No. 1 Road – a favourite weekend road-trip base for the Yangtze River Delta.

Liyang lies southwest of Changzhou in Jiangsu, where Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui meet, and is a popular weekend getaway for the Yangtze River Delta. Sightseeing falls into three parts. The core is the Tianmu Lake tourist area in the south, including the top-rated (national 5A) Tianmu Lake Shanshui Park (lake cruises, Longxing Island and a summer water park) and the vast Nanshan Bamboo Sea on the Jiangsu–Zhejiang–Anhui border (cable car, panda house and Jinghu Lake). Along the lake are hot-spring resorts such as Yushui Hot Spring, as well as Baoen Temple; free spots such as Tianmu Lake National Wetland Park and the Pingqiao stone dam are scattered through the countryside on the southern route. Next is the Liyang No. 1 Road, which runs across the whole city: about 365 km of colour-marked scenic road linking the Wawu Mountain “Sky Road” and Shennü Lake in the north, the Bieqiao Rice Dream Space, and, in the west, Caoshan Slow City, the car- and train-themed Laisi rural parks and Qingfeng Village – ideal for driving or cycling. In the city, the Liyang Museum makes a good rainy-day option. Best seasons: Mar–May brings fresh green tea gardens and rapeseed blossoms, and a chance to taste Tianmu Lake white tea; Sep–Nov's autumn colours suit road trips; winter is perfect for hot springs and casserole fish-head soup; and in summer, escape the heat in the Bamboo Sea or play at the water park. Getting there: high-speed trains from Nanjing South to Liyang Station take as little as 26 minutes, and about 2 hours from Shanghai; shuttle buses run from Liyang Station to Tianmu Lake and the Nanshan Bamboo Sea, but countryside spots require a car. Plan on 2–3 days: one for Tianmu Lake and hot springs, one for the Nanshan Bamboo Sea and the southern route, and one for the northern or western section of the No. 1 Road. Note: hot-spring and hotel prices rise on public holidays, so book ahead; large vehicles are banned on the No. 1 Road, and some mountain sections have no phone signal.

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