Self-driving Jiangsu and Shandong (6) "Lake of the Dragon Vein" - Yunlong Lake Scenic Area

Trip.com's ninth self-driving tour - Jiangsu and Shandong (6) "Lake of the Dragon Vein" - Yunlong Lake Scenic Area Jiangsu Suqian - Xuzhou 2020.6.12 (Day 5) Cloudy with showers turning cloudy, temperature 22-25 degrees. I woke up early in the morning and found that it had rained last night. It really is "June weather, a child's face, changing three times a day." There were very few guests staying at the hotel. For breakfast, each person got a large bowl of poached egg noodles with lard and chopped green onions (Picture 1). Taking a bite, it tasted more like Suzhou-style soup noodles. Delicious! As usual, I packed my bags, checked the car, and hit the road at 8:30 am, heading for Xuzhou. Along Tonghu Avenue, S343, Xinyang Expressway S49, and Huaixu Expressway G2513, there were bursts of heavy rain along the way. The journey was 195 km, and we arrived in Xuzhou at 11:30 am. Xuzhou, anciently known as Pengcheng, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province and a national historical and cultural city. It has a history of civilization of more than 6,000 years and a history of urban construction of 2,600 years. It is a famous hometown of emperors, with the saying "Nine dynasties, emperors from Xuzhou." Xuzhou is also known as the "Athens of the East" because of its rich cultural heritage, historical sites, and profound historical background. We settled into the hotel and had lunch. Fortunately, the rain gradually stopped. With our backpacks on, we left the hotel at 1:30 pm and started our planned tour of Yunlong Lake. Yunlong Lake Scenic Area is located in the southwest of Xuzhou City, with a core scenic area of 15 square kilometers. It has beautiful mountains, a vast lake, and magnificent natural scenery. It is a 5A-level lake scenic area in the city with free admission. After the rain, the cool breeze was blowing, making it feel like a different season from yesterday. Strolling along the lake embankment in the fresh air was relaxing and enjoyable. Although the light was a bit dim and the images weren't as bright, it was much better than being in the rain. We spent three and a half hours enthusiastically exploring only one-sixth of Yunlong Lake, the Xiaonanhu Lake with its Jiangnan charm (Pictures 1, 3-8). This lake is exquisite and detailed, with small bridges, flowing water, fragrant gardens, lotus ponds, and fish and lotus roots. It's a replica of Hangzhou's West Lake, a blessing for the people of Xuzhou. After dinner, we came to the lake again to enjoy the night view of Yunlong Lake. The colorful lights decorated the scenery along the lake beautifully (Picture 9). Tomorrow, we will leave Jiangsu for Shandong, heading to Zaozhuang to continue our self-driving tour.