Escape the City: All-You-Can-Eat Fish Head Soup and Endless Bamboo Forest and Tea Plantation Photos

❤Waking up at 7am to birdsong, I stood on the B&B balcony and saw the morning mist soaking half a lake of emerald green. The aroma of casserole fish head soup wafted up from downstairs, the milky white broth bubbling with freshly caught bighead carp heads, the tofu soaked in freshness, sprinkled with pepper, and city dwellers couldn't stop until they had drunk three bowls. ❤The cable car at Nanshan Bamboo Sea had a long queue, and the locals smiled and handed over bamboo sticks: "It's faster to take the path." After half an hour of climbing on pine needles, the entire bamboo sea was rolling under our feet, a shock that even drones couldn't capture. An older sister from the tea garden carried a bamboo basket to pick Mingqian tea, casually pinching off two tender buds and handing them over: "Chew on them, they're more refreshing than coffee." ❤The trunk was full on the way back: two cans of white tea's fragrance, five pounds of black glutinous rice's sweetness, and 300 unedited landscape photos in my phone—turns out you don't have to go to Mogan Mountain, the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway can take you to the spring of Jiangnan in three hours. (Note: Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head is a famous Jiangsu dish, made with local bighead carp; Nanshan Bamboo Sea has 35,000 acres of moso bamboo; Liyang White Tea is a national geographical indication product) Tianmu Lake Travel Guide (Liyang, Jiangsu) I. Basic Information Location: Tianmu Lake Town, Liyang City, Jiangsu Province Features: National 5A scenic spot, famous for its lake and mountain scenery, bamboo sea tea gardens, and hot spring resorts, suitable for leisure and family travel. Best Season: Spring and Autumn (April–May, September–November): The climate is pleasant, suitable for hiking and sightseeing. Summer: You can play in the water world and escape the summer heat. Winter: Soak in Yushui Hot Spring and experience the snow scene in the bamboo sea. II. Transportation Guide Self-driving (recommended): About 2.5–3 hours' drive from Shanghai/Nanjing/Hangzhou, navigate to "Tianmu Lake Landscape Garden" or "Nanshan Bamboo Sea." Scenic Area Parking Lot: CNY 10–20/day. High-speed train: To "Liyang Station", take a taxi to Tianmu Lake Scenic Area for about 20 minutes (CNY 30). Long-distance bus: Nanjing/Changzhou/Wuxi have direct buses to Liyang, transfer to bus/taxi to the scenic spot. III. Must-Visit Attractions 1. Tianmu Lake Landscape Garden (core scenic spot) Tickets: CNY 120 (including cruise), online purchase in advance for discounts. How to play: Hulishan: Climb the Cixiao Cultural District to view the lake. Longxing Island: Take a boat to the island, hike the forest trail, and check out Butterfly Valley and Elf Kingdom. Tea Island: Experience tea culture, taste Tianmu Lake White Tea, and walk the high-altitude rope bridge. 2. Nanshan Bamboo Sea (about 30 minutes' drive from Tianmu Lake) Tickets: CNY 80, cable car/ground rail are charged separately. How to play: Popular ground rail: Cross the bamboo sea and check out "Jiming Village" and the Panda Pavilion. First Peak of Wu and Yue: Take the cable car to the top and overlook the bamboo sea. Bamboo Culture Park: Learn about bamboo art production. 3. Yushui Hot Spring (adjacent to Nanshan Bamboo Sea) Tickets: From CNY 198, including a variety of bubble pools (recommended Zhujian Hot Spring). Tips: Soak in the hot springs in the evening and enjoy the sunset over the bamboo forest. 4. Tianmu Lake Water World (summer only) Tickets: CNY 150, with rafting, slides and other water projects. IV. Itinerary Suggestions One-day tour (compact version) Morning: Landscape Garden (cruise + Longxing Island + Tea Island) Afternoon: Nanshan Bamboo Sea (ground rail + cable car) Evening: Return trip Two-day tour (recommended) Day 1: Landscape Garden + Water World (summer) / Lakeside cycling → Overnight stay in Tianmu Lake Day 2: Nanshan Bamboo Sea + Yushui Hot Spring → Return trip Three-day tour (in-depth experience) Day 3: Surrounding tours (Liyang Museum, Wawu Mountain, Pingqiao Stone Dam, etc.) V. Accommodation Recommendations High-end vacation: Tianmu Lake Hantian Resort (lake view room + private hot spring) Yushui Hot Spring Resort Hotel (direct access to hot springs) Value for money choice: Tianmu Lake Hotel, surrounding B&Bs (CNY 200-400/night) VI. Food Check-in Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head: Must eat! Recommended "Millennium Big Fish King" or "Zhu Shuncai Fish Head". Liyang Sanbai: White Celery, White Tea, White Fish. Farmhouse dishes: Black glutinous rice, Zagan, Dried Bamboo Shoots with Braised Pork. Recommended restaurants: Yushui Yao, Zhen Wei Tang. VII. Precautions Purchase tickets in advance: Scenic spot joint tickets (Landscape Garden + Nanshan Bamboo Sea + Hot Spring) are more cost-effective. Cruise time: The last cruise of Landscape Garden is about 16:30, pay attention to planning your time. Wearing: It is recommended to wear sneakers for hiking in Nanshan Bamboo Sea, and bring sunscreen equipment in summer. Hot spring essentials: swimsuit, mobile phone waterproof bag, bathrobe can be rented in the scenic area. I wish you a healing journey of nature and hot springs in Tianmu Lake! 🌿🚣♀🎋