Avoid 90% of the Crowds | Nanjing Xuanwu Lake Cherry Blossom Viewing Guide

Avoid 90% of the Crowds | Nanjing Xuanwu Lake Cherry Blossom Viewing Guide 🌸 I. Time Selection with Reverse Thinking 1. Golden Off-Peak Periods Working days 7:00-8:30: The morning exercisers have just left the park, and the cleaning hasn't started yet. Enjoy the tranquility of the "Cherry Blossom Tunnel" (Liangzhou Section) covered in fallen petals. Friday after 18:30: When the night cherry blossom lights are on, couples and photographers have left, and the "Cherry Blossom Avenue" on the lake's heart island transforms into an open-air cinema. Every Wednesday afternoon: The scenic area implements the "odd-even license plate" policy (only vehicles with odd-numbered license plates can enter the park), reducing the number of visitors by 40%. 2. Unpopular Date Alert Avoid "March 21-23" (around the spring equinox) and "April 5-7" (Qingming Festival holiday). The density of people at various scenic spots during these two weeks is more than three times the usual. Be especially wary of the "last weekend of March." Due to the concentrated entry of Japanese tourists, the congestion index on Huanhu East Road is extremely high 🚗💨💨 🗺️ II. Map-Level Congestion Avoidance Routes 🚫 Ultimate No-Go Zones × Huanhu Road (from Heping Park to Jiefangmen): From a drone's perspective, it looks like a pink ocean, with an average distance between people of <0.5 meters. × Liangzhou "Cherry Blossom Avenue": This internet-famous spot is live-streamed 24/7. Sunglasses for strong light and noise-canceling headphones are recommended. ✅ Recommended Dark Horse Routes 1. Ming City Wall Secret Route (2 hours) Xuanwumen → Jiefangmen → Zhonghuamen City Wall Ruins → Taicheng Section Cherry Blossom Belt ✔️ Advantages: Overlooking the panoramic view from the high city wall with no one around, you might encounter girls in Hanfu sketching among the battlements. ✔️ Bonus: There are 10 century-old cherry trees in the "Jiangyan Garden" below the city gate tower, with petals in a translucent amber color. 2. Xuanwu Lane In-Depth Tour (1.5 hours) Enter from Hunan Road entrance → North along Xuanwu Lane → Pass through "Yihe Road Republican Villas" → Arrive at the northwest corner of Xuanwu Lake ✔️ Advantages: The entire asphalt path has no steps. There are 50 "Somei Yoshino" early cherry trees hidden near the former site of the Purple Mountain Observatory. 3. Inner Lake Ecological Route (3 hours) Take a boat from Shenwumen → Disembark at Cuizhou Pier → Walk to "Guanyu Pond" → Cross the reed marshes → Climb "Beiji Pavilion" ✔️ Advantages: The wooden boardwalk on the water has no railings, allowing close observation of koi pecking at fallen petals. ✔️ Hidden spot: On the small hill east of Beiji Pavilion, a telephoto lens can capture the effect of a Chinese-style ink painting with "cherry blossoms and ancient towers in the same frame."