[2025 Yueyang Attraction] Travel Guide for Baling Square (Updated Apr)

🌅 "Dongting Lake's water is the best under heaven, and Yueyang Tower is the best under heaven." Yueyang in April is like a spring painting meticulously crafted by nature, with every corner exuding captivating charm. This April, why not embark on a romantic spring journey to Yueyang? 🎈 Reasons to visit Yueyang: Yueyang, this ancient city of Baling with over 2,500 years of history, boasts famous towers, waters, mountains, figures, and literature. It's a beautiful and fertile land of fish and rice by Dongting Lake, the place where "Memorial to Yueyang Tower" is recited by generations, where the patriotic poet Qu Yuan wandered and where his soul returned, and a destination explored by "A Bite of China." It's a place rich in history and culture, with intoxicating natural scenery, definitely worth a visit. 📜 Origin of the name: According to Wang Xiangzhi's "Yudi Jisheng": "Mufu is also called Tianyue, and the prefecture is located on its sunny side, hence the name Yueyang." Mufushan Mountain was anciently known as Tianyue Mountain, and Yueyang's administrative center is located south of Tianyue Mountain. The south of the mountain is considered the yang (sunny side), hence the name Yueyang. Yueyang was anciently called "Baling" and "Yuezhou." Legend has it that Hou Yi slayed the Bashe serpent at Baqiu, and its bones piled up to form a mound, hence the name "Baling." 🌳 Best time to visit: April in Yueyang offers pleasant temperatures, neither too cold nor too hot, making it the perfect time for everything to revive and flowers to bloom. During this time, Yueyang's natural scenery is particularly enchanting, ideal for outings. 📅 Three-day itinerary: Day 1: In the morning, visit Yueyang Tower and experience the sentiment of "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures." Ascend the tower to overlook the vast Dongting Lake. At noon, savor various local delicacies at Bianhe Street and experience the charm of the ancient street. In the afternoon, go to Baling Square to admire the beauty of Dongting Lake and the spectacular sculpture of Hou Yi slaying the Bashe serpent. In the evening, stroll along Dongting South Road, appreciating the ancient streets bathed in the sunset glow and experiencing Yueyang's historical charm. Day 2: In the morning, arrive at Nanhu Square, stroll along the lakeside path, enjoy the fresh air and gentle breeze, and experience water amusement activities. Then, head to the Yueyang Museum to learn about the city's history and cultural development. In the afternoon, visit the Yueyang Art Museum to appreciate art pieces. In the evening, take a walk in Wangjiahe Park and enjoy the tranquility of the night. Day 3: In the morning, head to Piaowei, a hidden gem and romantic spot perfect for watching the sunset, with a high chance of capturing stunning photos. After a simple lunch, visit the Church College to experience its unique architectural style and historical atmosphere. Then, proceed to Sheng'an Ancient Temple to find peace of mind in this temple with flourishing incense. Finally, visit the China Giant Panda Garden for a close encounter with adorable giant pandas. 🏠 Accommodation and attire: It's recommended to stay near the pedestrian street, which is located in the city center, offering convenient transportation, numerous food stalls, and a lively atmosphere at night. The temperature in Yueyang in April is moderate, so you can choose light and comfortable spring clothing, such as shirts, light jackets, and jeans. Bring a thin sweater or hoodie for temperature differences between morning and evening. Remember to wear comfortable sneakers for easy sightseeing. 📸 Best photo spots: Yueyang Tower: Standing on the tower, you can overlook Dongting Lake, making it a perfect backdrop for photos. Dongting Lake: Capture the picturesque scenery while cruising on the lake. The sunset over Dongting Lake is particularly breathtaking. Piaowei: At sunset, the golden sunlight casts a magical glow on the water and beach, making every shot a masterpiece. China Giant Panda Garden: Take some photos with the adorable giant pandas and capture their charming demeanor. 💕 Yueyang in April offers both historical depth and spring romance. Here, you can slow down and experience the unique charm of this city. I hope this travel guide helps you have a wonderful trip to Yueyang and create unforgettable memories.

I was very happy to come to Yueyang to watch the sunset during the New Year's Day holiday. Traveling in the opposite direction, there was no traffic jam and no queue. However, the haze really spoiled the scenery, so I could only become a high-saturation warrior and take some photos. 🎡Itinerary: If you just want to check in at the core attractions and watch the sunset, one day is enough! 8:30 Depart from Hankou Station, 10:00 Arrive at Yueyang East Station 10:30 Take a taxi to Yueyang Tower, you can visit Yueyang Tower—Baling Square—Dongting South Road together 12:00 Take a taxi to lunch 2:00 Take a taxi to St. Anne's Church—Walk to the former site of the church school—Take bus No. 21 to Piaowei—Take bus No. 21 back to Dongting South Road to watch the sunset 17:30 Go to dinner 19:12 Return to Wuchang Station from Yueyang Station 🚄Transportation: It is recommended to choose Yueyang Station, as Yueyang East Station is far from the urban area. 🍜Food: 1. Yueyang's cuisine is mainly Hunan cuisine. We avoided internet-famous restaurants and chose to eat at a small restaurant called "Ji Pangzi Kouwei Caiguan" hidden in a residential building. The three dishes we ordered were all delicious, recommended! 2. For snacks, we tried the local rice noodles and doupi (soybean skin roll), both of which were good. Doupi is different from the doupi in Wuhan. The outer skin is crispier. 🏠Accommodation: We made a day trip. If you want to stay overnight, it is recommended to choose a hotel near Yueyang Tower, which is convenient to go anywhere. 📃Ps: 1. If you want to watch the sunset, be sure to check the weather in Yueyang on that day and the sunset time. If time is not enough, you can skip Piaowei and watch it on Dongting South Road; 2. The former site of the church school is just an abandoned old school. If you don't take photos, you can skip this attraction.

Yueyang｜Citywalk One Day🚶🏼‍♀️ 🚏Leisure Route: Yueyang Tower - Dongting Lake - Bianhe Street - Baling Square - Dongting South Road 🚶🏼‍♀️Yueyang Tower Known as the 'First Tower under Heaven,' it is one of the three famous towers in the south of the Yangtze River, along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, and the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi. The ticket price is 70💰 for adults and 35💰 for students. Next to the ticket office is a pavilion where you can recite the 'Yueyang Tower Essay' to get free admission (if you really can't recite it🤣). The scenic area is not very large, and from the top of Yueyang Tower, you can have a panoramic view of Junshan and Dongting Lake. There is a row of red walls outside, which is very suitable for taking photos. You can also take photos of the Yueyang sign and Yueyang Tower at the bus stop. Scenic Route: Five Dynasties Tower View → Shuanggong Temple → Yueyang Tower → Xianmei Pavilion → Sanzui Pavilion → Huaifu Pavilion → Xiao Qiao's Tomb 🚶🏼‍♀️Dongting Lake The lake light and autumn moon are in harmony, the surface of the lake is like an unpolished mirror. Looking at the distant Dongting, the mountains and waters are green, like a green snail in a silver plate. —— Liu Yuxi, Tang Dynasty, 'Looking at Dongting'. Half of Yueyang's romance is in the sunset of Dongting Lake❕❕ 🚶🏼‍♀️Bianhe Street Bianhe Street is a commercial ancient street, somewhat similar to Hubu Alley, located between Baling Square and Yueyang Tower Scenic Area. It mainly consists of small shops for dining and selling souvenirs. There are many people, rich in cultural atmosphere, and the souvenirs are very expensive‼️ 🚶🏼‍♀️Baling Square The 'Houyi Shooting the Bashe' sculpture is a landmark building in Yueyang and one of the best spots to watch the sunset🌄. The square is very large, next to Dongting Lake, and is very lively in the evening with dancing, singing, and various stalls. It is a great place to watch the sunset by the lake, the sunset over the city tower is absolutely beautiful, and the evening glow is picturesque. 🚶🏼‍♀️Dongting South Road First, have a cup of Cha Yan Yue Se, then walk into many shops at the intersection to find Dongting South Road. Looking at Dongting Lake from the archway really feels like looking at the sea, especially beautiful, the best spot for sunset🌄. Opposite is a wall with the word 'Yueyang' written on it, where many people queue up to take photos📷. 🥘Food: Cha Yan Yue Se🥤, Yueyang Barbecue🍖

Tour route 1. Yueyang Tower-Dongting Lake-Baling Square Yueyang Tower: One of the three famous towers in Jiangnan, it is majestic and unique in style. Climb up the Yueyang Tower and overlook the beautiful scenery of Dongting Lake. Dongting Lake: The second largest freshwater lake in China, with vast water and magnificent scenery. From May to September every year, the lake water rises, and you can enjoy landscapes such as lotus flowers and reeds. Baling Square: One of the most prosperous places in Yueyang, the square is magnificent and surrounded by sparse forests and grasslands. Food recommendations Junshan Shrimp Cake: Made from Dongting Lake fresh shrimp, it is golden in color and crispy in texture. Yueyang late-night snacks: BBQ flavored shrimps and various fish come to Yueyang. These late-night snacks are definitely worth checking out! Dongting has water all over the world, and Yueyang Tower has all the world. This is a very suitable place for you to travel and check out delicious food in Yueyang. 🥰

It's another weekend, and it's the New Year's Day holiday of 2024. I decided to take a walk to the Yueyang Tower next door. Starting from Tianmen, Hubei, the entire journey takes 2 hours on the highway. Day 1: We had originally planned to set off early on the 30th, but we ran into the worst fog in the country for the past year, so we were delayed until about 10:30 in the morning. We drove directly to the Dongting Lake (1, 2, 3, 4 pictures), walked around, and then found a restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, we went straight to Dongting Lake Town. There was no entrance fee, but there was an outdoor playground for children inside, which required an additional fee to enter. The main focus is walking, taking photos and checking in. The theme changes every month. The pumpkin-themed photos taken by others before were so beautiful. When we went there, it had changed to a New Year theme, which felt average. There is a folk museum inside, and the children learned paper cutting here. (Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). After touring the town, we set out for Yueyang Tower. It was already dark by then, so we didn’t get to see the Yueyang Tower. Instead, we started strolling around Bian Street, eating and shopping along the way until we arrived at Baling Square. There were fireworks and sky lanterns being set off by the lake. Luckily I was able to walk in and watch. I also bought some fireworks and sky lanterns to set off myself. I enjoyed the scenery for an hour or two and was reluctant to go back. It was a romantic moment that you can only encounter once in a while. Finally, we went back to the B&B, ordered some Yueyang barbecue, and drank some beer to end a wonderful day. (Figures 11, 12, 13, 14) Day 2: After breakfast the next day, we originally planned to go to the Flower Language World to feed the animals. However, halfway through the journey, there was a severe traffic jam. We saw many cars turning around, so we turned around too. So we went to the Sheng'an Ancient Temple which we missed yesterday, burned incense and worshipped Buddha. We kept climbing the mountain but still didn't reach the top. The kids were upset because they didn't see the animals and didn't want to go up. After we hurriedly finished, we went to Zhangguying Ancient Village which was 1.5 hours away. Tickets are affordable at 23 yuan each. The small village is surrounded by mountains and is close to the water. It is very interesting to follow the tour guide and listen to the ancient stories and the significance of the buildings. The dinner was neither good nor bad. We just found a restaurant in the village and sat by the river to eat. Then we went home and ended our two-day and one-night trip to Yueyang. The schedule for this trip was tight and I didn’t have time to see the ten giant pandas that had just opened. I will go there again next time I have the chance.

Baling Square is located next to Yueyang Tower and close to Dongting Lake. The square is named after the ancient name of Yueyang "Baling". It is one of the city's landmarks and a place not to be missed when visiting Yueyang city. On the north side of the square is Zhanyue Gate. It is said that it used to be the south gate of Yueyang. It is antique and majestic. The most famous sculpture in the square is "Hou Yi beheading the Ba Snake". Legend has it that Hou Yi once killed the giant python "Ba Snake" by the Dongting Lake. The bones of the Ba Snake were piled up into hills, which is where the name "Ba Ling" comes from. After seeing the cultural and historical sites on the square, you can go for a walk by Dongting Lake. The 800-mile Dongting stretches as far as the eye can see, with sky and water connected; or you can sit by the lake and enjoy the sunset quietly; you can also go shopping on Bianhe Street, which is an antique street. In the commercial street, there are scenery and buildings in the scenery; there is also an ancient pagoda, Cishi Pagoda, on the south side of the square, which is one of the "Baling Scenic Spots". Since the surrounding area is under maintenance and repair, I just watched it from a distance.