When I got to Nanjing just over two months ago, the first place my boss suggested I go to was Xuanwu Hu, not only because it’s beautiful but also because it’s close to where I live. In fact, when you go there, especially if you go by way of Hunan Road and you’re a newbie like me, you’ll likely be surprised to find this tranquil oasis hidden in the middle of bustling Nanjing.
As someone who lives downtown, I certainly didn’t expect to find open skies, a vast body of water and green nature minutes away from home on the 23rd floor of a commercial/residential block. I mean, I was used to waking up and looking out at a view so busy that it was almost suffocating. Directly facing me is a skyscraper, towering over a crowd of gray buildings not too small in size themselves. To put my sense of disorientation in context, I had just moved from Bordeaux, France, where the sky is sometimes as blue as the Haier mascot and often the tallest buildings you see are Medieval bell towers (and there aren’t many of them).
So, when I decided to drop by Xuanwu Lake on a lazy afternoon, I was happy to come just in time to catch the sunset. After passing through the ever-busy Hunan Road and a fascinating cluster of tofu, baozi and bin stalls, I was met with a scene that reminded me a little of suburban America: wide streets, a green park, a coffee shop and restaurants. I felt lost. Then I walked further, past more restaurants and some tourism shops, to be greeted by a very imposing GATE. After passing through, I found something that made my eyes bulge: almost a little slice of paradise.
After paying a fare of 20 RMB, I walked towards an island (Xuanwu Hu Park) where I discovered a rose garden, a really old gingko tree, tree-lined paths that border the lake, a zoo, more gardens… The place was mostly occupied by elderly people, joggers, bikers and students doing military training. As I sat down on a wooden bench right in front of Xuanwu Hu, I looked up and admired the skyline. While you can’t get away from the eternal rhythm of nail and hammer and firecrackers you seem to hear everywhere in downtown Nanjing, they are much softer and, that day, I was lucky enough to hear an old man singing popular Chinese songs into a microphone, accompanied by background music emanating from a boom box (his performance was so impressive I thought I was listening to the radio at first). Seeing the round red sun set amongst the tall buildings in the distance, with a lone traditional pagoda making its reverable appearance, I felt like I had discovered the first Nanjing treasure the cheesy tourist inside of me had been yearning for. While I circled most of the park, I don’t think I enjoyed anything more than just sitting there on that bench, listening to that free concert, letting go and watching the sun go down.
I think, on a nice day, the spacious green lawn where there’s an elaborate floral dragon sculpture, might be a nice place to sit and have a picnic (if that’s authorized) with friends and/or family. Otherwise, if you have a bike or just want to go for a brisk walk or nice jog, this would be a good place to wind down. For those of you who might want to lay it even a bit more low, paddle boats and golf carts are available as alternative means of transportation.
