Who understands! Slacking off all day at Dongqian Lake, my WeChat Moments got bombarded with 800 questions…

Fam, I used to always scroll past the “Little Erhai substitute,” and I refused it! Until last week when my bestie dragged me to Dongqian Lake in Ningbo, and I was immediately pinned down by the lake for a crazy photo shoot—this is no substitute! It’s clearly the “Erhai plus version,” fewer people, beautiful scenery, and no tourist traps. For us working folks, a weekend rush here is just perfect! 🚗 Transportation: Don’t foolishly drive! Locals all go this way - The best choice from downtown is Metro Line 4 transferring to Bus 906, 1 hour straight to the core area. Parking fee? Doesn’t exist! - Want to be lazy? Just take a ride-hailing car. It costs about 50 yuan from downtown, saving you 10086 times the time of driving and hunting for parking (don’t ask how I know, last time I circled the lake looking for parking and missed the sunset, cried my eyes out) - Strongly recommend renting an electric scooter by the lake! 30 yuan/hour, breeze blowing as you circle the lake, easier than walking, freer than taking a taxi, and you can stop roadside anytime to shoot amazing photos~ 📸 Check-in spots: Avoid the crowds! These 3 spots are my secret stash 1. Limin Village · Xiaoputuo Branch Line Don’t squeeze into the main scenic area! Walk 5 minutes along the lake from Limin Village entrance, there’s a “lonely cedar forest” 🌲. On sunny days, the lake surface is like a mirror, photos come out with a “Japanese movie vibe.” I took 200 shots here, my phone storage was running out! 2. Hanling Old Street · Corner Coffee House Don’t just stroll the main street of the old town! Turn into the “Miaogouhou” alley, there’s a shop called “Lake and Coffee.” The second-floor terrace overlooks the whole lake view ☕. Order a coconut latte with Ningbo small glutinous rice balls, slack off all afternoon, so comfy I wanted to quit my job! 3. Yinwan Village · Sunset Pier Don’t go to the popular spots for sunset! Navigate to “Yinwan Village Pier,” there’s an abandoned old shipyard. When the sunset dyes the lake orange, standing by the shipyard to shoot, your WeChat Moments will be flooded with “Are you abroad?” 🌅 (Secretly, there are so few people here you can enjoy the whole sunset alone) 🍜 Food: Don’t eat at the scenic area restaurants! Local recommended hidden gems - Old Ningbo Noodle Shop: At the exit of Hanling Old Street, 18 yuan a bowl of pickled vegetable yellow croaker noodles. The yellow croaker is so fresh it’ll make your eyebrows fall off, 10 times tastier than the 38 yuan “tourist noodles” in the scenic area! - Lakeside Food Stalls: Look for “Grandma’s BBQ,” grilled corn sprinkled with Ningbo’s unique preserved mustard greens, the sweet and salty taste is amazing! 50 yuan per person to eat until full, and you can enjoy the lake view while eating~ 💡 Pitfall warnings: I’ve stepped on these for you! - Don’t buy “Dongqian Lake specialties” at the scenic area entrance! Expensive and not fresh, you can buy them at downtown supermarkets. Isn’t it better to save money and buy a cup of coffee? - Wear light-colored clothes! The lake is windy, don’t wear short skirts (don’t ask, my friend’s skirt was blown into a trumpet shape, total social death on the spot) - Go early on weekends! Before 10 AM the lake has the fewest people, after 12 PM tourists increase. If you want to shoot “empty scene masterpieces,” you must get there early~ To sum up: Dongqian Lake is not a “Little Erhai,” it’s a unique “Ningbo romance.” No need for complicated plans, just bring your phone and appetite, and slacking off all day is pure joy! If you go, you must try sitting by the lake watching the clouds drift by. That healing feeling is 100 times happier than working overtime~