Chenzhou Zixing | Encountering the Morning Mist of Dongjiang Lake in the Forest

On the second night in Zixing, we went into the forest. There were two red brick houses in Tian'e Mountain Forest Park, which looked quite old. Tall bougainvillea hung down from the edge of the building, like a waterfall. Fleshy ferns grew out of the cracks in the walls, which I envied a lot. Because it’s by the lake, it’s moist and warm here, so the plants grow lush and wild. We stayed in a two-bedroom house, with bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms upstairs and downstairs, and a large terrace on the second floor. On days when cold air was moving south, we basked in the sun on the bright terrace, and the dogs were very happy. Between the two buildings, there were several tall trees. The manager placed tables and chairs under the trees, grilling oranges and peeling sunflower seeds. Slowly, the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes 🍠 wafted nearby. The water here is still Dongjiang Lake, but the water is bluer than the wider downstream part of Dongjiang Lake. There are also steps leading into the water, where you can row boats and play in the water, but after many days without rain, the water level has clearly dropped. The water surface is more than a meter below the steps. The dogs went down to check several times, but still thought it was a bit high, so they gave up. Quiet and oxygen-rich, the sleep was good. The next day, waking up early, we found wisps of mist forming over the lake. The famous morning mist of Xiao Dongjiang usually only appears in summer, so seeing the morning mist was quite a surprise.