A One-Day Tour in Xuzhou
I went to Lianyungang with my family. We initially bought a sleeper ticket from Zhengzhou directly to Lianyungang, but both times the train was canceled due to heavy rain, which made the child very unhappy. So, we decided to buy tickets in segments: first from Zhengzhou to Xuzhou, and then from Xuzhou to Lianyungang. Because of this stopover in Xuzhou, we had a very good impression of the city. On our return trip, we also bought tickets in segments: from Lianyungang to Xuzhou, stayed in Xuzhou for a day, and then returned to our home in Zhengzhou. This is how we ended up with a one-day tour in Xuzhou.
Let's talk about Xuzhou first. The reason we decided to stay in Xuzhou was because of Xuzhou Station, which left a very good impression on me. It was very considerate. Xuzhou Station is the first station I've seen where you can sit and wait for the train while charging your phone for free. Some seats have free charging by scanning a QR code, which made us have a good impression of this culturally rich city. The rest of the trip did not disappoint us either. The overall cost in Xuzhou is not high, and almost all national scenic spots are free. The city has a rich historical and cultural heritage, making it very worth visiting!
We arrived in Xuzhou by train at night and went to the hotel we had booked in advance (near Xuzhou Station, convenient for the return trip). After checking in and charging our phones, we took a taxi to a popular barbecue restaurant. The meal for two adults and two children cost 120 yuan (I asked several Xuzhou drivers about barbecue, and they all said to choose a nearby place. The taste of barbecue in Xuzhou is almost never bad. Many people from other places make plans in advance to choose popular restaurants, but it's really unnecessary). After dinner, we went back to the hotel to rest and recharge for the next day's activities!
After a night's rest, we woke up naturally the next day (since we had children with us, we didn't want to rush). We had the hotel's breakfast buffet and then took a taxi to our first stop: Baolian Temple.
Baolian Temple is relatively close to Xuzhou East Station. Since we bought tickets for Xuzhou Station, we took a taxi in the morning, which cost only a dozen yuan. The driver told us that Baolian Temple was expanded in recent years. There are many tourists nearby, making parking difficult and traffic jams severe (if you don't plan to burn incense and pray, you can go in the afternoon when there are fewer people). The mountain gate of Baolian Temple is very grand, with no entrance fee or reservation required. You can go directly in, and each person can get three free incense sticks (actually, you can get free incense at the entrance of each hall). Inside, there is the largest Mahavira Hall in the country and the tallest indoor Buddha statue in the country, which is truly impressive! The Tongtian Pavilion is very photogenic, and those who like photography or taking pictures can take some great shots. After the tour, we originally planned to have a bowl of vegetarian noodles (very famous, 15 yuan per bowl, you need to eat it in advance or in the afternoon), but it was lunchtime, and we were number 593 in line, while they were only serving up to number 200, so we gave up.
Our second stop was Huilongwo. (Taxis can enter and wait near Baolian Temple, but ride-hailing cars are often refused. I called two ride-hailing cars, both of which were rejected. Finally, I called a taxi and found out that there is an inspection near Baolian Temple. If caught without an operating license, the fine is 10,000 yuan. Of course, it's not impossible to get a ride-hailing car, it depends on the driver.) Huilongwo is very photogenic, with many people taking pictures in ancient costumes. I don't like taking pictures much, so I quickly toured and went to the opposite Hubushan (Hubushan sounds like a mountain, but its altitude is relatively low). We had some food in Hubushan, didn't explore much because of the children, and then went to Ximatai (actually, there are several large courtyards in Hubushan, which are very good. If you have enough energy, you can visit them all). Ximatai is not very large, and we finished the tour in less than an hour. Then we took a taxi to Yunlong Mountain (opposite Yunlong Mountain is the Xuzhou Museum, but since we visited on a Monday, it was closed. We perfectly missed the Xuzhou Museum, which is said to be hard to book).
Third stop: Yunlong Mountain. Yunlong Mountain has a low altitude, and we walked up the mountain directly. It took about 40 minutes to reach the viewing platform (with a child). From the viewing platform, you can overlook the entire Xuzhou. Then we thought about taking a boat on Yunlong Lake, so we bought a cable car ticket directly to Yunlong Lake. The adult ticket was 40 yuan, and the child ticket was half price. However, when we went to queue, we found that there were too many people. Each cable car can seat two people, and after roughly estimating the waiting time, we decided to refund the tickets and walked back down the mountain. Since we had to catch another train in the evening, we took a taxi back to the hotel, thus ending our one-day trip.
Overall, Xuzhou left a very good impression on me. With a permanent population of over 9 million, it is a transportation hub. Compared to Zhengzhou, the cost of living is indeed much lower. We relied on taxis for our one-day trip, which was very cost-effective. The food was not expensive, and the hotel we booked in advance was also very affordable. Most of the scenic spots in Xuzhou are free, which is great! I must mention Xuzhou Station again, with free charging seats, which is very considerate and convenient for business travelers. This should be promoted nationwide.
Xuzhou is great. If you have two days, it would be even better. The scenic spots are relatively concentrated, and adults can completely rely on walking. Xuzhou is suitable for young people to eat, drink, and have fun, with low costs and free scenic spots.