99% of Changsha residents don't know about Wanzhou Island, a fantastic winter camping spot!
99% of Changsha residents don't know about Wanzhou Island, a fantastic winter camping spot!
Wanzhou Island, located at the southwest end of Longchuan Town, Lukou District, Zhuzhou City, is 1,800 meters long and 800 meters wide, adjacent to Hengdong County. It is not only the largest river island in Zhuzhou, but also one of the four largest islands in the Xiangjiang River.
🛤️Wanzhou Island was featured in the third season of *Aerial China* and mentioned in *Traveling with Tang Poems*. Back then, Du Fu, in his later years, set foot on this river island in the Xiangjiang River, moored his boat ashore, and wrote the poem *Ci Wanzhou*. This adds a touch of poetry to our camping trip and makes the journey full of anticipation.
🚘It takes less than 2 hours to get there from Changsha. You may have missed the spring rapeseed flowers, but you can't miss the reed flowers by the river. In early winter, we camped on this island, ate hot pot, had barbecues, watched the sunrise, and enjoyed the joy of camping. It was a wonderful memory for all of us.
📍To get to Wanzhou Village from Longtan Lake Wharf, you need to drive from the wharf on the Hengdong side. Although there is also a wharf in Shenshan Village, Zhuzhou, cars cannot be ferried across. The ferry fee is CNY10 per car, and CNY20 for a round trip.
🌳After arriving on the island, you'll see the Xizhou Camphor Tree on the right. This camphor tree is 1,260 years old. When the poet Du Fu stayed on this island, he moored his boat to this tree. Stop by the Xiangjiang River under the big tree, make a pot of tea, chat with friends, and take a break. It's very relaxing.
🗾Go down the main road in the middle of the island, and go left through the woods and vegetable fields to reach the reed marshes. Walk through the reed flowers, and you'll see the river. Both the woods and the riverside are perfect for a relaxing daytime camping trip.
🏕️For camping on the island, we recommend the abandoned primary school. There are cement platforms, as well as water, electricity, and toilets. If you plan to camp here at night, just let the relevant personnel know in advance.
⛺️Jiahe Ferry is also a good choice for camping. There is a cement flat next to the ferry where you can barbecue, eat hot pot, light a bonfire, and park your car. You can set up tents in the grass nearby or on the cement platform above. There is also a cantaloupe base here, producing sweet and crisp cantaloupes for CNY10 per kg. Camping here, you can enjoy the beautiful sunrise in the morning and go fishing by the river at night. However, the downside is that there is a garbage station nearby, which may attract flies in the morning.
🌲Every second and seventh day of the lunar month is a market day on the island, which is very lively.
🗺️When the weather is fine in the morning, you can take your children to visit the abandoned primary school on the island. Afterwards, you can go to Shiwan Town for lunch. There is also Aozhou Island nearby, which also requires a ferry to reach. The island is rich in sweet oranges.
🫖If you are not in a hurry, we highly recommend going to the Xiangjiang South Hot Spring Resort for a relaxing hot spring bath to wash away your fatigue.
【Reference Itinerary】
⏺️Have lunch in Sanzhang Town, Hengdong County➡️Board the island and tour the Xizhou Camphor Tree➡️Stroll through the reed marshes➡️Camp at Jiahe Ferry and enjoy a barbecue and hot pot feast➡️Visit the abandoned primary school on the island the next morning➡️Have lunch in Shiwan Town and taste the local sesame seed cakes➡️Go to Xiangjiang South Hot Spring Resort for a hot spring bath➡️Embark on your return journey.