Summer vacation reverse travel, this small town Donghai in the East China Sea is truly a hidden gem and off the beaten path (with a guide)
When it comes to Jiangnan, everyone has almost worn out Suzhou, Yangzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou… This May Day trip, don’t want to be stuck in crowds? Come check out this hidden gem travel spot at the westernmost edge of Lianyungang 👀
📍 Donghai County, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province
This is the World Crystal Capital and the Chinese Hot Spring Town ♨️
【🚗 Transportation】
◽️ High-speed rail to Donghai County Station
◽️ Within 1.5 hours by car from Xuzhou and Huaian, about 4 hours from Nanjing and Shanghai
【🗺️ Two days one night itinerary】
Day 1: Arrive in the morning at Furu Donghai Hot Spring Hotel - rest and dine - afternoon at Lumo Mengmeng Parent-Child Park - Yushan - return to hotel to experience the hot springs
Day 2: Hotel - fishing - Crystal City - Museum - Intangible Cultural Heritage Carving Hall - Xishuang Lake - return trip
【📍 Check-in spots】
1️⃣ Donghai Crystal City
Crystal City is truly a paradise for beauty lovers, you might get dazzled 😏 It has Halls 1, 2, and 3 and the Crystal Market Square. On days with 4️⃣ and 9️⃣, there is a big crystal market at the square, which is very lively 🔥 Also great for beginners to shop for treasures
2️⃣ Donghai Crystal Museum & Intangible Cultural Heritage Carving Hall
Both are free to enter 🆓 just show your ID card 🆔
The Masterpiece Hall and Donghai Boutique Hall in the Crystal Museum are definitely worth a visit, all so beautiful you’ll want to take them home 💎
⚠️ Closed on Mondays, don’t go empty-handed
Most exquisite carvings in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Carving Hall are on the second floor, stunningly beautiful, you won’t be able to look away 👀
3️⃣ Donghai Jigao Lumo Mengmeng Park
A high-value dreamlike park, perfect for taking amazing photos 📷
You’ll find the Yoyolu Ming Tower, indoor water park, crystal bath cave maze, science museum, Diamond Flower slide 🛝, 5D cinema, rapid chase… both indoor and outdoor attractions, kids can happily play here all day 🎉
4️⃣ Yushan Scenic Area (Gunyu Cultural Area)
The Zhuangyuan Gate and Huanglong Sky Ladder are great photo spots 📷 The Yushan Literature Museum deeply conveys the epic story of the two generations of water control heroes Gun and Yu working together to write the history of disaster resistance in China! In the evening, climb Yushan to overlook the Yushan Reservoir and the sunset glow opposite, it’s breathtakingly beautiful 🌄
5️⃣ Xiaosongyuan
The number one hot spring in East China ♨️ It is a natural underground self-flowing spring with an 82-degree water temperature, the only fluorosilicate-type hot mineral spring in East China 💦 Come here on weekends to soak away your fatigue, relax your body and mind, and your complexion will improve too 👍
There are three themed soaking areas: garden, Japanese style, and crystal zone, a great place for health and relaxation ❗️
【🏨 Accommodation and dining】
We stayed at Furu Donghai Hot Spring Hotel 🏨, right in the hot spring town, just 2 minutes back to the hotel after soaking in Xiaosongyuan at night. The family room is very nice, themed with animated characters, equipped with children’s toys and toiletries, all complete 👍 From the windowsill, you can see the scenic lake and fishing center, full of beautiful views 🍃 The hotel uses all hot spring water, and the complimentary water is local Yushan Crystal Spring mountain water 💦 The hotel also offers free shuttle buses to and from the high-speed rail station and Crystal City (available before May 5th!) Very thoughtful 👍
When I visited, I caught the Donghai Cultural Tourism Experience Officer event and received a gift, super happy 🥳
For dining, we ate at the nearby Junlan Hot Spring Hotel, where the dishes, service, and environment were all top-notch 🤤
【🔖 Travel tips】
✅ Crystal City, Museum, Intangible Cultural Heritage Carving Hall, and Xishuang Lake are very close and can be visited together. There is also an armor wearing and selling center in Crystal City, ladies can go shopping too 💅
✅ Next to Furu Donghai Hotel, there are Jiulonghui Night Market and Hot Spring Water Culture Exhibition Hall to check out 🤳
✅ It’s harder to get a taxi around Yushan and the hotel, remember to book in advance 🚗
✅ Xishuang Lake has the same Wutong Avenue as Nanjing, and during May Day there are “Dragon King Groom” and “Dragon Palace Parade” events, don’t miss them!
Not sure where to go for summer vacation and don’t want crowds? Come here quickly!
I like it very much. I come here every year. There are swimming pools, hot springs, and sand pools. It is a good place to save money. Hahahaha. And the evening session is very cost-effective. You can enter the venue when the sun is about to set. After playing in the pool for a while, you can go to the hot spring. It's so comfortable.
The place is very big. You must wear a swimming cap in the cold pool. The beach is very nice and the children can play with sand by the pool. After playing in the cold pool, go to the hot spring. Don't be too comfortable. Love it. I will come again in winter!
In winter, the hotel rooms are heated, very warm. There are shuttle buses if you go out a little further. On the right is 🫱Yangzhou Banquet, 🫲Quyuan (a little further), opposite the Slender West Lake, the geographical location is unique. The staff is very responsible and polite. It is nice to soak in hot springs in winter.
I grabbed a parent-child room package at a special price on the live broadcast. For less than 600 yuan, I got two tickets to the Slender West Lake, including unlimited use of hot springs. The resort is opposite the Slender West Lake, and it is quite large with battery cars for pick-up. I stayed in the parent-child room in Building 4, which has a small courtyard and an open-air hot spring pool. The room is relatively spacious, with children's play facilities occupying half of the space. There is only one chair without a sofa or coffee table, which is not very convenient. There is one in the yard, but it is too cold. The hot spring pool can be filled with water and heated once for free, and the housekeeper is on call. The hygiene is very good, and the bath towels, towels, slippers, etc. are disinfected and packaged separately, which is very safe to use. Hot milk will be delivered to the room at a specified time before going to bed. Building 4 has a direct passage to the hot spring area, so you can change into a swimsuit and go directly there without being too cold. It happened to be the first snow in Yangzhou, and it felt great to soak in the hot spring while watching the snow scene. The breakfast was average, mainly Chinese, with steamed buns, wonton noodles, etc.
I came to Yangzhou during the Spring Festival. The temperature was not too cold and there were no fewer visitors in the park. At that time, many flowers were blooming, probably plum blossoms or peach blossoms, which attracted many photography enthusiasts. The basic structure of Slender West Lake was formed during the Kangxi and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty. It is known as "the most prosperous garden in the world", so I also came here because of its reputation.
When I first came to Yangzhou, I heard that Yangzhou hot springs are famous. Where do hot springs come from in Yangzhou, which is located in a plain? I came here with full of doubts. Staff member Xie Huang patiently introduced it to me and took us to visit our popular check-in spot. It turns out that the hot spring water here comes from more than 2,000 meters underground. The hot spring water is smooth and silky, with a hint of saltiness. It's really good. The environment here is beautiful. I didn't expect that there is such a resort hotel so close to the center of Yangzhou. The environment is first-class and the service is also caring and warm. Here I would like to specially praise the two handsome guys in the swimming pool, Xie Huang Crab Yellow, which not only tastes delicious but also looks good.
I'm here, I'm here, I'm almost a loyal fan of the resort. After taking a hot spring bath, I feel especially fragrant when I go home to sleep at night, and my skin is smooth. Now one ticket can not only take a hot spring bath, but also swim. One ticket can enjoy multiple benefits, and the cost performance is really amazing. Although the little fairy was sweating profusely, he still served us enthusiastically. The little fairy was very shy, and his eyes narrowed slightly when he smiled. I love it. Today I experienced tea tasting. Just because of this study activity, the little guys are clamoring to come every weekend. The study activities are really thoughtful, different every week, and interspersed with Yangzhou traditional culture, nature, social sciences, and hands-on classes. The children really love it, and they have to come again next week when they are free. The little guys are a little unhappy that I didn't see Brother Tang Xiaoguaner today. I hope that Brother Xiaoguaner can bring everyone to do activities together next time.
[Transportation] The geographical location is excellent. You can reach the East Gate of Slender West Lake right outside the door. There is also Yangzhou Banquet next to it. It is not far from the city center and Dongguan Street. It takes about 10 minutes to get there by taxi! [Scenery] The scenery of Slender West Lake Hot Spring is refreshing. While soaking in the hot spring, you can also enjoy the surrounding scenery! [Fun] There are hot spring pools with various forms and functions, hot pot pools, mahjong pools... and fish therapy. The numbness of the little fish biting your feet is very interesting! !