Morning at Moon Lake Park | Jiangnan Garden Through the Seasons

Staying near Moon Lake Park, the first thing I do in the morning is take a walk around the park. This free Ningbo city park has a long history, and there is even a saying that "half of Ningbo's history is at Moon Lake." Moon Lake was dug in the Tang Dynasty (636), and the ten islands of Moon Lake were built in the Song Dynasty. In the Southern Song Dynasty, pavilions and towers were built, and flowers and trees were planted, forming the ten islands of Moon Lake. These ten islands are: Zhuyu, Yue Island, and Chrysanthemum Island in the east of the lake, Huayu, Zhuzhou, Liuting, and Fragrant Grass Island in the lake, and Yanyu, Xueting, and Hibiscus Island in the west of the lake. In addition, there are three dikes and seven bridges. Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Moon Lake has been the academic center of eastern Zhejiang, a place for scholars and poets to gather. The great poet of the Tang Dynasty, He Zhizhang, the famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi, the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, Shi Hao, the famous scholar of the Song Dynasty, Yang Jian, and the great historian of the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, Wan Sitong, all lived, lectured, served as officials, or wrote books at Moon Lake, leaving a rich cultural heritage for the city of Ningbo. Moon Lake Park in winter seems to gather all the seasons of the year. The fresh air with a hint of coldness is winter, the green grass and trees are spring, the willows by the lake are summer, and the redwoods and golden ginkgo trees are autumn. The garden scenery of Moon Lake is undoubtedly the best in Ningbo. In addition to the natural scenery, Moon Lake also has many cultural attractions, such as Moon Lake Bridge, Huaguoyuan Temple, Yang House, Wu Family Ancestral Hall, Goryeo Embassy Site, Buddhist Laymen's Forest, He Mijian Temple, Yintai Mansion, Yuan House, Huayu, Huxin Temple, Jiang House, Dafangyue Mansion, Fragrant Grass Island, Xu Family Ancestral Hall, Baokui Pavilion, Shi Hao's Former Residence, and other buildings built in different historical periods, scattered among the lake and trees of Moon Lake. Public transportation: Take Metro Line 1 or 2 to Gulou Station, and walk for five minutes to the north gate of the park. Take Metro Line 2 or 4 to Ningbo Railway Station, and walk for five minutes to the south gate of the park. There are many bus routes, and driving is also convenient. Opening hours & tickets: Open park, no closing time, but there are times to enter the various monuments. Admission is free, but you can pay to rent a small yellow duck pedal boat to tour the lake. The tour usually lasts from one hour to half a day. Nearby attractions: Tianyi Pavilion, Drum Tower, Tianyi Square, Sanjiangkou, Old Bund, Ningbo Museum, etc.