Nanchang #3: Aixi Lake Wetland Park and Ganjiang River Stroll

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First things first breakfast. I was in the mood for some dumplings so ordered some Xiaolongbao (小笼包) and Shengjianbao (生煎包). I was a bit disappointed when they arrived and they were basically the same thing. The shengjianbao were just basic dumpling that had been pan fried in the bottom instead of the proper style, which are bready in texture instead of pastry like. The dumpling skin was also a bit too tough and chewy, so it took a while to eat them. At least dousing them with vinegar and chili oil made them more palatable. Once breakfast was done and my coffee was drunk, it was time to head out. I made my way to the subway station. I really like the neighbourhood I was staying in, it was a mishmash of newer and older buildings and gave a glimpse into normal day to day life.

I took the subway to Aixi Park East Station. It was about a ten minute walk to the entrance of the park. I spent a few hours enjoying the park. The weather was really nice and not too hazy. I started off by the lake and walked along side it for a while. I had a nice view across the water and liked the arc on the bridge as it made it stand out. I could also see the tall building in the city on the opposite bank of the river. While the area was quite built up, it definitely wasn't in the league of the mega cities of China with their wall to wall skyscrapers. I ventured away from the water and to the other side of the path. I came across some ponds that were filled with huge lotus leaves and the odd lotus flower. The bright pink flowers looked gorgeous against all the green so I spent a while taking photos of those. After a while I found a bench that was in a nice spot and sat there reading for a while. Lovely and relaxing. Continuing my walk, I came past a field filled with orange and yellow flowers. It was lovely, a nice splash of colour. My walk took me back along the edge of the lake. I was surprised at how quiet the park was compared to other places I had visited in Nanchang. I guess this place isn't top of people's list on places to visit. Later on, I was telling a co-worker that I had visited there and was told it was more of an autumnal destination, so maybe that's why. I had walked from one end of the park to the other and there was a subway station just a few minutes walk away so I headed in that direction.

I made my back to the hotel stopping at one of the many convenience stores nearby to get some water and snacks. I took a rest for a while before venturing out again once it was starting to get dark. I had seen quite a lot of pictures online showing the area near the river all lit up at night, so decided to head there to see what it was like. I took the subway to Wansho Palace and as I exited the station I was back in the throng of people that I had eluded earlier in the day. I headed towards the river and Teng Wang Pavilion, which was all lit up. I'm not sure what all the buildings were that I could see across the river, but I really liked all their green roofs lit up beautifully. I had walked along the wrong side of the road though as when I crossed the small river in front of the buildings, there was no crossing to get me onto the other side of the road. I ended up having to retrace my steps and using an underpass to get where I wanted to be. After a further few minutes of walking I was where I needed to be. The pavillion was lit up lovely and the area was, of course, crowded with people. There were lots of stalls set up selling stuff and there was a nice atmosphere about the place. I headed down to the river and got some nice views of the bridge all lit up in red (I presume the red is for National Day) and some ferries going up and down the river. I decided to take a walk along the path besides the river and look at the buildings on the opposite bank that were all lit up and changing colour. The views were nice and the walk was relaxing as the path wasn't busy.

I was starving by the time I got home and ordered some BBQ on my walk home. It was pretty late (for me) by the time it turned up. When I get BBQ, I normally order from Xinjiang places as the lamb skewers are the best, but it is a bit more pricy, and the bread is to die for, well not quite, but is really tasty. There weren't any decent looking Xinjiang places near where I was staying so I opted for a place that wasn't too far away that had good reviews. When my food turned up, I loved bag it was in bright orange with a cartoon cart on it eating skewers and drinking pints. So even if it tasted crap, the bag had made me smile. I needn't have feared though as the food was good. I had ordered mushrooms, leek, lamb, beef, tofu skin, rice cake, and baked gluten. It was all delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had ordered it with a medium level of spice and it was perfect.

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