Yunlong Lake Scenic Area is located in Quanshan District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and the largest natural landscape park in Xuzhou's urban area. Centered on Yunlong Lake, the scenic area integrates landscape views, historical sites, and leisure entertainment, with multiple functions including ecological protection, tourism, and cultural experience. The water area of Yunlong Lake reaches 6.76 square kilometers, the land area is approximately 3.3 square kilometers, and the total area of the scenic area is about 10.06 square kilometers, which is 1.5 times the size of Hangzhou's West Lake. There are islands such as Xiaonan Lake and Zhushan in the lake, surrounded by mountains like Yunlong Mountain and Quanshan, forming a unique pattern of "three sides surrounded by mountains and one side facing the city". Landmarks such as Su Gong Tower, Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum, and Water World are built in the scenic area, with a green coverage rate of over 90%. It is a core area for Xuzhou citizens to relax and for foreign tourists to experience landscape culture.
Historical Culture
The history of Yunlong Lake can be traced back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, when it was called "Shigou Lake" because there was a stone dog by the lake to control water. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the lake was connected to the moat of Xuzhou's old city, becoming an important part of the urban water conservancy system. Emperor Qianlong once boarded a boat here during his southern tour, leaving relevant records.
In the 10th year of Xining in the Northern Song Dynasty (1077), when Su Shi was the prefect of Xuzhou, he presided over the construction of the Huanglou to control floods and led the people to dredge the river, laying the foundation for the water system in the Yunlong Lake area. To commemorate Su Shi's contributions to Xuzhou, attractions such as Su Gong Tower and Su Dyke were built in the scenic area. Among them, Su Gong Tower is 26.17 meters high, with Su Shi's poems and life stories carved on the tower body, becoming an important carrier for inheriting Su culture.
In addition, a large number of Han Dynasty stone carvings have been unearthed around Yunlong Lake. These stone carvings from the Han Dynasty, with themes of myths, historical allusions, and life scenes, show the prosperity of Xuzhou in the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum in the scenic area collects more than 1,000 Han Dynasty stone carvings, which are important physical materials for studying Han Dynasty culture, making Yunlong Lake a characteristic scenic area integrating Han culture and landscape.
Main Attractions
Xiaonan Lake Scenic Area
Xiaonan Lake is an important part of Yunlong Lake, located in the southern part of Yunlong Lake, connected to the main lake via Yudai Bridge, with a water area of about 0.96 square kilometers. The scenic area is mainly in the style of Jiangnan gardens, with attractions such as Jieyou Bridge, Fanyue Bridge, and Nanhu Water Pavilion. Among them, Fanyue Bridge is a stone arch bridge, about 180 meters long and 20 meters wide, with exquisite carvings on the bridge body. When the lights are on at night, it reflects in the water, forming the beautiful scenery of "Moon Bridge Night". Lotus, willows and other plants are planted around Xiaonan Lake. When lotus blooms in summer, it forms a delightful contrast with the pavilions and towers, making it a popular area for appreciating lotus and relaxing in the scenic area.
Su Gong Tower Scenic Area
Su Gong Tower Scenic Area is located on the northwest bank of Yunlong Lake, built to commemorate Su Shi's governance of Xuzhou, covering an area of about 15,000 square meters. The core building, Su Gong Tower, is a pavilion-style tower in the Song Dynasty style, 26.17 meters high with 7 floors. Each floor of the tower has a corridor, from which you can climb high to overlook the lake scenery. There is a statue of Su Shi in front of the tower, and a "Dongpo's Footprints" relief wall around it, showing Su Shi's achievements in water control in Xuzhou. There is also a stele corridor in the scenic area, engraved with Su Shi's classic works such as "Notes on the Crane-Release Pavilion" and "Jiangchengzi·Hunting in Mizhou". The strong cultural atmosphere attracts many literati and tourists to visit.
Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum
Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum is located on the east bank of Yunlong Lake, the first museum specializing in Han Dynasty stone carvings in China, covering an area of about 10,000 square meters with a construction area of 4,000 square meters. The museum is divided into three exhibition halls: "Epics on Stones", "Han Dynasty Society", and "Artistic Achievements", collecting more than 1,000 Han Dynasty stone carvings. Among them, "Carriage and Horse Travel Map" and "Fuxi and Nuwa Map" are among the national treasure-level cultural relics. The museum adopts modern exhibition methods, through lighting, multimedia interactions and other means, to vividly interpret the cultural connotation of Han Dynasty stone carvings, and is an important window to understand the history and art of Xuzhou in the Han Dynasty.
Yunlong Lake Water World
Yunlong Lake Water World is located on the east bank of the lake, a large ocean-themed park integrating marine life display, popular science education, and entertainment, with a construction area of about 21,000 square meters. The museum has areas such as tropical rainforest area, marine life area, and underwater tunnel, displaying more than 300 species of marine life such as penguins, sharks, and sea turtles. The underwater tunnel is 100 meters long, where tourists can watch marine life swimming overhead through the glass, experiencing immersive viewing fun. The Water World also has facilities such as a 4D cinema and an ocean theater, with an annual reception of more than 500,000 tourists.
Yunlong Mountain Viewing Platform
Yunlong Mountain is adjacent to the north bank of Yunlong Lake, with an altitude of 142 meters. It gets its name because the mountain stretches like a giant dragon. The viewing platform on the top of the mountain is the best spot to overlook the entire view of Yunlong Lake. The platform is approximately 8 meters high and covers an area of about 200 square meters. Standing on the platform, one can take in the 6.76-square-kilometer lake surface and the surrounding urban landscapes in full view. In the early morning, the lake is shrouded in thin mist, and in the evening, one can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains as the sun sets. It is a must-visit place for photography enthusiasts. There are winding mountain roads and stone-step paths from the foot to the top of the mountain. The footpath is about 1,000 meters long, with viewing pavilions, cliff carvings and other attractions along the way. The entire climbing process takes about 40 minutes.
Food
Xuzhou Local Pot Chicken
Xuzhou Local Pot Chicken is the most representative local cuisine and a signature dish in restaurants around Yunlong Lake. It uses locally free-range native chickens, cut into pieces and stir-fried with ginger slices and chili peppers, then braised with soy sauce, cooking wine and other seasonings, and cornmeal cakes are pasted on the edge of the pot to let the cake bottom absorb the soup. The finished chicken is tender, the cake is crispy, and the meat and vegetables are reasonably matched. It can be tasted in farmhouses and old Xuzhou restaurants around the scenic area, with a price of about 60-100 yuan per serving, suitable for 2-3 people to share.
Yangfang Cangyu (Mutton Stuffed with Fish)
Yangfang Cangyu is a traditional famous dish in Xuzhou with a history of more than 4,000 years, known as "the first dish in China". The method is to put fresh crucian carp into mutton pieces, add Sichuan pepper, star anise and other spices and simmer for 2 hours, so that the freshness of the fish and the richness of the mutton are integrated, the soup is rich and delicious, and it is nutritious. This dish is served in high-end restaurants near Yunlong Lake, with a price of about 120-180 yuan per serving, and is the first choice to experience Xuzhou's food culture.
Children's Crispy Candy
Children's Crispy Candy is a traditional dessert in Xuzhou, named for its crispy taste and moderate sweetness, suitable for children. It is made of sesame, maltose, and peanuts through processes such as boiling sugar, pulling sugar, and forming, wrapped in sesame seeds, with a honeycomb shape inside, melting in the mouth. It is available in scenic area specialty stores and Xuzhou time-honored shops, with a price of about 20-30 yuan per box, and is a popular souvenir.
Yunlong Lake Vinegar Fish
Yunlong Lake Vinegar Fish is made from fresh carp in the lake, improved by learning from the method of Hangzhou West Lake Vinegar Fish. The fish is steamed and then drizzled with sauce made of rice vinegar, sugar, and ginger powder. The fish meat is tender, sweet and sour, with a fresh taste of the lake water. This dish can be tasted in the lakeside restaurant in the scenic area, with a price of about 50-80 yuan per serving, and it is more flavorful when paired with local wild vegetables.
Tickets
It is open to the public free of charge, but some attractions in the scenic area charge separately.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "徐州云龙湖" to get the latest news.
Opening Hours
Open all day (the peripheral area is accessible 24 hours a day).
- Opening hours of internal paid attractions: Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum: 9:00-17:00 (admission stops at 16:30), closed every Monday (except legal holidays); Yunlong Lake Water World: 9:00-18:00 (summer), 9:00-17:00 (winter).
- Cruise ship operation time: April-October: 8:30-18:00; November-March of the next year: 9:00-17:00. It is recommended that tourists arrange their time reasonably. In summer, they can choose to visit in the early morning or evening to avoid the high temperature at noon; in winter, they can activity between 10 am and 3 pm for a better experience.
Tour Route
Recommended classic one-day tour route: Arrive at the west bank of Yunlong Lake at 9:00 am, first visit Su Gong Tower Scenic Area (about 1 hour) to learn about the historical origin between Su Shi and Xuzhou; at 10:00 am, walk to Yudai Bridge, enter Xiaonan Lake Scenic Area, stroll across Fanyue Bridge and Jieyou Bridge, and enjoy the lake scenery (about 1.5 hours); at 11:30 am, go to restaurants around the scenic area to taste local dishes such as Local Pot Chicken and Yunlong Lake Vinegar Fish (about 1 hour). At 13:30 pm, go to Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum (about 1.5 hours) to appreciate Han Dynasty stone carving art; at 15:00 pm, go to Yunlong Lake Water World (about 2 hours) to experience the marine life exhibition; at 17:00 pm, climb Yunlong Mountain Viewing Platform (about 1 hour) to overlook the panorama of Yunlong Lake and enjoy the sunset; end the trip at 18:00 pm. If time permits, you can take a cruise ship to visit Yunlong Lake at night to enjoy the lake night view.
Transportation
- Bus: Many bus routes in Xuzhou can reach Yunlong Lake Scenic Area, among which Tourist Line 2, Tourist Line 3, No. 38, No. 49 directly reach the main entrance of the scenic area, with a fare of 2 yuan; take Metro Line 1 to "Yunlong Lake Station" and walk about 10 minutes to the west bank of the scenic area.
- Taxi: It takes about 15 minutes to take a taxi from Xuzhou Station to Yunlong Lake Scenic Area, costing 15-20 yuan; it takes about 30 minutes to take a taxi from Xuzhou East Station (high-speed rail station), costing 40-50 yuan.
- Self-driving: Get off the highway at Xuzhou West Exit, drive east along Huaihai West Road for about 5 kilometers to reach the scenic area, with a total distance of about 10 kilometers; there are multiple parking lots around the scenic area, with a charging standard of 5 yuan/2 hours for small cars, and an additional 2 yuan per hour after more than 2 hours.
- Internal transportation in the scenic area: There are sightseeing battery cars in the scenic area, connecting major attractions, with a one-way fare of 10 yuan per person; there are bicycle rental points around the lake, 20 yuan/hour for single-person bikes and 30 yuan/hour for double-person bikes; cruise routes cover Xiaonan Lake, Su Gong Tower and other areas, which can be chosen as needed.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Xiaonan Lake Scenic Area: Jiangnan garden-style landscape, with unique night view of Fanyue Bridge, covering a water area of 0.96 square kilometers, and the playing time is about 1.5 hours.
- Su Gong Tower Scenic Area: A landmark building commemorating Su Shi, 26.17 meters high, where you can climb high to view the lake scenery, with a strong cultural atmosphere, and the playing time is about 1 hour.
- Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum: China's first museum specializing in Han Dynasty stone carvings, collecting more than 1,000 Han Dynasty stone carvings, with a construction area of 4,000 square meters, and the playing time is about 1.5 hours.
- Yunlong Mountain Viewing Platform: The best place to overlook the entire view of Yunlong Lake, with a mountain trail of 1,000 meters, and you can enjoy the lake and mountain scenery after reaching the top, with a playing time of about 1 hour (including climbing).
Travel Suggestions
- The best seasons to visit are spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). In spring, willows by the lake are graceful, and in autumn, the weather is cool, suitable for walking around the lake and climbing mountains; in summer, you can experience water projects, and in winter, there are fewer tourists, so you can enjoy the quiet lake scenery alone.
- The scenic area is large, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes. If you have limited physical strength, you can take a sightseeing battery car or rent a bicycle to tour around the lake. The whole journey around the lake is about 15 kilometers, and it takes 2-3 hours to ride.
- For catering, it is recommended to choose Xuzhou time-honored restaurants around the scenic area, such as "Lianglaifeng" and "Mashijie Shita Soup". In addition to Local Pot Chicken, you can also try special snacks such as Shita Soup and Spicy Soup.
- Photography enthusiasts are advised to bring a telephoto lens to take panoramic photos of Yunlong Lake at Yunlong Mountain Viewing Platform. You can capture the morning mist on the lake at 6-7 am, and it is suitable for taking photos of the sunset at 17-18 pm.
- If you travel with children, priority is given to Yunlong Lake Water World, which is recommended to be arranged in the afternoon to avoid the morning peak.
Notes
- Swimming and fishing are prohibited in the scenic area (except designated areas). The average depth of Yunlong Lake is 2.5 meters, and some areas are more than 5 meters deep. It is necessary to take good care of children and stay away from the lake shore without guardrails.
- When taking a cruise ship, you must wear a life jacket, obey the crew's command, and do not chase or play on the ship. Cruise ships may be suspended in bad weather, so you need to confirm in advance.
- Protect the scenic environment, do not litter, do not pick flowers and plants. The use of flash photography and touching exhibits are prohibited in the Han Dynasty Stone Carving Art Museum.
- There are a large number of tourists and tight parking spaces in the scenic area during holidays. It is recommended to give priority to public transportation. Self-driving tourists can park their vehicles in the parking lots outside the scenic area and then walk in.
- There are many mosquitoes by the lake in summer, so you need to bring mosquito repellent; the wind on the lake is strong and the temperature is low in winter, so you need to keep warm, especially when climbing mountains, you need to wear windproof clothes.
- There are emergency rescue points and medical stations in the scenic area. If you feel unwell or in an emergency, please go there.