Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing

Xuanwu Lake, located in Nanjing’s Xuanwu district, is the largest city park in Jiangnan area (the southern regions of the Yangtze River) and is the largest lake in royal gardens.

The lake enjoys unique geographic location with it being close to the Purple Mountain, Ming Dynasty City Wall and Nanjing Railway Staiton, all three famous landmarks of Nanjing.

The history of Xuanwu Lake dates back to over 2,300 years ago to the pre-Qin period (c. 2100-221 BC). It was listed as a royal garden during the Six Dynasties (AD 222-589).

The scenic area has a lot of tourist attractions such as the peony garden, bonsai garden, the corridor of cherry blossom and the lotus square.

Xuanwu Lake is also known as one of the eight most famous places in China to admire the beauty of lotus blossom. Visitors can rent a boat to get a close look at the lotus on Xuanwu Lake.

Address: 1 Xuanwu Alley, Xuanwu district, Nanjing, Jiangsu province
Opening hours: 7 am to 9 pm (roads around the lake are open all day long)
Suggested visiting hours: six hours
Ticket: free
Public transportation: take Bus Nos 1, 3, 8, 15, 22, 25, 28, 30, 33, 35, 38, 47, 52, 56, 74, 201, 304 etc or take Nanjing Metro Line 1 to Xuanwumen Station