Day 6: A Beautiful Morning at Qiandao Lake and Our Journey to Wuzhen

Qiandaohu - After a miserable breakfast at our hotel; which the hotel did not replenish the breakfast dishes, we decided to spend the morning exploring the lakeside before beginning our next journey to Wuzhen. The weather could not have been more perfect. The skies were clear and sunny, and the bright blue waters of the lake sparkled beautifully under the morning sunlight.

Qiandao Lake, also known as Thousand Island Lake, is famous for its crystal-clear waters and lush green islands scattered across the reservoir. In the peaceful morning atmosphere, the lake looked calm and almost magical. Gentle breezes drifted across the water while the distant mountains created a stunning backdrop that made the scenery feel like a traditional Chinese landscape painting.

As we slowly walked along the lakeside promenade, we came across a charming coffee house overlooking the lake. The cafe had thoughtfully arranged its outdoor chairs and tables under a large tent facing directly toward the water. The setup was simple but perfect — allowing customers to relax comfortably while enjoying the magnificent scenery.

Naturally, we decided to stop for coffee.

Sitting there quietly with a cup of coffee while gazing out across the sparkling lake was one of the most peaceful moments of our trip. There was no rush, no noise, and no stress — just the gentle sounds of nature and the relaxing view of the water stretching endlessly before us.

Sometimes travelling is not only about sightseeing or visiting famous attractions. Sometimes the best moments come from simply sitting still and appreciating the beauty around you.

As we prepared to leave the coffee house, we encountered another unexpectedly heartwarming moment. A beautiful friendly dog slowly approached me. When I gently stroked the dog, it immediately rolled onto its back happily, almost paralysed with enjoyment under every stroke. The dog looked completely relaxed and trusting, enjoying every moment of attention.

That simple interaction brought smiles to our faces and made the morning even more memorable.

After leaving the coffee house, we continued our walk around the lake area. Across the road, we suddenly noticed groups of hikers descending from a nearby mountain trail. Curious and feeling adventurous, we crossed the road and decided to attempt the climb ourselves.

The trail started gently but gradually became steeper as we climbed higher into the forested hillside. Along the way, we were rewarded with occasional glimpses of the lake below through gaps in the trees. The fresh mountain air and peaceful surroundings made the hike enjoyable despite the increasing effort.

After climbing for about thirty minutes, we encountered several hikers coming down from further ahead. When we asked how much further it was to the peak, they informed us that it would take another two hours to reach the summit.

After a brief discussion, we decided it was wiser to turn back rather than continue the long climb, especially since we still had an afternoon journey ahead of us. We slowly descended the trail and returned to our hotel to wash up, rest briefly, and check out.

Our next destination was the ancient water town of Wuzhen.

First, we took a Didi taxi from our hotel to Qiandao Lake Railway Station. From there, we purchased first-class tickets on China’s impressive High-Speed Rail system back to Hangzhou. The train journey took approximately one and a half hours, travelling at speeds reaching an incredible 240 kilometres per hour.

The ride itself was smooth, quiet, and extremely comfortable. Looking out the window, we watched the scenery transition rapidly from lakes and mountains to towns, fields, and city landscapes.

Once we arrived in Hangzhou, I used my Alipay app to book another Didi taxi to Wuzhen. However, shortly after we sat inside the taxi, the driver informed us that we would need to pay extra for his return trip back to Hangzhou because there would likely be no passengers for the return journey.

Initially, we suspected it might be a scam.

Fortunately, Edmund negotiated firmly and managed to bargain the additional charge down to RMB120. Later, after checking online and confirming with our hotel front desk, we discovered that this arrangement was actually fairly common for longer-distance rides to destinations with limited return passengers.

Eventually, we arrived safely in Wuzhen and checked into our hotel.

After settling in, we immediately went out to explore the ancient town. For lunch, we found a crab noodle restaurant and enjoyed a delicious local meal. The noodles were rich and flavourful, with fresh crab adding a wonderful seafood sweetness to the broth.

After lunch, we tried some traditional Wuzhen desserts including mochi and pumpkin dessert soup. Both were comforting and mildly sweet, perfect after the savoury crab noodles.

We then spent the afternoon wandering through the beautiful ancient town. Wuzhen is famous for its canals, stone bridges, traditional buildings, and narrow alleyways. 

Walking through the town felt like stepping back in time. The waterways reflected the old wooden houses and lanterns beautifully, creating an atmosphere full of charm and history.

By evening, we found a reasonably priced restaurant offering three dishes and a soup for only RMB98. The meal was hearty, delicious, and satisfying after a long day of travelling and walking.

Just when we thought the evening was ending, Edmund suddenly decided he needed durian.

We stopped at a fruit stall selling Vietnamese durians for RMB95. Surprisingly, the durians were excellent — creamy, rich, and wonderfully sweet. Completely satisfied, we continued walking down the street when we encountered another durian stall selling Thai durians for RMB92.

Naturally, we had to compare.

Although the Thai durians were good, they simply could not match the flavour and quality of the first Vietnamese batch we had eaten earlier.

After a long but deeply enjoyable day filled with lakeside scenery, hiking, train rides, ancient canals, delicious food, and even late-night durians, we finally returned to our hotel feeling tired but extremely satisfied.

It had been a perfect day of travel, discovery, and unforgettable experiences in China.