School’s out across Nanjing today and that long summer holiday stretches out in front of us like a long stretchy thing. Appropriate, for “long” and “stretchy” are the words to describe the road which is home to the Nanjing Laoshan International Cultural Tourism Festival.
The 3rd outing for the Festival kicked off on 17 June and this year, organisers are highlighting those being called “Pukou Micro Vacation” programs aimed at varying interest groups.
The timing is fortuitous, with authorities again urging us to not travel too far. But it also coincides with a larger trend that is the rapidly growing interest in rural living.
According to data from the iiMedia Research Institute quoted by the Global Times, the market for campsites in China increased from ¥7.71 billion in 2014 to ¥29.9 billion in 2021.
Home for the Tourism Festival is the road that must be one of the most beautiful in China snaking its way around the southern slopes of Laoshan. Here is where the Nanjing Pukou Marathon, China Mountain Bike Open, 2nd Yangtze River Delta Outdoor Sports Festival, and the Laoshan “Aerobic Triathlon Elite” shall be held.
The Tourism Festival is centred around Xiangtang Village, which has in the past few years been transformed, in a bid to “empower the countryside with literature and art”, says the Yangtze Evening News.
The Nanjinger recommends a visit to Xiangtang Village begin at Gardenia Cafe, rated as the top cafe in Nanjing by some measures. Gardenia is located at 32.0782527 degrees north, 118.5788431 degrees east.
Within walking distance are the Xiangtang Taoyuan Valley and Qing’aolin arboretums, the Dafulai Roast Whole Lamb restaurant and a public toilet.
And yes, the glamping too. The Dama Campground, promoted for its beautiful natural scenery combined with literature and art, is also nearby.
Laoshan National Forest Park covers an area of 80 square kilometres with a forest coverage of 80 percent. In addition to the tree covered undulating hills plus various species of plant life unique to the locale, Laoshan is also home to wolves, deer, foxes and over 200 other species of animals, which each year make the area their breeding ground.
Certainly the most convenient way to access Laoshan is by car. However, bus #168 terminates at the base of the mountain a few hundred metres north of the Pearl Springs Resort. Buses #608, #610 and #611 from Hanzhong Men also stop at the park. From there, get a shared bike and hit that long stretchy thing!
