Three Days in Wuhan - Part 1: East Lake

October 11, 2012. Three days in Wuhan, starting with East Lake.

This was my second trip to mainland China. Strictly speaking, I had been to Hong Kong a few times in between, but if we count only mainland cities, the previous visit had been years earlier: a short trip through Kinmen by ferry to Xiamen, then on to Gulangyu and Nanputuo Temple.

This time, we used a long weekend to visit friends in Wuhan with my wife and kids. The direct flight took only about two and a half hours, which made it a fairly manageable family trip.

Family trip arrival scene in Wuhan — Arriving in Wuhan for a long-weekend family trip.

East Lake And A City Of Water

The first day was for East Lake. Wuhan has always been a city with a lot of water. In ancient times, this area was once part of the great Yunmeng marshland; even today, the city still has many lakes. East Lake is one of its most representative places, large enough that it does not feel like an ordinary city park.

East Lake scenery in Wuhan — East Lake, one of Wuhan's most representative lake areas.

Before this trip, I mostly associated Wuhan with the Yangtze River and Yellow Crane Tower. Walking around East Lake gave me a clearer sense of Wuhan as a lake city. The water opens out widely, with trees, roads, and buildings around it, and the scale feels very different from the lakeside parks we usually see in Taiwan.

Lakeside greenery at East Lake — The broad water and lakeside greenery around East Lake.

There are also historical traces around East Lake. Mao Zedong stayed in the East Lake Hotel area during several visits to Wuhan. I had briefly thought about booking a room there, but later realized that transportation would be inconvenient, and the security around the area looked rather strict. With children in tow, it did not seem practical.

East Lake Hotel area in Wuhan — A stop around the East Lake Hotel area.

Before the trip, I read that East Lake covers about 33 square kilometers, and the road around the lake is roughly 110 kilometers long. On paper, that sounds like just another number. Standing by the lake, it becomes very clear that this is not a place you casually walk around in one day. ~.~'"

Walking by East Lake — Walking beside the wide East Lake shoreline.

Walking Until The Kids Stopped

Adults look at the lake, the road, and the trees in the distance. Children notice completely different things.

They soon spotted people fishing by the lake, and then they refused to move. That is how family travel often works. Adults think the theme of the day is scenery; the children may decide the real question is whether that person is going to catch a fish.

Children watching fishing by East Lake — The children stopped to watch people fishing by the lake.

And then someone really did catch two fish at once. After that, leaving became even harder.

Two fish caught at East Lake — Someone caught two fish at once, which immediately became the children's highlight.

Since the full loop around the lake is about 110 kilometers, there was no way we were going to push on. We walked for a while, took some photos, watched the children watch the fishing, and then it was time to turn back.

East Lake walking path — After walking for a while around East Lake, it was time to turn back.

Meiling No. 1

On the way back, we passed the Meiling area on the north shore of East Lake. The information I found at the time said that Mao Zedong had stayed in Wuhan more than 30 times, and that Meiling No. 1 was among the places where he stayed most often and longest outside Zhongnanhai.

Of course, none of that historical background was especially attractive to the kids. To them, this was mostly another place where adults kept saying, "Come on, stand here for a photo."

Family photo around Meiling No. 1 — A family photo stop around Meiling No. 1.

Lisa's expression quickly explained the situation: if the grown-ups did not wrap up the sightseeing soon, the travel companions might revolt.

Child waiting during a sightseeing stop — A sightseeing stop that the children were ready to end.

In the end, we looked around from the outside, took a few photos, and took the hint from the atmosphere that it was about time to leave. ~.~'"

An Afternoon For The Kids

In the afternoon, we went near Shuiguohu Park. For adults, it may have been an ordinary local park. For children, amusement rides were enough.

Playground area near Shuiguohu Park — The afternoon shifted to a park and playground schedule.

First came the carousel. This kind of stop requires no research and no strategy. If the children are willing to ride and the adults can rest for a moment nearby, it is already a good stop.

Carousel ride in Wuhan — Carousel time: a simple but reliable children's stop.

Then Lisa tried the pirate ship for the first time.

Child on a pirate ship ride — Lisa tried a pirate ship ride for the first time.

She looked brave before getting on. Once the boat really started swinging, the expression was a completely different story. One classic family-travel scene is when a child insists on trying something, then looks at the adults afterward as if asking why we allowed it to happen. XD

There was also a trampoline for burning off the remaining energy.

Child jumping on a trampoline — A trampoline stop to burn off the rest of the energy.

Travel Does Not Always Follow The Adult Script

From an adult's point of view, it might seem like a pity to spend an afternoon in an ordinary park after coming all the way to Wuhan. But for the children, fishing, the carousel, the pirate ship, and the trampoline may have been the most memorable parts of the day.

When traveling with children, the question cannot be only "where do I want to go?" A trip really works only when everyone has some part of it to enjoy.

Tomorrow, we continue to Yellow Crane Tower.

Hubei Travelogue - Three Days in Wuhan - Part 3: Hubu Alley and Daqinghua Dumplings

Hubei Travelogue - Three Days in Wuhan - Part 4: Jianghan Road