Yuehu Lake is a crescent-shaped lake in the center of Ningbo. It was once a city mountain and water where literati sat and discussed Taoism in the Song and Ming dynasties. Now it is an important green lung of Ningbo. Although it is not as famous as the West Lake in Hangzhou, its status in Ningbo is like that of the West Lake in Hangzhou. The lakeside is dotted with courtyards and old houses, making it very leisurely to take a walk on weekends. There are islands such as Fangcao Zhou, Liuting, Song Island, and Ju Huazhou distributed in Yuehu Lake. Some are connected by bridges, and some are completely connected to the land. The winding embankment by the lake, the old people playing chess under the weeping willows, and the ancient buildings hidden by the woods form a sharp contrast with the bustling streets around. Liuting Street passes through the lake and divides Yuehu Lake into two areas, north and south. There are many relics and old houses dotted in between. Many of these old houses are used as office spaces and cannot be visited. Some have been renovated into exhibition halls and can be entered to have a look. There is no fence around Yuehu Lake. It is a fully open park. As long as there is a road, you can enter. It is suitable for casual strolls and there is no need for a fixed itinerary. The scenic spots are relatively concentrated in the north and east of the lake. Starting from the northeast corner, you will see a ‘water gauge tablet’ in a small pavilion in the water. There is a character ‘flat’ on it. It is a relic of the Song Dynasty used to measure water levels. Not far away is a famous site. Now the Mingzhou Site Exhibition Hall has been built on the site. There are a small number of cultural relics inside, and the graphic and text materials are also quite informative. Next to it, Dafang Yue Di has free art exhibitions open to the public and is a place where there are many exhibitions in Yuehu Lake. The Lu Residence near the lake is the residence of Lu Hongchang and Lu Chengzhang, father and son who made significant contributions to the restoration of Ningbo during the Xinhai Revolution. This residence was quite influential in the late Qing Dynasty. Now you can only look at its appearance. Yintai Di near Yingfeng Street is an old residence that is rare to be completely preserved and can be visited for free by tourists. Every room inside is very delicately furnished, and ancient furniture and daily necessities are very complete. You can feel the pattern of an ancient wealthy and powerful family. The Liuting Street in the middle of Yuehu Lake is the center of Yuehu Lake and has now become a main traffic road in the urban area. The quiet and simple He Secretariat Memorial Temple on the street is built to commemorate He Zhizhang and is now an office space for a certain unit. The nearby Guandi Temple with strong incense and the Buddhist lay people’s forest are both buildings rebuilt recently since the Ming Dynasty and have become the ‘three consecutive spots in Liuting’. At the northern end of the south area, there is an academician forest, mostly ginkgo trees. On Song Island at the southern end, there is also an antique school, the old campus of Ningbo No. 2 Middle School. And the ‘Lin Residence’ in Zijin Lane on the south bank of Yuehu Lake is a rare Qing Dynasty folk house in the urban area of Ningbo. There are more than one hundred brick carvings inside, which is very magnificent. Now it is the Mingzhou Jia 12 Cultural Variety Hall, a private club with calligraphy and painting exhibitions. In addition to walking around, boating on Yuehu Lake is also a very pleasant thing. There are docks in both the north and south areas where tickets can be purchased.
In addition to Yuehu Park, the Tianyi Pavilion Museum nearby is also worth visiting. It is open from April 21st to October 21st from 08:00 to 17:30; and from October 22nd to April 20th from 08:00 to 17:00.
