Peach Blossom Pond is located in Taohua Pond Town, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Jing County. It is renowned for the verse by Li Bai, “The water of Peach Blossom Pond is a thousand feet deep, yet it does not compare to the affection Wang Lun showed me.”
The town, historically known as Nanyang Town, is actually a section of the Qingyi River. Chen Village on the east bank and Wan Village on the west bank face each other across the pond. These two Hui-style ancient villages may not be delicate, but they possess a beauty of vicissitudes. The old street is paved with irregular pebbles, with mottled walls on both sides. Once you pass through the narrow old street and see the suddenly open clear pond water, it is a delightful surprise.
The tour guide suggests starting the visit from Chen Village, as the Taohua Pond passenger station is on the east bank. The visitor service center of the scenic area is 150 meters north of the station, from where one enters the scenic area. The first sight is the three-story Qing Dynasty Wenchang Pavilion. If you visit in March or April, the path is lined with blooming rapeseed flowers. Next is the “First Ancestral Hall of China” (Zhai’s Ancestral Hall). The Zhai family is a major surname in the village, and the hall was originally built in the Ming Dynasty with a grand scale of three sections, using precious materials like camphor wood and white marble. The hall displays numerous imperial plaques.
Walking along the pebble old street, passing by the Nanyang Town gate tower signifies truly entering Chen Village, where there are some small shops and antique stores along the street.At the end of the old street, the two-story Tak Song An Pavilion stands tall. It is climbable, and adjacent to it is the ‘Dream Pond Pavilion’, an ancient cultural relics exhibition hall. This hall collects stone tablets, wood carvings, and other cultural relics. Upon passing through the gate of Tak Song An Pavilion, you’ll find Peach Blossom Pond right in front of you. The Leiyu Dun and Huaixian Pavilion are reflected in the water on the opposite bank.
The Eastern Garden Ancient Ferry refers to taking a ferry across to the opposite bank, where you can observe the book slab stone under Leiyu Dun. The layers of rock resemble the pages of a book. Leiyu Dun is not tall, making it easy to climb to the Huaixian Pavilion atop it. From the pavilion, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Peach Blossom Pond and Chen Village.
Next, visit Wan Village on the west bank, which is older than Chen Village. The Taotan West Bank Gate Tower and Xingyi Gate near the dock are well-preserved. Other attractions in Wan Village include the Caihong Bridge, the ruins of the ‘Wan Family Inn’ where it is said Wang Lun invited Li Bai, and the newly built Wang Lun Tomb.
Whether you are a tourist following the Zhaiji-Taohua Pond route or the Taiping Lake-Taohua Pond route, it is recommended to return to Taohua Pond and spend the night in the scenic area. The evenings and mornings of Taohua Pond are the most picturesque. In the evening, you can enjoy the sunset over the west side of Taohua Pond from Tak Song An Pavilion. In the morning, the pond is enveloped in mist, with green mountains embracing a small boat, resembling an ink painting.The probability of seeing the morning mist is higher in May and June. In Taohua Pond, there is no need to worry about food and accommodation. Locally operated farmhouse restaurants or inns in the scenic area can solve the dining problem, with dishes mainly featuring rural dishes such as local chicken, river shrimp, and winter bamboo shoots.
The Peach Blossom Pond is open to the public all year round from 08:00 to 17:00. The preferential policy includes:
– Children aged 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.2 meters (inclusive) in height, with valid identification, enjoy free admission tickets and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry service).
– Minors aged from 6 years old (exclusive) to 18 years old (inclusive), with valid identification, enjoy half-price tickets.
– Elderly aged 65 years old (inclusive) and above, with valid identification, enjoy free admission tickets and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry service).
– Those aged between 60 years old (inclusive) and 65 years old (exclusive), with valid identification, enjoy half-price tickets.
– Full-time undergraduate and below students, with valid student identification, enjoy half-price tickets.
– Disabled people, with valid identification, enjoy free admission tickets and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry service).
– Active-duty military personnel and retired military officers, with valid identification, enjoy free admission tickets and need to pay a comprehensive fee of 15 yuan per person (including ferry service).
– Journalists, with valid identification, enjoy free admission.
– Photographers, with a provincial-level (inclusive) photography certificate or a membership card of the China Photography Association, enjoy free admission.
– Disabled military personnel, with a military disability certificate, enjoy free admission.Additional note: Those who are exempt from the admission ticket fee need to pay an additional comprehensive service fee of 15 yuan. The above information is for reference only, and specific details should be based on the information disclosed by the scenic area on the day of visit.
Service facilities include a parking lot: [Peach Blossom Pond Scenic Area Parking Lot] with a reference price of ¥10 per time; located 50 meters west of County Road 063; with 300 parking spaces.
