4-Day Tour in Yueyang | Classic Combination of Yueyang Tower and East Dongting Lake・Suitable for All Groups
Yueyang, an ancient city nourished by the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake. Here lies the grandeur of "Dongting, the waters of the world; Yueyang, the towers of the world," the Dragon Boat Festival memories by the Miluo River, and the lively atmosphere of ancient towns and old streets—take the elderly to the tower to view the lake, accompany children to chase gulls on the riverbank, and every day here lets you touch the blend of nature and culture.
🗓️ Itinerary Overview
D1: Arrive in Yueyang → Yueyang Tower Scenic Area → Bianhe Street
D2: East Dongting Lake Wetland → Junshan Island
D3: Qu Yuan Cultural Park → Miluo River International Dragon Boat Festival Scenic Area
D4: Zhangguying Village → Return Trip
🏯 Day 1: Famous Tower Nostalgia · Old Street Flavors
📍 Yueyang Tower Scenic Area (5A, ticket 70 RMB)
Core Highlights: One of the "Three Great Towers of Jiangnan," made famous worldwide by Fan Zhongyan's "Memorial to Yueyang Tower." The main tower preserves the original Qing Dynasty architecture. The elderly listen to the guide tell the legend of Lü Dongbin at the "Three Drunken Pavilion," children read "Worry before all under heaven" in front of the "Memorial to Yueyang Tower" inscription, and climbing the tower to gaze at Dongting Lake with the river breeze on your face is extremely pleasant.
🕙 Opening Hours: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
📸 Photo Spots: Front of Yueyang Tower (shoot the "Dongting, the waters of the world" plaque), carved windows inside the tower (frame the lake view like a painting)
💡 Tips: Free admission for seniors over 65 with ID; the tower stairs are gentle, making it easy for the elderly to climb.
📍 Bianhe Street (Free)
Core Highlights: An ancient-style commercial street adjacent to Yueyang Tower, with characteristic shops lining the bluestone road, filled with the aroma of incense and pickled goods. The elderly can listen to Yueyang Huagu Opera at the "Old Teahouse" (10 RMB per cup of tea), children can buy "sugar paintings" (15 RMB each) and try "Junshan Silver Needle Tea Ice Cream" (18 RMB each). When lanterns light up at dusk, the ancient street becomes even more charming.
🍖 Recommended Dining: Bianhe Street's "Baling Whole Fish Feast," must-try Dongting Silver Fish Egg Custard (38 RMB), Stinky Mandarin Fish (58 RMB), about 60 RMB per person; window seats offer street views.
🏨 Recommended Accommodation: "Yueyang Hotel" near Yueyang Tower (established hotel with family rooms), prices 300-500 RMB/night, 5-minute walk to the scenic area.
🌊 Day 2: Bird Watching at Dongting · Tea Hunting on Junshan
📍 East Dongting Lake Wetland (Free, bird-watching vehicle 30 RMB/person)
Core Highlights: China's second-largest freshwater lake wetland, with tens of thousands of birds flying in winter (best from November to February). The reed marshes look like a golden ocean. The elderly take the bird-watching vehicle to the "Caisang Lake Bird Watching Platform," using binoculars to see white cranes and swans; children learn about migratory birds at the "Wetland Science Museum" (free), make small boats from reed stalks, and buy "Dongting Reed Paintings" (40 RMB each) as souvenirs.
🕙 Opening Hours: All day (bird-watching vehicle 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
💡 Tips: The wetland is windy, bring scarves for the elderly; keep children away from the water edge for safety.
📍 Junshan Island (5A, ticket 80 RMB, includes round-trip boat ticket)
Core Highlights: The "green snail in a silver plate" in Dongting Lake, featuring legendary sites like Xiangfei Temple and Liuyi Well, and famous for "Junshan Silver Needle" tea. The elderly can taste tea in the "Tea Garden" (20 RMB per cup) and listen to tea farmers explain tea roasting techniques; children feed macaques on "Monkey Mountain" (10 RMB per bag of feed), learn to make tea leaf bookmarks (30 RMB each), and buy Silver Needle Tea (100 RMB per box) to take home.
🍖 Recommended Dining: Junshan Island's "Lake Fresh Pavilion," must-try Junshan Golden Turtle (88 RMB, nourishing) and fried silver fish (35 RMB), about 70 RMB per person.
🐉 Day 3: Dragon Boat Festival Origins · Tracing the Soul of Poetry
📍 Qu Yuan Cultural Park (4A, ticket 60 RMB)
Core Highlights: A cultural park commemorating Qu Yuan, with Qu Yuan Temple, Jiugai Terrace, and other buildings. The ancient-style sacrificial performances are very impressive (one show at 10:00 AM and another at 3:00 PM). The elderly read Qu Yuan's poems in the "Lizao Pavilion," children wear Hanfu to learn how to make zongzi (50 RMB per portion, take-home allowed), and buy "Miluo Zongzi" (20 RMB per bag) as snacks.
🕙 Opening Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
📸 Photo Spots: Main hall of Qu Yuan Temple (shoot sacrificial performances), Chu Ci Inscription Corridor (children seriously reading poems)
📍 Miluo River International Dragon Boat Festival Scenic Area (Free)
Core Highlights: The main venue for the Dragon Boat Festival races; normally, you can experience rowing a dragon boat (100 RMB per boat, seats 6). The elderly watch races from the viewing platform, children wear life jackets and row with coaches, and when tired, visit the "Dragon Boat Culture Museum" to see dragon boat models and buy dragon boat-shaped keychains (15 RMB each).
💡 Tips: Dragon boat rowing requires advance booking; bring spare clothes for children as they may get wet.
🍖 Recommended Dining: "Quzi Restaurant" in Miluo city, must-try Qu Yuan Tofu (28 RMB) and stir-fried cured meat with Artemisia cake (38 RMB), about 50 RMB per person.
🏘️ Day 4: Ancient Village Exploration · Return with Charm
📍 Zhangguying Village (4A, ticket 50 RMB)
Core Highlights: The "World's Number One Village," a cluster of Ming and Qing dynasty ancient buildings connected together, with "courtyards linked to courtyards, maze-like streets." The elderly listen to villagers tell family stories at the "Main Gate," watch old carpenters make wood carvings (30 RMB per small pendant); children play in the water at "Hundred Steps Three Bridges," learn to push stone mills (free), and buy "Zhangguying Fried Tofu" (10 RMB per bag).
🕙 Opening Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
💡 Tips: The village is large; it is recommended to hire a local guide (30 RMB per visit) to avoid getting lost; choose gentle main roads for the elderly and avoid narrow alleys.
🍖 Recommended Dining: "Ancient Village Farmhouse" in the village, enjoy a final meal of "Ten Bowls and Eight Dishes" (88 RMB, authentic farmhouse feast), about 40 RMB per person, dishes cooked on a wood stove are very fragrant.
✨ Yueyang Survival Guide
1️⃣ Transportation: Taxi starting fare 7 RMB in the city, bus 2 RMB per ride; take bus No. 51 (3 RMB) to East Dongting Lake; take a boat from Yueyang Tower Pier to Junshan Island (ticket included); charter a car to Zhangguying Village for 200 RMB/day (1.5-hour drive).
2️⃣ Clothing: Wear windproof jackets in spring and autumn (windy by Dongting Lake), short sleeves plus sun protection clothing in summer (strong UV), down jackets in winter (wet and cold in wetlands), and bring non-slip shoes (bluestone roads in ancient villages are slippery when wet).
3️⃣ Taboos: Bird catching and wetland plant harvesting are prohibited in East Dongting Lake; keep quiet during sacrificial ceremonies in Qu Yuan Cultural Park; no smoking inside old houses in Zhangguying Village.
4️⃣ Accommodation: Stay in the city or near Yueyang Tower for the first three days, and spend the last night in a homestay in Zhangguying Village (such as "Gengdu Li Family," an ancient house renovation) to experience sleeping in an ancient village.
🛍️ Must-Buy Souvenirs
① Junshan Silver Needle Tea (Premium 150 RMB/box, a rare yellow tea, great for gifts)
② Dongting Silver Fish (50 RMB/bag, delicious for soup, loved by elderly and children)
③ Miluo Zongzi ("Wufangzhai" vacuum-packed 30 RMB/bag, available in sweet and savory flavors)
④ Zhangguying Fried Tofu (20 RMB/box, crispy outside and tender inside after frying)
The soul of Yueyang is the heroic spirit standing tall in Yueyang Tower, the vastness stirred by Dongting Lake waters, and the sincerity written in Qu Yuan's poems. Whether taking your parents to the tower to see the lake light once, accompanying children to chase migratory birds in the wetlands, or listening to stories with friends in the ancient village, every glance here holds the weight of time. If you come to Yueyang, would you rather climb Yueyang Tower first to see Dongting Lake or row a dragon boat on the Miluo River?