Summer Break in China - Day 4

 

Eastlake Harbor Nature Park

June 16, 2024

We got up today and went to the restaurant at the hotel for breakfast. The breakfast here is quite limited - we are given some millet congee, boiled eggs, some cabbage salad and some steamed bun. There was no coffee available. Not even tea. This is another example of the Tale of Two Cities (disclaimer: I've never read the book, A Tale of Two Cities and have no idea what it's even about. So if I'm using the phrase incorrectly here, then please forgive me.) The beautiful villa we stayed in last night with the biggest master bathroom, bathtub, fanciest toilet and huge TV screens, is just steps away from this simple restaurant with just two round tables and absolutely bare walls. But just like everything in life, you can't have it all. We are here in a hidden gem of an attraction, set in a small village. Modern amenities are just becoming available here. The parks here aren't crowded. 

The township here is called Shidu, meaning Tenth Ferry. The name comes from the number of crossings there are along the river. When the river cut through the mountain, humans built crossings along the river to get to places. Over the years, the area has undergone more development and there are far more than ten crossings now, with more crossings (bridges) planned for future expansion. With the river and the mountain, the area is very scenic, so a lot of parks are built to showcase its beauty. The view at each crossing is pretty similar, and the parks are also similar, although some parks are bigger than others. I don't know how all the parks can stay in business, especially since they are not crowded and the entrance tickets are cheap. We were told the best park is the Eastlake Harbor Nature Park, which is located at the Fifteenth Ferry! So this is where we went. However, there are many other options you can check out for yourself, such as the Happy Valley Silver Beach Nature Park at the Third Ferry, or the Gushan Village Scenic Park (Lonely Mountain Village Scenic Park) at the Seventh Ferry. Just remember, there are virtually no signs in English around here and the ticketing booths speak very limited English, if at all. There is very little information in English on line for any of these parks, but you should be fine navigating around the park because the map is easy to read and all of the attractions are along the main route. 

Eastlake Harbor Nature Park

Parking area for Eastlake Harbor

Above is the parking lot for Eastlake Harbor. The rock sign says Eastlake Harbor. 

Ticketing booths

Above is the ticketing booths for the park. They sell several different ticket types, from all-inclusive, to just the park entrance. There are discounts for small children and senior citizens, etc. You can also negotiate for discounts, which would be difficult if you don't speak Chinese. The 4 of us bought the all-inclusive tickets, while my mom and cousins bought the "relaxing" tickets. The all-inclusive ticket is about $40 a person, which includes the entrance fee, rainbow swing bridge, sky bridge, screaming geyser, rainbow skywalk, rainbow float, zipline, gondola, scenic elevator ride, reflection platform, and maybe a few more.

Swing Bridge

First up is the long and beautiful rainbow swing bridge. This is the entrance to the mountain. My mom, who always swore she couldn't walk on a swinging bridge, made it through once she realized the only place she could go would be the parking lot if she didn't cross this bridge.

Sky Bridge

Sky bridge is in the background along the mountain

Rainbow Skywalk

Reflection Platform

Rainbow Bridge （Xiangyun Bridge/Lucky Cloud Bridge)

Hike up to Rainbow Bridge

Scenic Elevator

The inclined track is the scenic elevator

Riding the Scenic Elevator

If you didn't get a ticket that includes the elevator, you would be climbing the stairs. Which, unless you are very fit, I wouldn't recommend.

Right after getting out of the elevator

Coming down the stairs from the elevator

Screaming Geyser

Rainbow Float

The Rainbow Float was my favorite activity at the park because it was smooth, long, and beautiful as it went left and right of the mountains. The rafts are designed for 2 people per raft. I sat in the back while Alice sat in the front. Teddy was in a raft with Ava.

Zipline

Gondola

Inside the Gondola

I should mention that there are many ice cream shops and popup restaurants in the park. We got a few ice cream bars and some shaved ice along the way.

Getting ice cream

These shops will "ONLY" accept mobile payments, and those mobile payment methods would be AliPay or WeChat Pay. They will likely to have never heard of Paypal or Venmo. If you are able to convince them that you don't have any payment method that they would accept, you should be able to pay cash (RMB). 

We finished everything by lunch time, happy and exhausted. Here's a little tip about this all-inclusive tickets: If someone in your group isn't interested in doing one of the activities, then someone else in your group can do that activity twice. Teddy wasn't interested in the zipline, so Ava volunteered to do it twice.

For lunch/dinner, we dined at the Shidu Jufuyuan Farm House Restaurant, located between 11th and 12th Ferry, en-route back to our hotel villa which is at the Tenth Ferry. We have one more night at the villa and will be going to Great Wall tomorrow!