East Lake (Donghu), Wuhan

One Of The Largest Urban Lakes In China; National 5A Tourist Attraction · Wuhan, Hubei

One of the largest lakes inside any Chinese city, spreading over some 33 square kilometres of bays, wooded hills and islands on the eastern side of Wuhan - about six times the area of Hangzhou's West Lake, and the city's great outdoor escape. Its shoreline is laced by a greenway of more than a hundred kilometres, built for walking and cycling and served by hop-on sightseeing buses, which winds past reed beds, plum groves and lakeside beaches. The Moshan hills on the southern shore hold the botanical highlights: a plum blossom garden that flowers in late winter, a Chu-culture park of towers and bronze sculpture recalling the ancient kingdom that ruled this region, and the cherry blossom garden, whose thousands of trees draw enormous crowds when the season opens in spring. Boats cross between piers, a small cable car lifts visitors over the water, and the Hubei Provincial Museum and Wuhan Botanical Garden sit close to the shore. It was a favourite retreat of Mao Zedong, who stayed in a villa here dozens of times. The lake is free, with only individual gardens ticketed.

Moshan Scenic Area, East Lake, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Lake, greenway and Moshan open daily and free; the cherry blossom and plum gardens keep daytime hours and are ticketed in season (check).

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