Binyang
On the second day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Saturday, June 20, I drove to Jingpo Lake Scenic Area.
When I came to Mudanjiang in 2023, I encountered typhoon weather with continuous rain, so I didn't go.
The weather on Saturday was quite nice, overcast, neither cold nor hot. If I had gone on Friday, the blazing sun would have made it a bit miserable.
There were very few cars along the way, mostly on the expressway, a total of over 80 kilometers. On both sides of the road, most of it was farmland, probably planted with rice or corn. On the gently rolling hillsides, neatly arranged, the overall scenery looked like a prairie. In the middle, we passed the Bohai Service Area, went to the restroom, which was quite clean. The charging area still had only two Teledian charging piles, the same as in 2023.
The scenic area ticket is 100 yuan, half price for locals and children. The most worthwhile sight in the entire scenic area is the natural volcanic waterfall, which is also the most famous in Jingpo Lake Scenic Area. The environment is beautiful, clean and tidy, and it's nice to take a walk here. Even though it was the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, there weren't many people.
The downside: the food and beverage operations at the Mountain Villa Pier were very backward, with almost no one sitting down to eat. It instantly brought back some memories from my childhood - tourist traps with exorbitant prices. Tourists brought their own food and sat at the tables and chairs provided by the scenic area. Providing tables and chairs was nice, but also somewhat ironic. On one side, the restaurants were deserted; on the other, there was a picnic atmosphere with free tables and chairs.
We were not in the mood to take a boat ride anymore, and it required an additional fee, with not many people riding. For us, the cost was not the issue, but the food service management and boat facilities at the scenic area made us unwilling to spend more.
After eating something simple, we took the shuttle bus to see the waterfall. The comfort and scenery on the waterfall side earned points for the scenic area and restored our good mood.
Besides the waterfall, there were also antique-style buildings and performances. During the Qing Dynasty, Mudanjiang was the bitter cold land of Ningguta. The cultural center also introduced and displayed the history of Ningguta and some replicas. We didn't wait to watch the performances and strolled towards the exit of the scenic area.
My son bought a 'Passport', his interest was in stamping. Stamping refers to various pattern stamps related to the scenic area, like creative refrigerator magnets. He checked in at some spots in the scenic area and got stamps. There were more to stamp at the creative shop in the exit hall, so he collected them all.
We unlocked Jingpo Lake Scenic Area easily and happily. I guess we won't come again, but the waterfall is really good.