This year, apart from home and school, the place I visited the most was Nanchang. Let me write about my impressions of Nanchang.
Although many classmates study at universities in Nanchang, and although I am not far from Nanchang, since I started university, I have only briefly stayed at Nanchang Station or Nanchang West Station to transfer trains. I didn't meet any classmates or have meals with them. Now I think it's a pity that I didn't explore Nanchang in my freshman and sophomore years.
In February of this year, on my birthday, my girlfriend had a provincial exam, so we went to Nanchang together. In May, my girlfriend had a career examination, and I went to Nanchang with her for a day of fun. In June, we happened to catch the Nanchang International Dragon Boat Race. We had never seen a dragon boat race before, so we went to Nanchang to join in the excitement. With these three trips to Nanchang, my impression of the city has become richer.
Subway#
My trip to Nanchang also brought me many "firsts," one of which was my first time riding the subway. From getting off the train to entering the subway station, I felt like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, like a rural person entering the city. It felt like entering a new world, and all I had in my mind were exclamation marks and question marks.
Before going to Nanchang, I specifically asked about how to ride the subway and things like buying tickets. It's much more convenient for people who use smartphones. With Alipay, you can scan and ride the subway. This is where I had a problem. How do people without smartphones or those who don't use smartphones ride the subway? My girlfriend said they can buy tickets, like coins.
After getting off the train, we didn't even have to leave the train station. We went directly to the subway station. Later, I learned that there is a subway station at the train station too. After entering the station, we waited for the next subway train. Taking photos in the subway station was popular at that time, so my girlfriend and I took a few pictures in the subway station.
Nanchang has four subway lines, and it passes through many places. I asked my girlfriend if we could visit all of Nanchang by riding all four lines. She said we couldn't because there are many places that the subway doesn't reach.
During the trip to Nanchang in February, we rode the subway all the way to Xiejiacun Station. When we got off the train, we found ourselves directly at Dream City, a shopping mall. I thought shopping malls should be on the ground, but we ended up walking and taking escalators before reaching the ground level.
The subway gave me a feeling of convenience and speed, although sometimes it can be crowded. Line 1 gave me my first experience of squeezing into a subway train. Another point is that it's cheap. I have been to Nanchang three times, and the cost of riding the subway was only around 2-6 yuan. Compared to taking a taxi or using shared electric scooters, the subway is much cheaper.
Food#
The first meal I had in Nanchang was at "Lao San Yang" in Dream City. It had a decoration style from the last century, enthusiastic waiters, and super spicy lotus root slices. Lotus root slices seem to be very common in Nanchang, and I often see them as street snacks.
I tried "Crab Leg Rice Noodles," which is a famous dish in Jiangxi. It's not just about being delicious, it's all about being spicy.
A long time ago, I saw many videos about "Zhujie Street" on Douyin. It is said that there are many types and varieties of street food there. I wanted to take notes of what to eat when I went to Zhujie Street. When I arrived at Zhujie Street, my impression was that it was crowded with people. There were indeed many street food stalls, and many people were lining up. The road was narrow, and it happened to be a weekend night, so we had to queue for every step we took. That day, it seemed like we only ate iron plate tofu and rice dumplings.
If I remember correctly, not far from Zhujie Street is "Wanshou Palace." Before coming to Wanshou Palace, I thought it was just a place to burn incense and worship gods. I didn't expect it to be such a large cultural and food street. It's crowded! There are many people! There is a wide variety of food! Especially for Kun Tea, after placing an order, we went to other places for a long time and then returned to the shop. We still had to wait a long time before getting our order.
Scenery#
For people who come to Nanchang, the place they most want to visit is probably "Tengwang Pavilion."
I am no exception. The area near Tengwang Pavilion is the library and the museum, but that day we only went to Tengwang Pavilion. My girlfriend hadn't been there for a long time, so we wandered around Tengwang Pavilion for a long time before figuring out how to go up.
After entering Tengwang Pavilion, I found that there was an elevator inside. It can be imagined that these buildings have been rebuilt, and they have a strong modern feel. The only thing that gives a sense of history is probably the cultural relics exhibited in Tengwang Pavilion. When we reached the top floor and looked down at the Gan River, I had a feeling of "standing at the top, overlooking the mountains."
Later, we went to "Shengjin Pagoda," but it was not the right time. It happened to be under maintenance, so we couldn't go in. We could only take a photo from a distance outside.
In June, during my trip to Nanchang, I spent a long time at Jiulong Lake Park and Lucerne Town. The dragon boat race was also held on this side of Jiulong Lake, which is a great place for post-meal walks with family and friends. However, Lucerne Town nearby seemed quite deserted. Apart from some merchants who came for the dragon boat race, we didn't see any other shops open.
There are still some places with unique characteristics of Nanchang that I haven't been to, such as the August 1st Uprising Memorial Hall. I hope to leave our footprints there next time.
Others#
On the way, I saw middle school students going home after school. They were all riding electric scooters to and from school. I wasn't surprised that they were day students, but I was surprised that electric scooters have become their common means of transportation. It was the first time I had seen this.
Nanchang seems to like using other place names as road names, such as Shanghai Road, Guangzhou Road, Nanjing East Road, Beijing East Road, Jiujian Street, Jinggangshan Avenue, and so on. Riding an electric scooter in Nanchang for a while feels like traveling around the country.
Before leaving, we visited Uniqlo and H&M for a while. It had been a long time since I had been to a clothing store in a shopping mall, and this experience was different. There were no salespeople following you, recommending and asking you questions. I felt very relaxed and free. If I liked a piece of clothing, I would take it directly to try it on. If I didn't like it, I would put it in a designated area. If I liked it, I would take it and pay for it. There were no salespeople, only stockers and cashiers. However, this is not unique to Nanchang. All Uniqlo, H&M, and similar clothing stores operate in this way.
My overall impression of Nanchang can be summarized in a few words:
Crowded, lively, subway, spicy.
I really like Nanchang and will come back in the future.