The Lake Inside the City: Yunlong Lake at Xuzhou
一湖碧水绕城来，堤上桃花镜里开 Yī hú bìshuǐ rào chéng lái, dī shàng táohuā jìng lǐ kāi – A lake of jade water folds around the city; peach blossoms on the causeway open in the mirror
正文：云龙湖 Yúnlóng Hú Yunlong Lake is Xuzhou’s great blue lung – a broad, clean lake wedged between the city’s west side and the wooded ridge of Yunlong Mountain, ringed with causeways, gardens and walking paths the whole city treats as its front yard. Unlike the classical lakes of south Jiangsu, this one sits big and open: several square kilometres of water with a skyline at one end and green hills at the other, and a shoreline built for strolling rather than gawking.
The lake rewards the loop. Rent a bike or walk the main causeway, where lotus beds crowd the railings in summer and the city towers float upside-down on still mornings. Boat docks run pedal craft and cruise boats to the isles; the terraced shores on the south side hold the tea gardens and white-wall quarters that photograph best at first light.
Landmarks stitch the shore together. The stone marker at the east gate makes the classic photo – its lake-name characters picked in gold – while the music hall anchors the northeast bay and the pagoda-topped hill across the water frames the sunset views. Evening is the lake’s second show: lit walkways, pedal boats glowing, and the whole city out jogging its circumference.
Half a day covers the main circuit at walking pace; add the hill above for the bird’s-eye view. The lake is free, the boat rides are modest, and the snack lanes near the east gate keep the walk supplied – a city lake in the best sense, lived in rather than merely visited.
Practicalities
Beyond the lake, the same 徐州市 Xúzhōu Shì Xuzhou City keeps more places worth the detour: 龟山汉墓 Guīshān Hànmù the Guishan Han Tomb for the stone corridors, 狮子山楚王陵 Shīzǐshān Chǔwánglíng the Lion Hill mausoleum for the terracotta ranks, 云龙山 Yúnlóng Shān Yunlong Mountain for the pavilion walks, or 户部山 Hùbù Shān Hubushan for the old courtyards – four more doors into the same 徐州市 Xúzhōu Shì Xuzhou City. Once the lake is circled, our Xuzhou food map fills the day.
Practicalities
Words and Names
flowcloud would say Yunlong Lake is Xuzhou exhaling: a big blue sheet where the mountains end, causeways built for the evening jog, and lotus that take over the news in July. All checked November 2026.
Getting there: Yunlong Lake lies immediately southwest of central Xuzhou; metro and buses reach the east gates, the shoreline paths are free, boat rides run from the main piers, and the sunrise-lotus season from June to August is the lake’s best window. All checked November 2026.