It turns out that right inside Hangzhou, there's such a Wizard of Oz-like green wonderland: ponds full of lotuses and water lilies, and cool breezes under the shade, all hidden in Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou. Step into Xixi, and you've found the best way to experience Hangzhou in summer. Every summer, the Longshezui entrance of Xixi Wetland opens a dedicated lotus-viewing route.

What makes this route different from other lotus-viewing spots is that you're not just looking at lotuses; you board a sculling boat and glide deep into the lotus ponds, with flowers blooming on both sides of the hull. Savoring the poetic mood of "rowing back late, wandering deep into the lotus blossoms" is truly delightful.

Over at the Zhoujiacun entrance, a pond of water lilies is in bloom. This is Xixi's own Monet garden. The water lilies here are beautiful in just the right way, with layers of colors and reflections unfolding, filling your eyes with the gentle poetry of Jiangnan.

Xixi isn't a manicured classical garden, but a natural wetland carved by rice paddies, ponds, and streams. So what's the most comfortable way to enjoy Xixi in summer? It has to be taking a sculling boat.

Board one at the pier and drift straight into the Chinese-style painting of Xixi Wetland. Prepare a pot of Longjing tea and some snacks on the boat. Float amid the greenery like this, forget all your worries, and you'll understand the joy ancient scholars felt when they "stole half a day of leisure from a busy life." If you want a different angle to admire Xixi's beauty, then don't miss the aerial sightseeing helium balloon over Xixi Wetland.

It gives you a unique god's-eye view of the crisscrossing waterways and ponds, spreading across the land like a giant Jiangnan ink wash painting, truly romantic. Hidden in this lush green sanctuary of Xixi is an enchanting bookstore, Guomai Bookstore. It isn't large, but it perfects the art of reading amid scenery, letting you discover a romance worth reading in a lifetime.

Within a Song dynasty-inspired aesthetic, large floor-to-ceiling glass walls frame the outdoor wetland views inside. Sit by the window and face the wetland scenery directly. This isn't just a bookstore; it's a spiritual garden where you can escape the city noise and rest your soul.

Xixi Wetland doesn't only belong to daytime lotuses and sculling boats. After dark, it reveals another world. As China's first neoclassical garden immersive performance, "Xixi · Water Margin" invites audiences to wear masks of the Liangshan heroes, walk into a Jiangnan garden, and personally step into the chivalrous world of Water Margin.

You're no longer a spectator, but one of the Liangshan heroes, experiencing their bravery and passion firsthand. Xixi hides the romance of an entire summer in every corner. Lush greenery everywhere: it's truly worth the trip.