Hiking | Xishan Island

Many years ago, I lived on Xishan Island on the edge of Taihu Lake in Suzhou. I was deeply impressed by the delicious food of Taihu Sanbai, the tranquility and simplicity of the ancient villages, and the lonely Mid-Autumn Festival full moon night.

My friends who were hiking together last time said that the oranges on Xishan Island in late November were delicious and it was a good time. On November 21, 2020, despite the bad weather, I headed for oranges. However, I passed through many orange groves during the whole journey, but I didn’t pick an orange. In addition to moral constraints, I probably don’t like oranges that much.

Along the way, the fragrance of camellias, loquats, and kumquats filled the mountains and fields. I stopped and walked. During one section, I chatted with my elder sister about my riding and hiking experiences in Shanghai. The time passed very quickly. Halfway through, the edge of the tea garden built with stones and covered with thick moss attracted my attention, and I started to slow down my pace to "pick". Sure enough, I accidentally fell behind again. In the last section of about five kilometers of dirt road dug by tractors, I met the leader of the front group and turned back to look for the rear group. "Don't abandon, don't give up" was touching! Unfortunately, the gray sky did not inspire the desire to take pictures, so I will keep more beautiful scenery in my mind.