Ningbo Jiulong Lake or Jiulonghu 九龙湖 (Nine Dragon Lake) has become one of my favorite destinations in Ningbo. It is located relatively close to the city center and only 20min drive from my home, so I go there whenever I have free time, the weather is good or just for a weekly hike. 

Jiulong Lake is located in Ningbo, northwest of Zhenhai 镇海 district. This is a national 4A tourist attraction in China. Jiulong Lake offers also a resort with a nice hotel where you get everything for a great vacation. You can get a room with a view to the lake, there is a pool you can swim too (no swimming in Jiulong Lake). 

Things to do at Jiulong Lake

Jiulong Lake is a popular tourist attraction in Ningbo. You can have a ride around the lake in electric buggies, go by bicycle or just walk, take a ferry and enjoy scenery of the lake and go to the monkey island (I am not a fan of those, so I have never been there). As a hiking enthusiast I always go for a hike up the mountains. There is a “real hiking trail”, not like most of the hiking trails in China which are paved, with stairs etc. I love this one because I can enjoy a natural walk in the forest. There are signs, which help you understand how far have you walked and where are you located. At the beginning of the trail there is a map of hiking trail.

Red color marks the hiking trail in the forest

You can see those signs quite often. Here it shows that the distance walked is 700m from the beginning of the trail; altitude-90m above sea level

Hiking area is quite big, and you can choose shorter hike over all day hiking in mountains and forests. If you choose those you need to have your drinking water and snacks with you, as there are no vendors on the way.

Place for everyone

Whenever I need a rest from city and search for a silent place I choose to go to Jiulong Lake. During holidays it can get pretty crowded, but the hiking trail is not busy, sometimes you are all alone there. If you combine both – hiking and walking by the lake – this is easy, because there are many paths leading down to the lake or up the mountain. There is a barbecue place too, which again might get very crowded during holidays as Chinese love to have a barbecue. If you choose to walk from the parking lot to the other side where barbecue place is located, it will take about an hour. The electric buggy takes tourists also up the mountain. There is a temple where you get some beautiful views of the Jiulong Lake. When you hike the mountains you have some amazing views too.

How to get there?

You can get there by public buses No.384 and 965 going to 公交九龙湖站.

Tickets

If you choose to walk, there is no admission fee. However if you want to take a ferry and electric buggy it will cost you 75RMB.

Jiulong Lake

All the hiking trail looks more or less like this. No pavement, just a natural walk in the forest!