A Family Bike Ride Around Songya Lake in Changsha

Sometimes, you don’t need a big family trip to make a good memory.

During the second evening of our Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, my family went for a bike ride around Songya Lake in Changsha, China. It wasn’t a carefully planned day trip.

This was the second evening of our Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. If you’re curious about how our family spent the festival this year, I also wrote about our [Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in China].

We had already eaten dinner. Songya Lake is about a 30-minute drive from our home, so it’s not somewhere we need to plan an entire day around. We’ve been there many times before—to watch the sunset, walk along the lake, and let our daughter play on the little sandy beach.

But this time, we decided to do something we’d never done before: Ride all the way around the lake.

And somehow, an ordinary evening turned into one of those small family memories I’m glad I didn’t let pass unnoticed.

We’ve Been to Songya Lake Many Times Before

Songya Lake isn’t new to us.

We’ve watched the sunset here before. We’ve taken our daughter to the little sandy beach near the lake. We’ve walked around and simply enjoyed the view.

There are always people here in the evening—families, walkers, cyclists, and runners. But even when you visit the same place many times, you don’t necessarily experience it in the same way.

This time, we decided to rent bicycles. And for the first time, we would try to complete the whole loop around the lake.

Two Bikes, Three People, One Simple Plan

After arriving, we parked the car and looked for the shared sightseeing bicycles.

We rented two bikes. One was a tandem-style family bike with two seats, which allowed one of us to ride with our daughter. The other was a regular single bicycle. So the three of us could ride together, with my husband and me taking turns riding with our daughter.

It was a very simple setup. No special equipment. No complicated itinerary. Just two bicycles and a plan to ride for a while.

How We Rented the Bikes

For our ride, we used a WeChat Mini Program called “Songya Lake Sightseeing Bicycle” to rent the bikes.

If you’re not familiar with WeChat, it is the messaging and digital services app widely used in China. One of its features is called Mini Programs—small services that run inside the app rather than requiring you to download a separate application.

For this particular bike rental, we scanned the QR code, paid a deposit through WeChat, and started riding. When we finished, the actual rental cost was deducted from the deposit, and the remaining amount was returned.

For international visitors, the exact process may depend on the current service and payment options available to you, so I would treat this as how it worked for us on this particular visit, rather than a guarantee that every overseas visitor will have exactly the same experience.

How Much Did Our Family Bike Ride Cost?

I kept the payment record because I thought it might be useful to remember the details later.

Our ride lasted approximately 52 minutes, according to the rental record. The cost was:

• Tandem family bike: RMB 31
• Single bike: less than RMB 17
• Total: about RMB 48
• Riding time: approximately 52 minutes

So for the three of us, our entire bike ride cost about RMB 48.

Of course, prices and rental rules can change, so these numbers are simply what we paid during our visit.

This was one of those activities where we didn’t have to spend much money or plan very much. We simply had dinner, drove to the lake, parked the car, rented two bikes, and rode.

Sometimes our family outings are even simpler than this — like finding an inexpensive place to have dinner together. I wrote about one of those evenings here: [Our $8.16 Family Dinner in China: The $10 Challenge].

Cycling Around Songya Lake in Late September

Late September in Changsha can still feel surprisingly warm. That evening was no exception.

It was warm enough that we worked up quite a sweat while cycling. But the moment the bikes started moving, the breeze made everything feel much more comfortable. The wind brushed across our faces as we rode. The sky slowly became darker.

People were out everywhere. Some were walking. Some were cycling. Some were already out for their evening run. And there were families spending time together just like us.

I really liked that feeling. We weren’t exercising in a gym. We weren’t trying to hit a particular fitness goal. We were simply moving our bodies while spending time together. And somehow, that made the exercise feel much easier.

A Little Exercise, a Little Family Time

One thing I enjoyed about this ride was that it didn’t feel like we had to choose between exercise and family time. We got both. We were outdoors. We were moving. We were talking.

Our daughter was riding with one of us. And we were all experiencing the same little journey together. For busy families, I think these kinds of activities can be surprisingly valuable.

You don’t always need to organize a special “parent-child activity.” Sometimes, simply doing something together is enough. A bike ride. A walk. A trip to the park. A picnic. Watching the sunset. Even a short drive somewhere you’ve been before.

The activity itself doesn’t have to be extraordinary. The time spent together is often the part that matters.

Our First Full Lap Around the Lake

The funny thing is that we’ve been to Songya Lake many times. But this was the first time we’d actually completed a full lap around the lake by bicycle. At some point during the ride, I realized: We’re actually going to make it all the way around. And we did.

It wasn’t a huge achievement. But it felt satisfying. Sometimes there are little things in life that you keep putting off without really noticing. Then one day, you finally do them. This was one of those things for us.

The Moon Came Out, Too

As the evening got darker, we also noticed the moon. It was a beautiful, nearly full-looking moon in the evening sky, and of course, we stopped to take a few photos.

We also took photos of our shadows.

I love little photos like these. They aren’t necessarily the kind of pictures you’d choose as the main photo from a big vacation. But years later, they may be the pictures that bring a particular evening back to you.

There Are Many Parking Areas Around Songya Lake

If you’re planning to visit Songya Lake by car, another practical thing I noticed is that there are many parking areas around the lake. We drove there, parked the car, and then explored the area by bicycle. That made the whole experience quite easy for us.

If you’re already staying in Changsha, Songya Lake can work well as a relaxed evening outing rather than something that needs to take up an entire day.

You can come later in the day, walk around, rent a bike, watch the sunset, or simply enjoy the lake. You don’t necessarily need a packed itinerary.

If You’re Visiting Changsha or Living in Hunan

If you’re visiting Changsha, or spending some time in Hunan, Songya Lake is the kind of place I’d put on a slow travel list. We’ve also found other simple family activities around Changsha. On another day during the same holiday, we visited a farm with our daughter, where she played games, met animals, and unexpectedly came home with a little yellow duck. You can read that story here: [Things to Do in Changsha With Kids: A Family Day Out at a Farm in China]. Not because you need to spend an entire day there. Actually, that’s part of what I like about it. You can fit it into an ordinary evening.

Have dinner. Drive to the lake. Take a walk. Rent a bicycle. Ride for an hour. Watch the sky change. Then head home. It doesn’t have to be a major sightseeing event. It can simply be part of experiencing everyday life in Changsha.

And if you’re traveling with children, a bike ride can also be an easy way to add some outdoor movement to a family day.

You Don’t Always Need a Big Family Adventure

This little bike ride also reminded me of something I’ve been thinking about more lately. I used to think that memorable family experiences had to be big. A vacation. A road trip. A hotel stay. A special celebration. A carefully planned day out.

But family memories are also made from much smaller things. A dinner together. A walk after dinner. A bike ride around a familiar lake. A funny conversation in the car. A child laughing because the wind is blowing her hair around. A photo of three shadows on the ground.

These things don’t look particularly important while they’re happening. But they are the things that quietly make up our everyday lives.

One Small Thing on Our Family List

This is actually why I created my Family Bucket List 100 Things to Do with My Kids printable.

I don’t think parents need another list telling them how to be perfect parents. I think it’s more fun to have a collection of simple things you can do together when you have a little time.

Some are tiny. Some take an afternoon. Some cost nothing. And some, like our bike ride around Songya Lake, are just simple experiences you might otherwise keep saying you’ll do “someday.”

This evening became one more little thing we did together.

What Should We Do This Fall?

Since this happened right at the end of September, it also made me think about the next few months.

There are still so many little things I’d like our family to do this fall. Maybe visit somewhere new. Have an outdoor meal. Take another bike ride. Watch the leaves change. Go somewhere we’ve never been. Find a new walking route. Or simply spend another evening outside together.

That’s one reason I like making seasonal wish lists. Not as a list of things I have to accomplish. Just a place to collect the little things I’d love to experience while the season is here.

Autumn Bucket List Printable or Holiday Wishlist Tracker a simple way to collect the little things you want to do, see, make, or experience this season.

Sometimes, an Ordinary Evening Is Enough

When we drove home that night, I realized that nothing particularly extraordinary had happened. We hadn’t taken a big trip. We hadn’t visited a new tourist attraction. We hadn’t even planned the evening very far in advance. We had simply eaten dinner, driven for about half an hour, rented two bicycles, and ridden around a lake for about 50 minutes.

We got sweaty. We got some fresh air. We laughed a little. We took photos of the moon. We photographed our shadows. And we spent some time together. That’s it. But I really liked that evening.

Maybe because life doesn’t always need to be exciting to be good. Sometimes, a family just needs a few free hours, a place to go, and something simple to do together. And sometimes, that’s enough to turn an ordinary evening into a memory.

For us, this was the evening we finally completed a full bike ride around Songya Lake. And I have a feeling we’ll remember it for a long time.

A Small Note About This Story

This post is part of my Stories—little pieces of everyday life in China, shared from my own perspective.

I’m not a travel expert or a professional guide. I’m simply recording places we’ve visited, things we’ve tried, and small moments that have made ordinary days feel a little more memorable.

If you’re planning to visit Songya Lake, check the current bicycle rental availability, pricing, parking arrangements, and payment requirements before you go, as these details can change.

A Few Things for a Family Bike Ride

Our ride was very simple, but if you’re planning more family bike rides, there are a few little things that can make an outdoor outing more comfortable. Since we were riding with our daughter on a warm evening, a properly fitted kids’ bike helmet and a water bottle would be two things I’d keep on our family outing list.

🚲 Kids’ Bike Helmet

A good helmet is one of those things I’d rather have ready before we need it. Look for a properly fitted children’s helmet that matches your child’s age and head size, especially if your family rides regularly. [See kids’ bike helmets on Amazon →]

💧 Kids’ Water Bottle

Changsha can still be quite warm in late September, and we definitely worked up a sweat during our ride. A small reusable water bottle is an easy thing to keep in a child’s backpack or bring along on a family outing. [See kids’ water bottles on Amazon →]

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