For a complete "two-day tour of Shanghai-northern Jiangsu Lizhong Forest Park", it is best to bring hot springs.

I just chatted with some netizens in Xinghua. According to their understanding, there seems to be no hot spring hotel in Xinghua at present (Taizhou may only have hot springs in OCT). So, my suggestion is that my friend will go to Xinghua by car on Thursday afternoon. Even if we leave at 12: 00, we will arrive at Xinghua at least at 15: 00. There is no point in rushing to benefit the public then. My suggestion is to arrange a hotel in the urban area after arriving in Xinghua, and then stroll around the urban area. You can visit some Banqiao's former residences, then go to the food street (there are many local snacks) and go back to the hotel to rest.

The next morning (Thursday), I went to Lizhong Water Forest Park (you can ask the locals how to take the bus, but everyone in northern Jiangsu is very enthusiastic, but maybe Taizhou Mandarin is not easy to understand, so I suggest you find a younger person to ask for directions, hehe). In the afternoon, you can take the shuttle bus from Lizhong to Taizhou, get off at Taizhou East Station, and then take a taxi to Meiyuan Old Street (Taizhou is a lively place at night, with snacks in restaurants, and you can visit Meilanfang Park by the way). There is no way for the urban areas of small cities. There are also business hotels in Meiyuan Old Street, and Chunlan Hotel, the best hotel in Taizhou at present, is over there.

Be sure to try boiled dried silk in Taizhou on Friday morning, and bring two crab-yellow buns, hehe. Then take a taxi to Xindong Station, where there is a bus to Qintong Ancient Town (Taizhou Overseas Chinese Town is also there). Go to see the ancient town in the morning, try the Eight Immortals in Qinhu, then go to OCT to soak in hot springs (indoors) and return to Taizhou in the afternoon. If you have time, you can take the shuttle bus from Taizhou to Shanghai (the latest one 17: 00) to go home.