Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area

Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area

Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national water conservancy scenic area.

Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is located in Hufu Town, 31 kilometers southwest of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national AAAA-level tourist area, a national scenic spot, a provincial forest park, one of Wuxi’s Top Eighteen Tourist Attractions, and one of Yixing’s Top Ten Scenic Spots. The scenic area spans across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces, covering tens of thousands of acres of bamboo, often referred to as a “sea of bamboo.” The total area of the scenic zone reaches 10,000 acres, making it the largest bamboo resource scenic area in East China, hence earning the title “No.1 Bamboo Sea in East China.” As the Hufu mountainous area of the Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is closest to Taihu Lake with the most distinct watershed, the streams flowing down from the Bamboo Sea hills are also known as the “No.1 Source of Taihu Lake.”

Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area is situated at the border of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces. It is a national AAAA-level tourist area, a national scenic spot, and a provincial forest park.

It is also one of Wuxi’s Top Eighteen Tourist Attractions and Yixing’s Top Ten Scenic Spots. Yixing is known for its abundant bamboo production and has long been called the “sea of bamboo.” The bamboo sea spreads across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, covering more than 800 square miles, forming an ocean of jade-green hues. The Bamboo Sea Scenic Area lies at the heart of this bamboo ocean, featuring tens of thousands of acres of lush greenery.

The bamboo waves follow the contours of the hills, resembling rolling waves that stretch endlessly, which is why it is known as the “No.1 Bamboo Sea in East China.” It is a representative scenic area for China’s bamboo landscapes, bamboo culture, and bamboo charm. The scenic area boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, offering naturally wondrous sights throughout the seasons and within a single day. Major attractions include the “No.1 Source of Taihu Lake,” “No.1 Peak in Southern Jiangsu,” “Bamboo Announcing Peace,” “Mirror Lake Scenery,” “Cable Bridge Over Waves,” “Jizhao Zen Temple,” “Bamboo Forest Waterfalls,” “Emerald Corridor,” and “Hanging Plank Walkways,” among others. Each offers its own unique appeal—some grand and majestic, others serene and profound, or twisting and mysterious. Mirror Lake is also home to large numbers of living fossils—the freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta), which date back 1.5 billion years, possessing significant scientific and aesthetic value.

Travel

Yixing is one of China’s key moso bamboo production areas, with 180,000 acres of bamboo forests. When visiting the mountainous bamboo countryside, visitors are greeted by vast, boundless seas of green bamboo. The overlapping layers of emerald hues follow the mountains and slopes, forming wave-like landscapes with the spring breeze. Nature paints the scene effortlessly. In summer, the green shadows cover the ground; in autumn, rain drizzles down; in winter, the first snow falls. Whether bold or subtle in color, the scenery remains uniquely charming. The mountainous areas of Hufu and Taihua in southern Yixing are rich in moso bamboo, with 12,000 hectares of bamboo forests, making it the largest moso bamboo production base in Jiangsu and often referred to as the “Bamboo Sea.” Notable ones include the “Shengzhuang Bamboo Sea” and “Taihua Bamboo Sea.” Within the “Bamboo Sea,” quiet paths wind through serene surroundings. Climbing up to overlook the landscape, one sees undulating waves of green, with a refreshing breeze blowing. In spring, tender bamboo shoots break through the soil, adding even more vitality to the vast sea of bamboo. The Bamboo Sea Scenic Area features the boundless expanse of moso bamboo as its main attraction, complemented by the elegant and stunning “Bamboo Sea Mirror Lake.” The scenic area includes distinctive functional zones such as the Gatehouse Service Area, Mirror Lake Viewpoint Area, Waterscape and Waterfall Area, Bamboo Sea Tea House Area, Emerald Corridor Area, Xiaohai and Zhonghai Viewing Areas, and Xizhaosi Area. Here, beautiful mountains and waters coexist, with peaks connecting and ranges stretching as far as the eye can see—all covered in layers of lush green bamboo. The Bamboo Sea Scenic Area, with its unique bamboo, water, trees, rocks, caves, and flowers, resembles a green barrier in a cool paradise, shielding visitors from the noise and restlessness of the outside world. With emerald bamboo, murmuring streams, chirping kingfishers, shaded tea terraces, cool pavilions, small bridges, and ancient corridors and temples... visitors to this place can’t help but feel as though they’ve entered a utopian world. The joy of exploration here leaves an unforgettable impression for a lifetime.

Self-driving route to Yixing Bamboo Sea:

(1) Nanjing to Yixing Bamboo Sea Self-driving Route:

Take the Shanghai–Nanjing Expressway (formerly Nanjing–Hangzhou Expressway) heading toward Hangzhou. Near Yixing, you’ll see a clearly marked red tourism exit sign.

(2) Wuxi to Yixing Bamboo Sea Self-driving Route:

Take the Wuxi–Yixing Expressway to Yixing, then follow National Highway 104 to Dingshan. Once you reach Dingshan, you’ll see signs pointing to the Bamboo Sea.

Exit Wuxi and drive along the eighteen bends by Taihu Lake, onto S342 Highway, drive straight all the way, then turn right onto G104 National Highway. (FYI, first-time visitors entering Yixing will pay a 10 RMB toll at the boundary. Once inside Yixing, signs will guide you. Drive straight until you see a sign indicating a right turn, labeled with “12 km.” At a church, make a left turn where it says “15 km to Bamboo Sea”—this distance is accurate. Keep going straight and you’ll arrive at the Bamboo Sea. The full journey from Wuxi to the Bamboo Sea is about 115 km, taking roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.)

When it indicates a right turn, there is a sign showing 12 kilometers. When you reach a church, you need to turn left, where there is a sign indicating that it is 15 kilometers to Bamboo Sea. The distances marked here are accurate — just follow the road all the way and you will arrive at Bamboo Sea. The full journey from Wuxi to Bamboo Sea is about 115 kilometers, taking approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

(3) Zhangjiagang to Yixing Bamboo Sea:

Take the Wuxi–Zhangjiagang Highway to Wuxi, pass through Wuxi city via Taihu Avenue, continue forward along the lakeside road toward Mashan, then turn onto Qianhu Highway. You’ll only be 25 km away from Yixing.

Public Transport to Yixing Bamboo Sea:

Tourism Line 1: City Bus Station – Bestel Hotel – International Hotel – Yixing Hotel – Yixing Grand Hotel – Fork in the Road – Chuanbu – Ceramic Museum – Zhanggong Cave – Jade Maiden Pool – Linggu Cave – Taozu Sacred Land Scenic Area – Bamboo Sea Scenic Area. Operating hours: 5:40–17:30, every 20 minutes.

Bus 49: Departs every 5 minutes from the city center to Hufu. There are also buses from Hufu to the Bamboo Sea Scenic Area, running every 10 minutes.

(4) Suzhou to Yixing Bamboo Sea Scenic Area Route:

From downtown Suzhou, take National Highway 312. It takes about 30 minutes to reach Wuxi City, then continue along Taihu Avenue toward Mashan and turn onto Qianhu Highway.

The Magic of the Bamboo Sea:

1. Rare and endangered wildlife—the “fragile glass lizard” [a rare reptile, a primitive lizard species that has evolved to lose its limbs due to prolonged cave dwelling—is considered an endangered wild animal. It is reported that the fragile glass lizard is only found in the mountainous regions of Yixing, Jiangsu Province.]

2. Freshwater jellyfish (“peach blossom jellyfish”) in Mirror Lake [Peach blossom jellyfish are cnidarians, appearing earlier than dinosaurs—dating back 650 million years—and are known as “living fossils” in the study of biological evolution.]

Address: Zhushan Village, Hufu Town, Yixing City, Wuxi

Type: Forest Mountain

Rating: AAAA

Phone: 0510-87479614; 0510-87479616

Official Website: http://www.yxzhuhai.cn/

Opening Hours:

8:30-17:00

Hufu Town: Hufu Town is located in the southern part of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. It borders Dingshu Town to the east, Changxing County of Zhejiang Province to the south, Zhangzhu Town to the west, and Yixing Forest Farm to the north. Covering an area of 93.18 square kilometers, including 0.1 million mu of water surface, it has a permanent population of 23,330. The government of Hufu Town is situated on Jinhu Road, 15 kilometers southwest of the municipal government seat. The built-up area of Hufu Town covers 2.5 square kilometers. As a mountain town in the Yixing region, Hufu serves as a distribution hub for mountain produce and local specialties. It attracts numerous merchants and enjoys a bustling market, earning the nickname “Silver Hufu.”

　Hufu Mountains... Hufu Town Detailed Information++