Ancient Camphor Garden in West Taihu Lake

Mingyue Bay Ancient Village in West Taihu Lake

Mingyue Bay Ancient Village is located at the southern tip of West Taihu Lake Island, currently part of Shigong Administrative Village, Jin Ting Town, Wuzhong District (Taihu National Tourist Resort), Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It lies in the natural village of Daming Bay, two kilometers west of the famous Shigong Mountain. Legend has it that Mingyue Bay had already formed as a village as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. Most of its residents were slaves captured from the State of Yue, with the people of Wu in the minority. In addition to producing food for themselves and their leaders, they also had to provide meals and services for King Wu and Xi Shi when they visited for leisure. On Shiplan Mountain behind the village, the ruins of Meihua Spring, where Xi Shi once washed her makeup, are still preserved today. As the population grew, the village expanded accordingly. By the Tang and Song dynasties, Mingyue Bay had largely taken shape as a chessboard-like mountain village layout.

During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, Mingyue Bay reached its peak, with the construction of a large number of exquisite residences, as well as public buildings such as ancestral halls, stone-paved streets, river docks, and wharves. This well-developed village layout has continued to this day and is highly regarded for its unique and intact ancient village charm. During the Qing Dynasty, Mingyue Bay belonged to the Sixth Map of the Thirty-fifth District (Dongting Township) of Wuxian County. During the Republican era, it was successively incorporated into Wuxiang Township, Huili Township, Xiaoxia Township, and Daxia Town in Xishan District. In the early years after liberation, it was successively placed under Minghui Township and Shigong Township (small township) in Xishan District. After collectivization, it was placed under Mingwan Brigade (village) of Shigong Commune (township). In 1987, when the three townships of Xishan merged to form a town, Mingyue Bay became part of Mingwan Administrative Village in Xishan Town. In 2003, after a village merger, it was incorporated into Shigong Administrative Village. The existing ancient village area of Mingyue Bay covers about 9 hectares, with nearly 100 buildings from the Qing Dynasty and a resident population of over 400. Most residents are farmers who make a living by growing flowers, fruits, Biluochun tea, and through fishing and aquaculture in Taihu Lake. The common surnames are Jin, Deng, Qin, Huang, and Wu, descendants of aristocratic families who retreated to the area during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Most of the existing houses in Mingyue Bay were built during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. The residents became wealthy through business ventures and fruit cultivation, constructing high-end residences such as Lihetang, Ligengtang, Zhanruitang, Zhanlutang, Hansanfang, Xuejiatang, Jintang, Deng Family Ancestral Hall, Wu Family Ancestral Hall, Huang Family Ancestral Hall, and Qin Family Ancestral Hall. These residences and ancestral halls feature exquisite and elegant brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings, with some also adorned with magnificent Suzhou-style colored paintings. While the individual ancient buildings in Mingyue Bay may not match the scale or decorative intricacy of those in Dongcun, Tangli, or Wanli on West Taihu Lake Island, Mingyue Bay has a greater number of ancient structures that are more densely distributed. They are surrounded by a stone-paved street stretching over 1,000 meters, better preserving the original appearance of a Jiangnan ancient village.

At the entrance of Mingyue Bay Village, along the river, stands an ancient camphor tree, 25 meters tall with a trunk diameter of 2 meters, which is over a thousand years old and still very lush. The Mingyue Bridge over the river is also a Qing Dynasty granite structure, with a straight and lightweight design, and remains the main crossing point. Mingyue Bay has a long history and beautiful scenery, making it a place of admiration for literati since ancient times. Famous scholars such as Bai Juyi, Pi Rixiu, Lu Guimeng, Monk Jiao Ran, Liu Changqing, Jia Dao, Huang Tingjian, Wu Cun, Gao Qi, Wang Shizhen, Wang Shimao, and Shen Deqian have all left poems and writings praising Mingyue Bay.

Address: Mingyue Bay Ancient Village, Jin Ting Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

Type: Ancient Town/Village

Recommended Visit Duration: About 2 hours

Phone: 0512-66370098

Opening Hours:

The ancient village is open all day; opening hours for smaller internal attractions: 8:00–17:00 in summer, 8:00–16:30 in winter.

Ticket Information:

Adult ticket: 50 RMB; children between 1.2 m and 1.4 m in height, and seniors aged 60–70 with valid ID: half price; children under 1.2 m and seniors over 70 with valid ID: free entry.

Suzhou West Taihu Lake Scenic Area

Linwu Cave

Suzhou Shigong Mountain

Xishan Carved Flower Mansion (Renben Hall)

Taihu West Taihu Lake Shuiyue Temple

Taihu West Taihu Lake Luohan Temple

Taihu West Taihu Lake Piaomiao Peak Scenic Area

Baoshan Temple