Dong Village, West Hill, Taihu Lake

Dong Village, West Hill, Taihu Lake

Dong Village got its name because the hermit Dongyuangong once lived here. It is located southwest of Fenghuang Mountain in the northwest part of West Hill Island. The village has the Temple of Dongyuangong, whose front gate bears four regular script characters reading “Temple of Dongyuangong,” while the horizontal plaque on the back reads “Leader of Shangshan.” Dong Village is a historic, large-scale, and rustic mountain village on West Hill Island, where many well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty buildings still remain to this day, including Jingxiu Hall, Fanggui Hall, Shensi Hall, Ruimu Hall, Renyu Hall, Yansheng Hall, Xuepu Hall, Liugeng Hall, Shaoyi Hall, Xiaoyou Hall, Rende Hall, Dunhe Hall, Cuixiu Hall, and Qixian Lane Gate.

Covering an area of over 2,000 square meters, Jingxiu Hall is the largest ancient building on West Hill Island. Built in the 17th year of the Qianlong reign (1752 AD), it has six courtyards in total. The entrance features a high doorstep with stone door blocks on both sides, carved with floral reliefs. Above the gate is a horizontal beam decorated with carvings of flowers representing the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Qixian Lane Gate is a Ming dynasty structure. The lane gate is 2.24 meters wide and 1.9 meters deep, and the entire building is constructed from nanmu wood. Qixian Lane is long and quiet, with bluestone paving and bluestone bases along the walls of the residences on both sides, giving it a simple and solemn feel. At the entrance to the village, there is also the Yong’an Bridge built during the Qianlong era, featuring a bluestone beam design. Beside the bridge stands an ancient elm tree, creating a picturesque scene where old tree and stone bridge complement each other.

Transportation Guide

Location: Dong Village, West Hill Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Transport options: From downtown Suzhou, take a bus bound for West Hill Town of Taihu Lake, then transfer to bus 699 and get off at Yinshan Dam Station.