Sanshan Island National Wetland Park

Sanshan Island National Wetland Park

Sanshan Island National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Taihu Sanshan Island National Wetland Park, anciently known as Little Penglai, is situated in the middle of Taihu Lake, over fifty kilometers southwest of Suzhou. The park is named after an island with three connected peaks, which legend says are the incarnations of three sisters of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. From the main peak, Beishan, you can gaze at Zhongshan and Nanshan, both standing delicately and majestically, like two beautiful and affectionate women of the Jiangnan region. Scattered across the lake nearby are three smaller islands—Zeshan, Jueshan, and Lishu Mountain—forming the Sanshan Archipelago together with Sanshan Island. It is said that Zeshan and Jueshan are also inhabited by local villagers, numbering around fifty households, who make a living mainly through trading fruits and flowers.

Sanshan Island National Wetland Park boasts a uniquely favorable natural environment, with mild climate and distinct seasons—winters not too cold and summers not too hot. With its emerald mountains and clear waters, the scenery is serene and picturesque. The park yields abundant flowers and fruits all year round. In addition to the "Dongting Red" oranges, there is also the rare fruit known as "Horse-eye Jujube," unmatched nationwide. These jujubes are about two inches in diameter, sweet and refreshing, and there are still 692 ancient jujube trees over a hundred years old.

The Qing Dynasty poet Wu Zhuang once praised Sanshan in his poem: “The dragon aura of Changqi connects to the Three Mountains, while Zhe and Jue stretch as far as the eye can see. Settlements lie scattered amid misty waters, truly resembling Penglai in the mortal realm.” “Surrounded on all sides by flat lake, with mountains standing solitary and exquisite within…” At the museum of Sanshan Island National Wetland Park, you can find Paleolithic stone tools and fossils of ancient vertebrates dating back twelve thousand years. Countless fossilized teeth of ancient humans have been unearthed here. Discovered and excavated in 1984 at Qingfeng Ridge within the park, these findings gave rise to what is called the “Sanshan Culture,” proving that the Taihu Lake basin is also one of the cradles of the Chinese nation. Sanshan Island National Wetland Park stands as a concentrated representation of this culture. The park not only has a long history, but also the Sanshan Culture and the ancient Wu Culture have deep roots and long traditions. Twenty-five hundred years ago, King Fuchai of Wu visited this place, and his younger sister was buried here on Sanshan Island. That is why there is a Little Sister Mountain and a Little Sister Temple (also called Niangniang Temple) on the island. In front of the temple lies a green islet in the lake, referred to by villagers as the Water Burial Platform. Most villagers bear the surname Wu, and some later emigrated overseas. It is said that there are currently three million people with the Wu surname in Taiwan, which explains why our Taiwanese compatriots hold Sanshan Island National Wetland Park in such high regard, often traveling from the island of Taiwan to visit the park in Suzhou.

There are ten scenic spots on the mountain. Among those still preserved are: Banbi Peak, with steep, upright cliffs resembling a natural water-and-stone bonsai; the Sphinx Stone, commonly called Die Stone, strikingly similar to Egypt’s Sphinx; the Twelve Zodiac Stones, situated by Taihu Lake, exquisitely embedded in the rock, shaped like the twelve zodiac animals; the Guting, said to be a former dressing table (or water burial platform); and other sites such as the Incense Burner Stone and Ox-back Rock. Households on the island all grow potted plants, making it a veritable Little Penglai of limpid water and verdant hills. The island enjoys a continuous bounty of flowers and fruits throughout the year, and its clean and peaceful farmhouse accommodations along with pastoral scenery make you feel as if you’ve entered a paradise on earth.

Address: In Taihu Lake, Dongshan Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City (7 km from Luxiang Pier)

Type: Island/Peninsula

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 days

Tel: 0512-66373358

Opening hours:

8:00-18:00