Suzhou Xishan Scenic Area

Suzhou Xishan Scenic Area

Suzhou Xishan Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national forest park.

Xishan is located over 40 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Suzhou in Taihu Lake, covering an area of 79.8 square kilometers. It is the largest island in China’s freshwater lakes. With its peak, Piaomiao Peak, standing at 336.6 meters above sea level, it is the highest among the seventy-two peaks of Taihu Lake. From the summit, you can overlook Taihu Lake, bask in the sun and moonlight, and enjoy the endless misty beauty—an absolutely stunning sight. Xishan is made enchanting by Taihu Lake, and Taihu Lake is enriched by Xishan. The area features undulating mountains, rugged rocks, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and has since ancient times formed eight major scenic views and seven famous attractions, each evoking emotion through landscape. Major attractions include Shigong Mountain, Taihu Lake Bridge, Linwu Cave, Luohan Temple, and Taihu Plum Garden. The area is also rich in local specialties, and the annual Xishan Plum Blossom Festival attracts numerous visitors.

Forty-one of the seventy-two peaks of Taihu Lake are located on Xishan, with the highest being Piaomiao Peak at 336.6 meters above sea level. The upper parts of the hills are covered with shrubs, sparse woods, and grassy slopes; the middle parts consist of mixed pine and broadleaf forests; while the lower parts are planted with fruit trees and tea bushes. Fruit tree varieties include citrus, bayberry, green plum, loquat, peach, plum, apricot, persimmon, jujube, pomegranate, cherry, grape, ginkgo, and chestnut—offering both southern and northern varieties of fresh and dried fruits. There are flowers in all seasons and scenery throughout the year, making Taihu Xishan a true “mountain of flowers and fruits.” The area also has many ancient trees: three cypresses aged 1,200–1,500 years, two camphor trees over 1,000 years old, twelve camphor trees aged 500–800 years, one podocarpus over 800 years old, one wisteria over 600 years old, two osmanthus trees over 500 years old, three ginkgo trees aged 400–500 years, and two white pines over 300 years old.

Xishan has a long history and numerous historic sites. The Three Mountains Island has yielded stone tools and fossils of ancient animals from 10,000 years ago, pushing the history of the Taihu Lake region back to the Paleolithic Age. Legend has it that Yu the Great came here to control the floods, “after the three rivers flowed in, the vast Taihu Lake was calmed.” King Fuchai of Wu and Xi Shi once enjoyed the summer and moonlight here. The battles between the Wu and Yue states left behind ancient relics such as beacon mounds and warship docks. In the late Qin and early Han dynasties, the “Four Sages of Shangshan” sought refuge and lived in seclusion here. During the Eastern Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism and Taoism flourished, leading to the construction of three nunneries and eighteen temples. Descendants of the Southern Song Dynasty built residences and gardens here, leaving over a hundred ancient buildings. Xishan has been a destination for literati and scholars throughout the ages. Poets and writers such as Bai Juyi, Wang Changling, Pi Rixiu, and Lu Guimeng of the Tang Dynasty; Fan Zhongyan, Fan Chengda, and Su Shunqin of the Song Dynasty; Wen Zhengming and Tang Bohu of the Ming Dynasty; and Shen Deqian and Wang Wan of the Qing Dynasty visited here multiple times and wrote beautiful poems.

Address: Mingyue Bay Village, Jinting Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

Type: Mountain, lake, island/peninsula

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 days

Phone: 0512-61972600, 0158-62330185

Official Website: http://www.xsly.org/

Opening Hours:

Xishan is open all day, but opening hours for individual attractions vary, generally as follows: Summer: 8:00–17:00; Winter: 8:00–16:30.

Ticket Information:

No entrance fee is required for Xishan itself, but individual attractions have varying ticket prices. Linwu Cave: 50 RMB, Shigong Mountain: 50 RMB, Mingyue Bay Ancient Village: 50 RMB, Piaomiao Peak: 60 RMB. For more ticket details, please visit the official website: http://www.xsly.org/xishan.htm

Linwu Cave

Suzhou Shigong Mountain

Mingyue Bay Ancient Village in Taihu Xishan

Xishan Carved Flower Building (Renben Hall)

Shuiyue Chan Temple in Taihu Xishan

Luohan Temple in Taihu Xishan

Piaomiao Peak Scenic Area in Taihu Xishan

Baoshan Temple