Dashishan Mountain

Dashishan Mountain

Dashishan Mountain is a cultural heritage site protected by the Suzhou municipal government.

Dashishan Mountain, located south of Tong’an Town, is an extension of Yangshan Mountain and stands over 80 meters tall.

Dashishan Mountain is located in Shucun Village in the Suzhou High-Tech District. Backed by Yangshan Mountain, it boasts towering cliffs, layered verdant peaks, and from a distance looks like a majestic lotus rising halfway up the slopes of Yangshan. Since the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Dashishan has risen in prominence, attracting numerous scholars and poets who composed verses and left inscriptions here, resulting in a wealth of precious cultural heritage. It seems nature has particularly favored Dashishan, as all the beauty of the surrounding forests is embodied here — from clear springs and unusual rocks to graceful woods, it has it all. Moreover, it encompasses the four defining traits of a famous mountain: seclusion, wonder, danger, and antiquity. The Ming dynasty master garden designer Ge Yuliang visited Dashishan and later modeled the UNESCO World Heritage Site Humble Administrator’s Garden’s famous landscapes after Dashishan’s features. Ancient texts such as the “Hushuguan Annals” and the “Yangshan Annals” contain numerous poems, songs, and folk legends about Dashishan left behind by historical figures.

In ancient times, Dashishan was celebrated for its Eight Scenic Spots: the Rock-Worshiping Pavilion, the Hermit-Calling Bridge, the Evening-Viewing Screen, the Bamboo Steps, the Jade-Dust Stream, the Pine House, the Bayberry Ridge, and the Cloud-Receiving Pavilion. The mountain’s beauty also captivated many literati who composed poems and inscribed their calligraphy, giving rise to the famous “Dashishan Couplet.” Today, cliff inscriptions such as “Great Literary Masterpiece,” “Sunset Rock,” “Fairy Bridge,” and “Fairy Terrace” can still be found. The best time to visit Dashishan is around the summer solstice when the bayberries in the mountains ahead and behind are ripe, their trees blazing like fire and clouds, offering visitors a feast for the taste buds. The nearby Shucun Village maintains its pristine ecology, and the mountains produce high-quality tea and Cuiguan pears, along with opportunities to enjoy farmhouse meals.

Dashishan has long been praised as “matchless in the Jiangnan region, a natural painting scroll, and a vast landscape in a small frame.”