Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou

Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou

Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a national water conservancy scenic area.

Located on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, it is a national AAAA-level tourist area and the only provincial-level tourism resort in Zhejiang Province developed based on Taihu Lake resources. The entire resort covers an area of 8 square kilometers. Nestled between mountains and water, the resort enjoys favorable climatic and water quality conditions and boasts abundant tourism resources. There are lakeside landscapes naturally formed along a hundred-mile-long embankment, as well as forests and bamboo seas, verdant mountains and jade-like rocks, streams, springs, waterfalls, and picturesque lake and mountain scenery. In the distance, seventy-two peaks appear misty and ethereal, rising and falling with the waves; up close, the scenery is bright with clear waters and dotted fishing boats, forming a series of natural paintings of the Jiangnan water town.

Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, is situated on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, the largest natural lake in China’s eastern coastal region, covering a regional area of 40.5 square kilometers. It administers two subdistricts: Renhuangshan and Binhu, serving as an important carrier for Huzhou’s development into a modern ecological lakeside city and the key lakeside new district prioritized by the city. Within a 20-square-kilometer area, the region clusters five major types of tourism resources: Taihu Lake, hot springs, wetlands, Bian Mountain, and Fahua Temple (Guanyin).

First is the misty expanse of Taihu Lake. The Taihu Lake Tourism Resort faces the vast, sea-like South Taihu Lake, holding development rights over a 64-kilometer shoreline and 300-square-kilometer lake surface. Second is the stunning wetland. The pristine Changtianyang Wetland is located in the southwest of the resort, stretching from Taihu Road in the east to Bian Mountain in the west, from Qiucheng Gate in the north to the Shen-Su-Zhe-Wan Expressway in the south, covering a total area of about 7 square kilometers. The wetland features a beautiful environment and excellent ecology, making it the closest wetland to an urban area in the Jiangnan region, and is recognized by the World Tourism Organization as the most developmentally promising and tourist-attracting resource in the Taihu Lake area. Third is the majestic Bian Mountain. Known as the main mountain of Huzhou, its highest peak, Yunfengding, stands at 521.6 meters above sea level, making it the tallest peak around Taihu Lake. Bian Mountain is rich in hot spring resources and steeped in the profound historical legacy of Wu-Yue culture. It hosts Fahua Temple, Jinjing (Golden Well), Yu Jian (Jade Stream), Ru Dou (Milk Caves), Gypsum Hot Springs, Xiangwang Zouma Lie (Xiangwang’s Horse Racing Grounds), Yinma Chi (Horse Drinking Pool), Xima Shi (Horse Tying Stone), Shenjia Bì Dong (Shen Family’s Avoidance Cave), Huanglong Dong (Yellow Dragon Cave), Bi Yan (Jade Rock), Xiu Yan (Elegant Rock), and Long Yan (Dragon Rock). Legend has it that Bian Mountain has three rocks, six caves, nine temples, and thirteen monasteries. Historical figures and scholars such as Wang Xizhi, Du Mu, Yan Zhenqing, Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, and Zhao Mengfu have all visited here, leaving behind immortal poetry. Fourth is the thousand-year-old Fahua Temple. Also known as Baique Temple, Fahua Temple was first built during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties and has a history of over 1,700 years. It is one of the four ancient temples of Huzhou. Legend says Huzhou is the birthplace of Guanyin, and Fahua Temple is where she attained enlightenment. The temple enjoys widespread fame both in China and abroad, with thriving incense offerings. On the birthdays of Guanyin, her enlightenment day, and her ascension day, hundreds of thousands of worshippers visit to pay homage. Fifth is the thermal radon hot springs. At the foot of Bian Mountain lies highly valuable radon hot spring resources, with an average water temperature of nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Currently, there are five hot spring exploration wells within the resort, located in Cangshan, Taishiwan, Shenjiadong, the golf course, and the ecological parking area. These formations are primarily caused by deep groundwater circulation along fault zones, bringing deep heat sources into the water and raising the temperature through magmatic rock activity. Exploration indicates that the total daily output of geothermal water in the resort area reaches 3,000 tons, with good water quality containing over ten trace minerals. The fluoride content reaches 2.76 mg/L, meeting the naming standards for thermal mineral water, offering high medical and health benefits.

In recent years, the resort has closely integrated the municipal party committee and government’s strategic goal of building a modern ecological lakeside city with the actual development of the lakeside new district. By fully tapping into the resort’s concentrated and distinctive resources, it has gradually formed development and construction ideas and goals aligned with its realities: namely, accelerating the construction of four centers — a top-tier domestic leisure and vacation center, a world-renowned brand shopping center in East China, an influential fitness and recreation center in the Yangtze River Delta, and a Taihu Lake lakeside tourism and sightseeing center. Through 3 to 5 years of development and construction, all landmark projects within the 5-square-kilometer lakeside area, including the Taihu Pearl, Binhu Avenue, Fisherman’s Wharf, World Brand Discount Stores, Yacht Club, and Hot Spring Golf, will be completed and operational. Within 5 to 10 years, the lakeside new district will be developed into Shanghai’s new Bund, the central amusement park of the Yangtze River Delta, and China’s first pure lifestyle international community integrating tourism, shopping, leisure, vacation, and residence.

Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, is a provincial-level tourism resort and a national 4A-level tourist area. It is located in the northern part of Huzhou city, on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, 8 kilometers from the city center. It covers a land area of 220 square kilometers and a water area of 300 square kilometers, with a 64-kilometer shoreline.

Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, combines important tourism resources such as mountains, water, lakes, and wetlands in one location. The area is rich in tourism resources. For 1,500 years from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has been a famous scenic tourist destination in the Jiangnan region. Historical figures such as Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin, Bao Zhao and Xiao Gang of the Southern Dynasties, Du Mu, Li Shen, Lu Yu, and Yan Zhenqing of the Tang Dynasty, Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, Zhang Xian, and Ye Mengde of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu, Wang Meng, and Huang Jie of the Yuan Dynasty, Min Wanggui, Zhu Changchun, Zheng Mingxuan, Zhang Yu, Fan Li, and Wang Zhi of the Ming Dynasty, and Wu Qi of the Qing Dynasty have all visited here, leaving behind many immortal masterpieces.

Taihu Lake, anciently known as Zhenze and also called Wuhu, is China’s third-largest freshwater lake, covering a surface area of more than 2,000 square kilometers with 48 large and small islands and 72 peaks. Here, vast blue waves stretch as far as the eye can see, with morning sunlight and evening rains, misty veils and sunny glows, mountains and water intermingling in rich layers, creating a constantly changing natural landscape that blends delicate beauty and sublime grandeur, refreshing the mind and spirit to form a natural scroll painting of “mountains beyond mountains and lakes beyond lakes, clustered dark peaks with springs and caves scattered throughout.” The Taihu Lake basin administratively spans Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Anhui—three provinces and one municipality. Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, holds development rights over a 64-kilometer shoreline and 300-square-kilometer lake surface.

Fahua Temple was first built during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty and has a history of over 1,700 years, enduring many changes. The temple is renowned as the true form hall of Guanyin and has always enjoyed thriving incense offerings. For over a thousand years, on the birthdays, enlightenment days, and ascension days of Guanyin, devout men and women from both sides of Taihu Lake have made pilgrimages through mountains and rivers to worship. In recent years, after visiting Mount Putuo, many worshippers from Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, China, have also come to pay their respects at Fahua Temple.

“Wuxing is rich in mountains and waters, with Bian Mountain standing as the most revered of all peaks.” Bian Mountain has long been known as the main mountain of Huzhou. It connects to the Tiaoxi River to the south, borders the misty expanse of Taihu Lake to the north, and is flanked by continuous mountain ranges to the east and west. Old records state: “The mountain spans a hundred li, though scattered with individual names, they are all part of Bian.” Its scenery is known for its vast and majestic presence. Zhang Xuanzhi of the Jin Dynasty described in “Wuxing Shanxu Ming” that “Bian Mountain is towering, its peak invisible except under crisp autumn skies and bright moons.” Its main peak, Yunfengding, stands at 521.6 meters above sea level, dominating the center of Bian Mountain like the back of a great roc, its head held high to the northwest and its tail pointing to the southeast, making it the tallest peak around Taihu Lake.

The wetland is located in the southwest of the resort, covering a total area of 7 square kilometers with an average depth of 2–3 meters. The wetland features a beautiful environment, excellent ecology, dense reeds, and flocks of water birds, with a rich variety of flora and fauna, including wild water bamboo, wild water chestnuts, reeds, wild ducks, and water birds. The surrounding villages exhibit a typical pastoral style, presenting a vivid and pristine water town scene. It is the closest wetland to an urban area in the Jiangnan region and is recognized by the World Tourism Organization as the most developmentally promising and tourist-attracting resource in the Taihu Lake area.

The resort falls within the subtropical monsoon climate zone, characterized by distinct seasons, mild climate, abundant rainfall, and plentiful sunshine. The annual average temperature is 15.2°C, the annual average sunshine duration is 2,074 hours, and the prevailing wind direction is southeasterly, making it suitable for vacationing. The area has a rich diversity of flora and fauna, high vegetation coverage, and presents different sceneries in each season.

Since its re-establishment in June 2005, Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Huzhou, has been steadily and methodically progressing with its development and construction. As the core of the South Taihu Lake area, it is the most important carrier for Huzhou’s vision of becoming a “modern ecological lakeside city,” the key area prioritized for future urban development, and the leading force in Huzhou’s tourism growth.

Address: South Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Wuxing District, Huzhou City

Type: Lake Resort

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 days

Official Website: http://www.taihu.gov.cn/index.asp

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 20.0 RMB