Guangfu Xiangxuehai Scenic Area

Guangfu Xiangxuehai Scenic Area

Guangfu Xiangxuehai Scenic Area is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Dengwei’s plum blossoms are the finest under heaven — nowhere in sight is without plum trees. As early as the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, Guangfu pioneered the history of plum cultivation. The Ming Dynasty scholar Yao Ximeng once wrote in his essay “Miscellaneous Poems on Plum Blossoms”: “For the abundance of plum blossoms, none can surpass the Wu region, and among them, the hills of Guangfu are the very best.” At that time, the annual plum blossom excursion to Dengwei had already become a tradition in the Suzhou-Shanghai area. The original Guangfu Annals recorded: “Of the so-called twenty-four floral seasonal breezes, the plum blossom signal is the foremost. During that season, literati and poets from all over would come either to seek scenic beauty or to admire the plum blossoms. Boats and carriages came in an endless stream, reaching their peak during spring.”

The best place to admire plum blossoms in Dengwei is undoubtedly Xiangxuehai. Located on Majia Mountain (also called Wujia Mountain) southwest of Guangfu Town, Xiangxuehai was named by Jiangsu Governor Song Luo in 1696 (the 35th year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty). Overwhelmed by the sight of “a vast expanse of white from afar, like a sea of snow rippling for thousands of acres,” he bestowed the name “Xiangxuehai” (Fragrant Snow Sea) and inscribed it on a cliff on Majia Mountain. Since then, Xiangxuehai has gained fame across the land. On March 17, 1960, Xiangxuehai was designated as a cultural heritage site protected at the county level in Wu County (including stone inscriptions, pavilions, and halls).

The Xiangxuehai Scenic Area features attractions such as the Wenmei Pavilion, Plum Blossom Pavilion, and Qianlong’s Imperial Poem Stele.

The “Wenmei Pavilion” is situated halfway up Majia Mountain. Inside the pavilion, a pair of coiling dragon pillars supports beams inscribed with Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy: “Sparse shadows slant across clear shallow water; subtle fragrance drifts beneath the moon’s pale glow.”

Following the mountain path beside the Wenmei Pavilion and climbing upward leads to the world-renowned “Plum Blossom Pavilion” of Xiangxuehai. Crafted by the famed artisan Yao Chengzu from the Wu region, the Plum Blossom Pavilion boasts a unique design and exquisite craftsmanship. The entire structure is pentagonal, shaped like a plum blossom, with its roof tiles, pillars, railings, and floral brick floor all designed in the form of five-petal plum blossoms, blending harmoniously with the surrounding scenery and symbolizing the pavilion being nestled among plum blossoms. The rooftop is crowned with a bronze crane, symbolizing the ideal of “taking the plum as wife and the crane as son.”

Just a short distance south of the Plum Blossom Pavilion lies a stele engraved with an imperial poem by Emperor Qianlong. During his six visits to Dengwei Xiangxuehai in the 16th (1751), 22nd (1757), 27th (1762), 30th (1765), 45th (1780), and 49th (1784) years of his reign, Emperor Qianlong composed “The Song of Dengwei Xiangxuehai” five times, each inscribed on a stele. However, all other stelae have faded with time, except for the one from his third visit. The stele consists of the body and the top. The body stands 236 cm tall, 114.5 cm wide, and 32 cm thick; the top is 124.5 cm wide and 70 cm high, featuring bas-relief carvings of two dragons playing with a pearl, their bodies coiling dynamically, with the words “Imperial Brush” carved in the center. The inscription includes three poetic odes titled “The Song of Dengwei Xiangxuehai.”

Scenic Area Address: Fuhu Road, Nixiang Village, Guangfu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province (near Yaoshang Road)

Transportation: Take bus no. 63, 64, or 651 within Suzhou City and get off at Xiangxuehai Station.

Self-driving Route:

From Shanghai: G42 Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway → S5 Changjia Expressway → S58 Shanghai–Changzhou Expressway → Exit at Guangfu → Xiangxuehai

From Nanjing: G42 Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway → S9 Suzhou–Shaoxing Expressway → S58 Shanghai–Changzhou Expressway → Exit at Guangfu → Xiangxuehai

From Nantong: G15 Shenhai Expressway → Sutong Bridge → G15W Changtai Expressway → S48 Shanghai–Yixing Expressway → S58 Shanghai–Changzhou Expressway → Exit at Guangfu → Xiangxuehai

From Hangzhou: G15W Changtai Expressway → S58 Shanghai–Changzhou Expressway → Exit at Guangfu → Xiangxuehai

Address: Xiangxuehai Scenic Area, Fuhu Road, Guangfu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City

Type: Botanical Garden

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0512-66959608

Official Website: http://www.szgfly.com/index.html

Opening Hours:

8:00-16:30

Ticket Information:

Peak Season (February 1 – March 31): 30 RMB; Off-Peak Season (all other times): 20 RMB

Guangfu Town: Located in the western suburbs of Suzhou City, on the shores of Taihu Lake, Guangfu Town is 21.5 kilometers from the city center. The town covers a land area of 62 square kilometers, with about 160 square kilometers of Taihu Lake waters and approximately 32 kilometers of shoreline. It governs 10 villages (communities) with a permanent population of 63,000.

Known for its reputation as a “land of lake views, mountain hues, and spiritual bliss,” Guangfu boasts superior ecological resources, beautiful natural scenery, and profound cultural heritage. Emperor Qianlong visited here during all six of his southern tours. The town is home to more than twenty large and small mountains such as Dengwei Mountain, Xuanguan Mountain, and Xiqi Mountain, as well as lakes like Dongyan and Xiyang. It is also famous for attractions such as Xiangxuehai and Situ Temple... More information on Guangfu Town++