Taihu Lake Tourism Resort in Huzhou

　　Located on the southern shore of Taihu Lake, it is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and also 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 against mountains and beside water, the resort enjoys favorable climatic and water quality conditions and boasts abundant tourism resources, including lakeside landscapes naturally formed along a hundred-mile-long embankment, as well as natural scenery such as forested bamboo seas, green hills and cliffs, streams and waterfalls, and the shimmering interplay of lake and mountain. In the distance, seventy-two peaks loom ethereally, rising and falling with the waves; up close, the scenery is picturesque with clear waters and green mountains, dotted with fishing boats, forming a natural picture of the Jiangnan water town.

　　Taihu Lake Tourism Resort in Huzhou is located 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, and serves as an important platform for Huzhou to build a modern, ecological, lakeside metropolis, as well as a key new lakeside district prioritized by the city. Within a 20-square-kilometer area, the region concentrates five major types of key tourism resources: Taihu Lake, hot springs, wetlands, Bian Mountain, and Fahua Temple (Guanyin).

　　First is the misty expanse of Taihu Lake. The resort faces the vast, sea-like South Taihu Lake and holds development rights for 64 kilometers of shoreline and 300 square kilometers of lake surface. Second is the stunning wetland. The pristine wetland of Changtianyang is located in the southwest of the resort, stretching from Taihu Road in the east to Bian Mountain in the west, and 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. It has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization as the most developmentally promising and tourist-attractive 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 heritage of Wu-Yue culture. It is home to Fahua Temple, Jinjing (Golden Well), Yuwan (Jade Stream), Rudu (Milk Cave), Gypsum Hot Springs, Xiangwang Zouma Lie (King Xiang’s Horse Racing Ground), Yinma Chi (Horse Drinking Pool), Xima Shi (Horse Tying Stone), Shenjia Bidong (Shen Family’s Hidden Cave), Huanglong Dong (Yellow Dragon Cave), Biyan (Jade Cliff), Xiuyan (Elegant Cliff), and Longyan (Dragon Cliff). Legend has it that Bian Mountain features three cliffs, 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 poems. 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 Guanyin attained enlightenment. The temple is renowned both in China and abroad, enjoying thriving incense offerings. On Guanyin’s birthday, enlightenment day, and nirvana day, hundreds of thousands of devotees come to worship. 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. Their formation is mainly due to deep groundwater circulation caused by fault zones, bringing deep heat sources into the water and raising temperatures through magma rock bodies. Exploration shows that the total daily output of geothermal water in the resort area reaches 3,000 tons, with good water quality containing more than ten types of trace minerals. Among these, the fluoride content reaches 2.76 mg/L, meeting the naming standard for thermal mineral water, giving it high medical and health value.

　　In recent years, the resort has closely integrated the municipal Party committee and government’s strategic goal of building a modern, ecological, lakeside metropolis with the actual development of the lakeside new district. It has fully tapped into the resort’s concentrated and distinctive resources, gradually forming a development and construction approach and goals suited to the resort’s reality: namely, accelerating the development of four centers — a top-tier domestic leisure and holiday center, a world-renowned brand shopping center in East China, an influential fitness and recreation center in the Yangtze River Delta, and a tourism and sightseeing center on the southern shore of Taihu Lake. Through 3 to 5 years of development and construction, all landmark projects within the 5-square-kilometer lakeside area — including the Pearl of Taihu, Binhu Avenue, Fisherman’s Wharf, world-famous brand discount stores, yacht clubs, and hot spring golf courses — will be completed and operational. Within 5 to 10 years, the lakeside new district will be developed into Shanghai’s new Bund, the Central Playground of the Yangtze River Delta, and China’s first pure lifestyle international community integrating tourism, shopping, leisure, holidays, and residence.

　　Taihu Lake Tourism Resort in Huzhou is a provincial-level tourism resort and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. 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 in Huzhou combines major 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. 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 called Zhensheng and also known as 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, the vast blue waters shift with morning light and evening rain, amid misty or clear light, where mountains and water complement each other in rich layers. The natural scenery is ever-changing, blending delicate beauty and divine elegance, refreshing the mind and spirit and forming a natural scroll painting of “mountains beyond mountains and lakes beyond lakes, with dark peaks clustered and springs scattered among caves.” The Taihu Lake basin administratively spans Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Anhui — three provinces and one municipality. Taihu Lake Tourism Resort in Huzhou holds development rights for 64 kilometers of shoreline and 300 square kilometers of 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, having endured many changes. The temple is widely renowned as the true body hall of Guanyin, and has always enjoyed thriving incense offerings. For over a thousand years, on Guanyin’s birthday, enlightenment day, and ascension day, devout men and women from both sides of Taihu Lake have made arduous journeys to worship. In recent years, after visiting Mount Putuo, many worshippers from Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, China, have also come to pay homage 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 say: “The mountain spans a hundred li, and although its various sections are known by different 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 so towering that its peak cannot be seen except under the clear autumn moon.” Its main peak, Yunfengding, stands 521.6 meters above sea level, majestically positioned at the heart of Bian Mountain. It resembles 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 boasts a beautiful environment, excellent ecology, dense reeds, and flocks of water birds. It is rich in flora and fauna, including wild water bamboo, wild water chestnuts, reeds, wild ducks, and water birds. The surrounding villages exhibit a typical pastoral landscape, presenting a vivid and pristine Jiangnan water town scene. As the closest wetland to an urban area in the Jiangnan region, it has been recognized by the World Tourism Organization as the most developmentally promising and tourist-attractive 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 a climate well-suited for holidays. The area is rich in flora and fauna, with high vegetation coverage, showcasing different sceneries in each season.

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

　　Address: Taihu Lake Tourism Resort, Nanxihu, 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