Vacation in Wuxi China with Asian Vacations, Inc.

WUXI ATTRACTIONS

Taihu Lake Scenery Zone
Situated in the southwest suburb of the city, 4km away from the urban area, Taihu Lake Scenery Zone consists of Meiliang Lake scenery zone and Lihu scenery zone. Meiliang Lake is a bay of Taihu Lake covering approximately 200 sq. km. It is the best spot of Taihu Lake Scenery Zone with Turtle Head Islet as its main part. Turtle Head Islet was originally founded in 1918. Then Hengyun Mountain village, Guangfu temple, Taihu Lake Villa and Zhen Park were built one after another. In the 1980s, it was largely expanded and its total area reaches 130 hectare (one hectare (ha) = 2.47 acres). Luding Hill is at the center of the scenery zone with an elevation of 96m. Situated on this are Xizi Pond, Fanli Hall, Jin'ou Pavilion, Shutian Attic and Youyou Pavilion. There is an island called Three-hill Island with an area of 12 ha, 3.6km south of Turtle Head Islet in Taihu Lake. They are miraculous for their isolation, smallness and exquisiteness. The highest peak of Three-hills is named Three Peaks. The Huicui building was constructed on the southern slope of Three Peaks. On the top of the highest peak stands the Poem Tablet Pavilion, built according to Wen Zhengming, an outstanding scholar's poem about Taihu Lake. Lihu Lake, with another name Five Li Lake, is a bay of Taihu Lake in the northwest, covering an area of 9.5 sq. km. It is named after the legend of Fanli and Xishi (one of the four beauties in ancient China). Li Garden, formerly Fanli's residence occupies a corner of Lihu Lake covering an area of 8.2 ha. 40% of this area is covered with water. It includes four tourist areas: Four Season Pavilion, the core of the park, South Dan Lakeshore, New District and Rockery Group. Among them, the Old Bridge was constructed by Rong Desheng in 1934. The 375 m long bridge links Turtle Head Islet and the urban district. The New Bridge was constructed in 1984.

Dongling Academy of Classical Learning
The Dongling Academy is one of the four academies of classical learning at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). It is situated at Sujia Alley near the East Gate of the city. Yangshi, (also called Gui Shan) a well-known scholar in the North Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD), established the Guishan Academy to disseminate the Confucian philosophy of Chenhao and Chenyi. Later in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), it was renamed Dongling Nunnery. In 1604 AD, the Ming Dynasty, Gu Xiangcheng and Gao Panlong were dismissed from office, went back to their hometown and established the Dongling Academy. At that time, thousands of scholars assembled in the academy to discuss state affairs, making it a center for speeches on state affairs. Here, you can see more scenic spots like the Daonan Ancestral Hall, Yimeng Gate, Lizhe Hall, Yiyong Hall, Kangxi Tablet Pavilion, Holy City Gate and other ancient architecture.

The Taihu Lake Film and TV Studio Town
Founded by China Central Television Station in 1987, it is the earliest movie and TV program production base in China. Up till now, it has created a Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) Town, a European style Town, a Three Kingdom Period (220-581 AD) Town and an Asian Town. The Tang Town, opened to tourists in 1991, was built especially for filming a TV series entitled Emperor Tang Ming Huang. It has an area of 13 ha (1 ha = 2.47 acres) and there are almost a hundred scenic spots in it. You can view palaces and streets in the style of the Tang Dynasty, Scent-Sunk Pavilion, Lishan Mountain Attic and Huaqing Hot Spring. More than 20 TV plays have been produced here including The Favorite Concubine Yang. Tourists may also have a chance to enjoy the Tang Dynasty glorious palace etiquette and appreciate the dance show of the Tang Dynasty. Opposite Tang Town, the European Town is situated on the other side of Taihu Lake with an area of 13 ha. There are a total of 6 scenery zones and over 30 scenic spots inside the town, including the French Arch of Triumph, British Gardens, a Spanish Bullfight Arena, Saint Mark Square, Florence's Aristocratic Square, and more. The Three Kingdoms Town is located in Dafu Village on the bank of Taihu Lake, occupying an area of 33 ha. It is here that The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was filmed. Here, tourists can visit the military camp of Cao, castles on water, warships, and the palaces of kingdom Wu and Ganlu (Sweet dew) Temple. Film and TV cultural shows, like the Wedding Ceremony of Liubei-the King of Wu kingdom and the Scheme of Cheating Arrows, with clustered scarecrows on the decks of warships are performed regularly in the town.

Xihui Scenery Zone
The Xihui Scenery Zone extends from east to the west of the Lofty Mountain in the west of the urban district of Wuxi City. With winding Huishan Hill and glorious Xishan Hill, there are many places of interests here covering an area of 6.85 sq. km. Jichang Park, a well-known park constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), is situated at the west of Heng Street. Inside, there is ancient architecture, such as Jiashu Hall, Linfan Attic, Royal Tablet Pavilion, Hanbi Pavilion and rockeries created of stones from Taihu Lake. Jichang Park was a place where Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianglong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) were bound to visit during their inspection tours of Southern China. Huishan Temple which has an access to Jichang Park was constructed in the South & North Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Some parts do still exist-Ancient Hua Mountain Gate, Scripture Building of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and Sung Dynasties, the Hall of Buddha's Warrior Attendants, the Royal Tablet Pavilion, and the Ting Song Stone (the stone on which the owner enjoyed the sound of the wind in the pinewood). The Moon Rising Cave is considered the second best spring in China. It is said that there were nine dragons and thirteen springs in Huishan Hill; Moon Rising spring is the most well-known. To the north is Huishan Hill, while to south is Xishan Hill. On top of Xishan Hill is a seven-story octagonal Brick Pagoda-Longguang Pagoda constructed in the Ming Dynasty. Around Xishan Hill you will find Yin Shanhu Lake, the Cuckoo Garden and All-flowers Pavilion. This entire area is also called Xihui Park.

Yi Garden
Built in 1921, to the west of South Street in Yixing city, this garden was once a private park of the Ren Family. Now a part of it is laid out to be the Exhibition Hall of Xu Beihong, an outstanding artist. Although the garden is small in size, you can see the Lotus Pool, the Yanxian Spring, the Nine-folds Bridge, Pavilions and platforms. There are 22 tablets exhibited in the garden; among them, the tablet of the Chaste Woman, written by Li Bai-a great poet and engraved by Li Yangbing during the reign of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). This is the most famous.

The Yixing Pottery and Porcelain Exhibition Hall
This Exhibition Hall is situated at the foot of Crane Mountain, west of Dingshu Town in Yixing city. It was constructed in 1980 and has an area of 1,500 sq.m. The hall consists of 10 exhibition rooms, the ancient pottery, new product purple-sand pottery, refined pottery, celadon, color-gazed pottery, industrial pottery and artistic pottery. A total of over 10,000 treasures of ancient pottery, porcelain pieces and modern pottery and porcelain are exhibited.

Wuxi Folk Custom Village
This village is also called Wu Culture Park and is located on the West High Mountain in Yanqiao Town of the North Suburb, covering an area of 47 ha (1 ha = 2.47 acres). It is a multi-function park combining culture, education and tourism. The village connotes the regional folk customs, culture and history of the original Wu kingdom and fully expresses them in artistic forms of cultural relics and park landscapes. The scenery spots consists of Yunwu Gate, Jiazi Hall, Abundant Rice Dike, Silkworm and Mulberry Tree Alley, Ancient Wu village, Cultural Center, Custom Center and Art Gallery of the Wu Region.

The Plum Park Scenery Zone
This Scenery Zone lies in the west suburb of Wuxi city, 7km away from the city's center. Famous for its hills, Plum Park has its name as a resort for admiring the beauty of plums. It was constructed by national industrialists, Romg Zhongjing and Rong Desheng in 1912 and covers an area of 54 ha (1 ha = 2.47 acres). Inside the park, there are 3.7 ha of plum woods with over 3,500 plum trees planted. Several cultural relics and historic sites related to the Rong family are preserved here. Between Hushan Hill and Hengshan Hill in the park, is a famous Buddhist Temple-Haiyuan Temple, originally constructed in 1934. On every Chinese New Year's Eve, the ceremony to strike the first New-year bell is held here. There are three treasures housed in the temple-the Bronze Statue of Maitreya, the Inverted Bell and the Portrait of Father Bodhisattva presented by Thai, Japanese and American friends respectively.

Ling Gu Cave
Ling Gu Cave lies in the Yangxian mountainous area, 27km southwest of Yixing city. The entire cave is 8,200 sq. m and the route of travel is 1,200 m with an upper and a lower entrance, seven halls and a total of more than 30 scenic spots at the bottom of the cave. The Greeting Guests Pine and the Running Waterfall on the steep cliffs are characterized by magnificence and glory; the assemble of a thousand Buddhas is very lifelike. Poems of tourists in the Sung Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) are still in existence on the stone walls. Stepping out of the cave, halfway up the mountain, a vast sea of bamboo and a tea plantation will satisfy the mind and the eye.

Shan Juan Cave
Located in the Luoyan Hill, 25km southwest of Yixing city is Shan Juan Cave, discovered in the Spring and Autumn Period. It is said that a Master, Shan Juan, lived here as a hermit. The cave covers an area of 5,000 sq. m with an 800 m route of cruise. It is divided into upper, middle, lower and water, three stories and four caves with stories and caves connecting. The upper cave is called the Big Ground of Cloud and Fog, (also called Warm Cave as its temperature stays around 23C all year long. The lower cave is long and narrow and the sound of waterfalls and flowing water can be heard from a long distance. In the water cave, there is an underground ancient river course, 120 m in length. Boats can be sailed in the river course all year. Leaving the boat and coming ashore, you reach the backyard of Shan Juan. It is said that Zhu Yintai, a remarkable woman in the Jin Dynasty, a role in the most famous Chinese love story, had been reading here.

Zhanggong Cave
The underground Zhanggong Cave lies in the Yufeng Mountain, 22km northwest of Yixin City. It is said in legend that Zhang Daolin, originator of the Taoism and Zhang Guolao, one of the immortals in "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" had practiced Taoism and lived in seclusion here. Therefore, it is regarded as "A Place of Happiness of Zhanggong". The entire underground cave, including two parts (the upper and lower) covers 3,000 sq. m with a 1,000 m route of travel. The lower part is a natural hall surrounded by unfathomable sea; the upper part is a Sea King Hall, which resembles a Dragon Palace under the sea. Over 1,500 stone steps link the two parts together. There are another 72 caves of varying sizes - small ones in big ones, all with their own unusual scenes.