Park of China
Overview
| Designation | National Park of China (first batch) |
| Province | Jiangsu |
| Location | Jiangsu |
| Rivers and lakes | Taihu Lake, Yangtze River |
| Latitude, longitude | 31.2, 120.2 Google Maps |
| Elevation | 3 m |
| Nearby cities | Wuxi, Suzhou, Shanghai, Changzhou |
| Nearby sites | Classical Gardens of Suzhou 40km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 92km, West Lake, Hangzhou 106km, Shugang and Slender West Lake, Yangzhou 154km, Zhongshan (Purple Mountain), Nanjing 161km Search nearby |
| Themes | Lake, City, Garden, Island, Stamp, Chinese gardens |
About
Lake Tai, anciently Zhenze, lies in southern Jiangsu. More than 2,300 km², it is one of China’s five great freshwater lakes; the main cities on its shores are Wuxi, Suzhou and Huzhou. The scenic area’s sights are Yuantouzhu, the Li Garden, the Plum Garden and the Dongting hills.
Yuantouzhu, in the Wuxi part, is a peninsula at the north end named for a rocky point shaped like a turtle’s head (yuantou) jutting into the lake.
The Li Garden, a famous garden of the Jiangnan region, stands on Li Lake, also called Wuli Lake, a part of Lake Tai where the Yue statesman Fan Li and the beauty Xi Shi are said to have gone boating.
Lake Tai is shallow, about 2 m deep on average, and spans Jiangsu and Zhejiang; Huzhou in Zhejiang lies on its south shore. The largest island is Xishan (Jinting town) in Suzhou; Dongshan was once an island too, but has since joined the mainland as a peninsula.
It is in the first batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1982.
Main sights
Yuantouzhu: a headland of Chongshan in Wuxi that juts into the lake; gardens were built here from 1918, and it has a cherry-blossom valley.
Plum Garden: in the western suburbs of Wuxi, laid out in 1912 by the brothers Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng and planted mainly with plum trees.
Dongshan: a peninsula in Wuzhong district, Suzhou. Luxiang village is the home of the Ming grand secretary Wang Ao, and Zijin Hermitage has sixteen painted clay arhats.
Xishan: the largest island in the lake, with Linwu Cave, the old village of Mingyuewan, and orchards and tea gardens.
Travel tips
Getting there: the Lake Tai scenic area is spread around Wuxi, Suzhou and other cities. Take a high-speed train to Wuxi or Suzhou, then a bus or taxi to each site.
Yuantouzhu: the main lakeside site in Wuxi, on a peninsula on the northwest shore. Boats go from the park to the Taihu Fairy Isles (Sanshan) in the lake. Allow most of a day.
Li Garden and Plum Garden: both in the southwest of Wuxi. Li Garden lies on Lihu Lake; the Plum Garden is known for its plum trees. Both can be seen with Yuantouzhu in a day or two.
Dongshan and Xishan: in Wuzhong district, Suzhou, with islands, old villages and orchards. Xishan (Jinting) is linked to the shore by the Taihu Bridge. The sights are scattered; a car or hired driver is easiest.
Time: one or two days on the Wuxi side, and one or two more for Dongshan and Xishan.
Season: spring is best, with plum blossom in February and March at the Plum Garden and cherry blossom at Yuantouzhu from late March to early April. Autumn is also good. In summer algae sometimes bloom on the lake.
Food: whitebait, white fish and white shrimp, the 'three whites of Lake Tai', are common around the lake; Dongshan and Xishan grow loquats, bayberries and Biluochun tea.
Caution: in cherry-blossom season and on holidays Yuantouzhu is very crowded, with queues at the gates and for the boats.
Stamps
In 1995 China Post issued “Lake Tai”, five stamps and a souvenir sheet: the Dongting hills, spring waves at Yuantouzhu, mist and green on Li Lake, clear autumn at the Jichang Garden, fragrant snow of the Plum Garden, and “embracing Wu and Yue”.
Map
Photo credits: Yuantouzhu, Wuxi: 螺钉 (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | Classical Gardens of Suzhou 40km, Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City 92km, West Lake, Hangzhou 106km, Shugang and Slender West Lake, Yangzhou 154km |
| National parks | Mount Mogan 83km, Taiji Cave 83km, The Three Hills of Zhenjiang 130km, Huan River and Wuxie 167km |
| Detailed guides | The Three Hills of Lake Tai 24km |
| AAAAA attractions | Lingshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area 28km, CCTV Wuxi Film and Television Base - Three Kingdoms and Water Margin Area 31km, Yuantouzhu Scenic Area 35km, Nanxun Ancient Town Scenic Area 42km |
| AAAA attractions | Suzhou Xishan 12km, China Embroidery Art Museum 20km, Taihu National Wetland Park 20km, Guangfu Scenic Area 20km |
| Historic cities | Huzhou 38km, Yixing 40km, Wuxi 43km, Changzhou 68km |
| Cities | Suzhou 40km, Hangzhou 103km, Shanghai 124km |
| Historical sites | Wanfo Stone Pagoda 18km, Xuanyuan Palace Main Hall 22km, Dongshan Residences 23km, Zijin Convent Luohan Statues 23km |
| National geoparks | Suzhou Taihu Xishan National Geopark 15km, Chongming Island National Geopark 132km |
| Nature reserves | Tianmushan National Nature Reserve 119km, Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve 140km |
| Historic towns | Guangfu Town 20km, Dongshan Town 23km, Mudu Town 30km, Zhoutie Town 33km |
| Historic villages | Dongcun Village 9km, Mingyuewan Village 16km, Sanshan Village 20km, Luxiang Village 20km |