Dubbed as"Little Shanghai,"
Wuxi in eastern China's Jiangsu Province has long been considered a beautiful and historical place. Rich in agricultural resources like rice and aquatic products,
Wuxi was one of the four "rice markets" in ancient China (the other three are
Changsha in Hunan Province,
Wuhu in Anhui Province, and
Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province). For thousands of years, Wuxi's gorgeous scenery bestowed by nature has made it a popular tourist destination.
Bordering the Yangtze River in the north and Taihu Lake in the south, with the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal running through the city in the middle,
Wuxi has become a water lane in the region. With its location in southern Jiangsu and the hinterland of Yangtze River Delta,
Wuxi is also a pivotal transportation link across Taihu Lake.
The significance of its geological position boosted its industrial development in history. As an important port along the Yangtze River,
Wuxi features a bustling trading business. In 2011, its GDP per capita amounted to 107,400 yuan ($17,000), compared to the national average of $5,414. People partly describe it as "Little Shanghai" to reflect its affluence.
In 2008 and 2010,
Wuxi was selected as one of the 10 happiest cities in China, an annual award initiated by National Bureau of Statistics and CCTV (China Central Television) in 2007, evaluated based on resident polling.
Taihu Lake
Taihu Lake is a must-see scenic spot. Lying in the south of Jiangsu Province and the middle of Yangtze River Delta, the lake is China's second largest fresh body of water (the largest is Boyang Lake in Jiangxi), running through four cities including Suzhou, Wuxi,
Changzhou and Yixing.
A large but shallow lake, Taihu is estimated to have 48 islands and 72 hills. Loved for its picturesque scenery, the lake, hills and islands build on the radiance and beauty of each other. In 1982, Taihu was one of the first to be included on the list of National Parks of China. Scenic spots in the Taihu area include Suzhou Garden, Yonghui Temple, Xuanyang Cave, Yuwang Temple, Li Garden and Yuantou Zhu.
Summer is a good time to tour Taihu. Verdant grasses and of weeping willows line the lake, and with small fish swimming in the clear water, tourists can't help but take endless pictures.
Walking around Taihu to get the complete view requires stamina. If you are tired, taking a boat is a good choice. When we saw fishermen waving to us to get on their boat, we were curious about what it would feel like being in Taihu itself. We climbed on a middle-sized boat with other tourists.
Sitting in the boat on Taihu offers a different perspective. It feels poetic, as if you were part of the scenery. I imagined that this place would have been a fairyland for ancient Chinese hermits or poets, who led a cozy, free and untroubled life outside the secular world. Best of all, the boat prepared various fresh local snacks, like fried fish, for tourists to enjoy.
As mentioned,
Wuxi is famous for its abundant aquatic products thanks to the rich water resources and mild temperature in the region. Enjoying Taihu's scenery while tasting its special products is pleasurable for many tourists.
Taihu Sanbai refers to whitebait, whitefish and white shrimp, the three famed products in Taihu. Whitebait is not native to Taihu, but the much loved fish has settled down there.
During the reign of Kangxi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Taihu whitebait was chosen as a tribute to the royal court. It is also one of the best-selling products among Jiangsu's exported goods. Whitefish is also a precious species that had become a tribute to the imperial families long ago, with the peak season in June and July.
With an extremely thin shell, white shrimp is also called "crystal shrimp," indicating its clear and crystal body. When cooked, the color turns light pink or white. Due to its thick, tender and fresh meat, white shrimp can be made into hundreds of dishes, including the popular liquor-saturated shrimp, in which the shrimp is still alive after cooking.
Yuantou Zhu
While Taihu Lake is a must-see spot in Wuxi, Yuantou Zhu is a must-see on Taihu Lake. Located at the northwest of Taihu, it is actually a huge stone, a peninsula coming upon the water, that resembles a perky tortoise chinning up.
Yuantou Zhu was built in 1916, when many social celebrities and wealthy families started building their personal gardens around the area, regarded as valuable land given its good geographical location.
Gradually the area became a frequented place with various styles of gardens. Since the 1980s, the government began applying unified planning to the area, not only connecting different gardens but also building new scenic spots, perfecting the landscape of the Yuantou Zhu area.
It now covers an area of 539 hectares, including various popular sites like Shutian Attic on Luding mountain, Hengyun mountain villa, Guangfu Temple and China-Japan friendship cherry blossoms.
In history, the natural beauty of Yuantou Zhu has always been a favorite of poets and writers. The beauty of Taihu lies in its water. Standing on Yuantou Zhu gives tourists the best panoramic view of the water scene. Vast and extensive, the peaceful water coupled with the flapping sound makes your mind much relaxed, forgetting about vexations and worries in life.
Lingshan Buddha
After a day of traveling, you will want a comfortable and tranquil place to rest. When driving through vacation hotels around Taihu Lake in Wuxi, one spot you won't miss is the Lingshan Buddha Statue, because of its sheer size.
Perhaps you have been impressed by the grandeur of the giant stone Buddha at
Leshan Mountain in Sichuan Province, but even that is dwarfed by the Lingshan Buddha. Completed in 1997, the total height of the bronze Buddha statue is 88 meters, 17 meters higher than
Leshan Mountain Buddha, and now the highest in China.
Facing south of Taihu Lake and surrounded by mountains in all its three sides, Lingshan Buddha is viewed as a symbol of fortune and prosperity in an area of valuable land. It is one of the five major Buddha statues in China.
With Yungang Buddha in northern Shanxi Province, Tiantan Buddha in southern Hong Kong,
Leshan Buddha in the west, and Longmen Buddha in central Henan Province, Lingshan Buddha in Jiangsu fills the void of Buddha in China's eastern regions.
On November 15, 1997, when the consecration ceremony was held for Lingshan Buddha, almost 80,000 devout tourists from both home and abroad came to participate.
No matter where you walk, you will see Buddha staring kindly at you. Don't forget to hug the feet of the Buddha; it's not just that a way you can be intimate with him but it's also a gesture of luck.
Hollywood of the east
Constructed in 1987, the CCTV
Wuxi Movie and TV Base was China's first large-scale movie and television production base. If you ever wonder how visually impressive scenes like battles in the war time or the lives of ancient Chinese people are shot and presented, entering the
Wuxi movie and TV base will offer the answer. Tourists embark on a surprising trip that enables them to experience various life styles in different times in China's history.
Located in western
Wuxi and bordering Taihu Lake, the base covers an area of over 100 hectares and 3,000 mu (200 hectares) of usable water areas in Taihu Lake.
Main production sites and popular scenic spots within the base include Tang City, built in 1991 with houses and streets built in the style of Tang Dynasty (618-907), Sanguo City, and Shuihu City, built in 1994 and 1996 respectively for the shooting of Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong and Water Margin by Shi Naian, both one of China's four classical novels.
Sanguo City is the largest scenic spot in the base, occupying more than one third of the base's total area. In the "city," besides the magnificent housing structures built in the style of the era of the Three Kingdoms, there are a series of programs that tourists can watch live, like Liubei Zhaoqin, (to find a bride for Liu Bei, one of the leading character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms), Caochuan Jiejian, (to borrow arrows with thatched boats), both interesting stories depicted in the classic novel.
With sound service facilities for movie and television production, each year, hundreds of film and TV production teams come to the base and more than 1,000 episodes of television serials like household-name TV shows Tang Minghuang, Daming Gongci (Palace Word of Ming Dynasty) and Di Renjie are generated here.
Celebrities from all across the country, including the mainland,
Hong Kong and Tai wan can be frequently seen at the base.
The curiosity of the working environment combined with those grand ancient constructions lure over 3 million tourist arrivals annually, earning itself the nickname of "Hollywood of the east."
