Xihui Scenic Area

Thise scenic area consists of three parts: the scenic area (including the Jichang Garden), the Xihui Park and the Entrance Park.

The Hui Spring was built during the Tang Dynasty and became well known in recent times thanks to popularity of the song Moon Reflected on the Hui Spring composed by the blind folk musician HuaYanjun, also named A Bing.

Hua plays the erhu (a kind of two-stringed cello) and beautifully captures the serene atmosphere of this tranquil location.

[Photo/wuxinews.com.cn]

The Jichang Garden was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is one of the finest examples of a classical Chinese garden.

Kangxi and Qianlong, both emperors in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), adored this garden and its surroundings.

Qianlong liked the garden grounds so much that he built exact replicas in the Summer Palace in Beijing.

The cultural essences of Wuxi concentrate here. There is the Huishan Spring, which was evaluated by Lu Yu (an expert as the No.2 Spring in the Country). A Bing, a blind folk musician of China, made the famous song The Moon Over a Fountain here. Emperor Qianlong visited here every time when he visited the regions south of the Yangtze River for inspection. This enables the scenic area to have profound cultural deposits.

Tips

● Location: No. 2 Straight Huishan Street, BinhudDistrict

● Ticket: 70 yuan for the scenic area; 10 yuan for the Xihui Park; 28 yuan for cable car

● Open timehours: 5:30 am to 5:30 pm

● Public transportation: No. 2, 10, 27, 56, 71, 75, 81, 87, 98, 207, 507, 603 and 610 buses to Xihui Park Station

Travel guides

Best time for travel:

In April, the Huishan Folk Culture Fair is held in April and representatives from eight temples in Wuxi visit theHuishan Mountain for worship.

October is a good time to enjoy the beauty of chrysanthemum flowers at the foot of the Huishan Mountain, which show a bright-coloured picture of autumn.

>April, when Huishan Folk Culture Fair is held and representatives from eight temples in Wuxi visit the Huishan Mountain for worship.

>October, a good time to enjoy the beauty of chrysanthemum flowers at the foot of the Huishan Mountain, which show a bright-coloured picture of autumn.

Recommendations

The Jichang Garden

The garden was named after a poem by Wang Xizhi, , meaning abandoning oneself to nature. Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong ,adored this garden and its surroundings.

who respectively visited the regions south of the Yangtze River for six times, respectively visited the Jichang Garden for seven times. Later, the Huishan Garden (currently the Garden of Harmonious Interest in the Summer Palace) was built at the northeastern foot of the Wanshou Mountain in Beijing. In the garden, you may overlook the Longguang Tower on the top of the Xishan Mountain, which seems like a tower on water. The music played by Guqin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument) will make you feel relaxed and pleasantinspired.

Location: Huishan Bystreet, at the eastern foot of the Huishan Mountain

Transportation: No. 4 Zhi, 4, 15, 39, 66 Zhi, 83, 611, 621, 723, and K4 Zhi to Huishan Station

Please enter into the Jichang Garden from the side door.

The Xihui Park

It is a good place for walking, . It is mainly of cinerous color:with cinerous stone steps, ancient and unsophisticated architectures and wall doors with moss and wild vines. You may recite some poems when walking in it.

The park was named after the Xishan Mountain and the Huishan Mountain. The Huishan Mountain was honored by Emperor Qianlong as the "No.1Theleading mMountain in Jiangnan". The two mountains are divided by the Yingshan Lake. The local people like visiting the mountain.

There is the "No.2 Spring in the Country", which became famous due to the evaluation of Lu Yu, the expert in tea ceremony. Also, near the spring, A Bing made The Moon Over a Fountain, a famous song played by Erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument).

Location: No. 2 Straight Huishan Street, Binhu dDistrict

Transportation: No. 2, 10, 27, 56, 71, 75, 81, 87, 98, 207, 507, 603 and 610 buses to Xihui Park Station

Ancient Huishan Town

The Ancient Huishan Town is famous for its location near the foot of the Huishan Mountain. As many other small famous towns in the Yangtze River Deltain the south of Yangtze River, it is graceful, elegant and quiet, with small bridges over flowing streams and architectures with white walls and blue black tiles.

It is like a beautiful ink and wash painting. It manifests the cultures of ancestral temples, spring and tea, gardens and clay figures. Emperor Kangxi visited here every time when he visited the regions south of the Yangtze River.

Ticket: free

Transportation: No. 10, 98, 83 and 56 buses from Railway Station to South Sea Fishing Village Station

The Huishan Temple

The Huishan Temple is located in the Xihui Park,with a variety of Buddhist architectures and lush ancient trees treesis located in the Xihui Park. It became famous together with the "No.2 Spring in the Country". It is an ashram for Zenists. It was very popular in the history. A great number of eminent monks practiced Buddhism here, and many men of literature and writing visited it. In addition, many emperors and their ministers stayed in the temple during their travel along the Grand Canal for inspection to the regions south of the Yangtze River.

Many emperors practised meditation here.

Location: Xiuzhang Street, Ancient Huishan tTown, Wuxi

Ticket: 30 or 45 yuan for joint tickets for the temple and Xihui Park

Transportation: No. 2, 10 and 91 buses and No.1 Sightseeing Bus from Railway Station to Xihui Park Station.