Li Lake, formerly known as Wuli Lake, is an inland lake located in the northeast of Taihu Lake, and Li Garden, which extends into Li Lake, is an old-established park in Wuxi, featuring the garden style of Jiangnan with a focus on water scenery. The slender causeways, small bridges, and long corridors are built over the water, creating a picturesque scene. In March and April, when peach blossoms are in full bloom, and from June to September when lotus flowers bloom, the garden resembles a floating garden.
Li Garden was constructed between 1927 and 1936 based on the original Qingqi Eight Sceneries by the Li Lake and has been expanded several times since. It is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Fan Li and Xi Shi retired to Taihu Lake and sailed here. Many of the garden’s buildings are themed around Fan Li and Xi Shi, attracting visitors for their romantic history and exquisite architecture.Upon entering Li Garden, turn left to the rockery area, but save it for later in the visit. Head towards the Baihua Mountain House and proceed south to the Four Seasons Pavilion. The Four Seasons Pavilion is named after the four pavilions located on each side of a square pond, with plum blossoms near the Spring Pavilion, oleander near the Summer Pavilion, osmanthus near the Autumn Pavilion, and wintersweet near the Winter Pavilion. North of the Four Seasons Pavilion lies a large lawn, where one can sit, chat with friends, or enjoy a picnic, making for a delightful experience.
Continuing south, you will reach the causeway on Li Lake known as ‘Nan Di Chun Xiao’. This is an excellent place for appreciating flowers in spring, with rows of willows along the causeway, their branches swaying in the wind, and many peach trees interspersed among them, offering a variety of peach blossom colors, even on a single tree. There are also pear and cherry blossoms, with fallen petals covering the lake surface, resembling a splendid Wu embroidery. At the southwest corner of Nan Di Chun Xiao stands the ‘Moon Wave Level View’ pavilion.
Xi Shi Island is an artificially created islet to the south of Li Lake. Walking along the stone path by the water around the island, you will find various attractions named after Fan Li and Xi Shi, scattered along the way. In the Tao Zhu Mansion, there is a图文并茂display of Fan Li’s life, from assisting King Goujian of Yue to defeat the state of Wu, to his retirement and subsequent business endeavors. The Shang Sheng Hall features an enormous abacus that is fun to interact with, as it requires both hands to move the beads. Xi Shi Garden is decorated with Xi Shi’s embroidery workshop, boudoir, and study, displaying Wu embroidery exhibits. The island also features attractions such as the Spring and Autumn Stage.
Boating back to Nan Di Chun Xiao and heading northeast, you will arrive at the Thousand Steps Corridor. This is an old structure of Li Garden, spanning across Li Lake with a wall on one side and water on the other. The wall features 80 different patterns of hollow-out flower windows, which are very exquisite. At the eastern end of the Thousand Steps Corridor is the ‘Sunny Red Smoke Green’ pavilion, with the ‘Ning Chun Tower’ across the water, featuring red bricks and green tiles, small in size but with a strong color contrast, making it one of the iconic structures of Li Garden.
Finally, return to the rockery group. A large area of Taihu Lake stones are stacked to form various strange peaks, all named after the word ‘cloud’, such as Cloud Nest, Cloud Foot, and Piercing Cloud. Among them, Guiyun Peak is the highest point, with a height of 12 meters. Entering the rockery group is like entering a maze. You can also climb up the rockery to play. Liyuan Garden is relatively close to Yuantouzhu in the west.
Many tourists will arrange a one-day tour of Yuantouzhu and Liyuan Garden. Opening hours: Open from 07:00 to 17:00 from December 2 to February 28. The deadline for cruise ships from November 25 to November 30, 2024 is 15:30. The last cruise ship time from December 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025 is 16:00. Peak season is from March 17 to May 28 and from July 7 to October 21. Off-season is from January 1 to March 16, from May 29 to July 6, and from October 22 to December 31. Preferential policies: Children: Free admission for children under 6 years old (including 6 years old) or under 1.4 meters in height (including 1.4 meters). Admission vouchers: personal household register or ID card. For children aged 6 years old (excluding 6 years old) to 18 years old (including 18 years old), they can purchase discounted tickets at scenic spots with their ID cards. Discounted tickets for elderly: Half-price for elderly people aged 60-69 years old (with valid certificates). Free admission for elderly people over 60 years old in Jiangsu Province. Free admission for elderly people over 70 years old outside Jiangsu Province (with valid certificates). Students: Full-time college students can purchase discounted tickets at scenic spots with their valid student ID cards and ID cards. Discounted tickets for military personnel: Free admission with military officer’s ID card. For disabled people: Free admission with personal disability certificate. A severely disabled person is allowed to have one accompanying person. Free admission for journalists: Journalists with the Press Card issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. Free admission for tour guides with tour guide certificate and task list. Supplementary note: Cruise ship preferential policy: The preferential policy for cruise ships is half-price for those under 1. 4 meters (including 1.4 meters) and full price for those over 1.4 meters (excluding 1.4 meters). The above free admission policies do not include special gardens, night parks, and secondary consumption items such as vehicles and ships. The above information is for reference only. The specific situation is subject to the disclosure on the day at the scenic spot. Service facilities: Parking lot: [Liyuan Scenic Area Parking Lot]. Reference price: ¥10/time. Address: No. 70, Qingqi Village, Binhu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. Parking spaces: 300. Mobile phone charging: The tourist center is equipped with charging power sockets. Luggage storage: Reference price: free. Only small items can be stored. Scenic area interpretation: The tourist center provides manual interpretation services. Transportation in the park: Reference price: one shift per hour, 35 yuan/person. Address: Xishi Village. Half-price for those under 1.4 meters. Full price for those over 1.4 meters. Toilets: Next to Baihuashan House and in the glass house next to Taoyuan Residence.Convenience store: There is a convenience store next to the dock.
