Qionglong Mountain is located on the east bank of Taihu Lake in Suzhou. Its main peak, Ruomao Peak, has an altitude of 341.7 meters. The winding mountain road leads directly to the mountain. There are成片 forests on the mountain. Locals in Suzhou regard it as a natural large oxygen bar. Ancient celebrities such as Sun Wu left their footprints here. The scenic spots on the mountain are also mostly centered around these celebrities.
Passing through small scenic spots such as Tiezhu Pavilion, Cixiao Pavilion, Shuangxi Spring, Tudishen Shrine, and the mountain gate Dongtian of the original Shangzhenguan. It takes about 1 to 2 hours to reach the first major scenic spot on the mountain, Shangzhenguan. Shangzhenguan is a Taoist temple. It was built in the元始 years of Emperor Pingdi of the Han Dynasty. Later, it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Emperor Qianlong entered Shangzhenguan six times to pray for blessings. The Shangzhenguan we see now is newly built. There are many halls arranged according to the mountain topography from east to west. The walls are all painted red and are magnificent. There are many forks in the road here at Shangzhenguan. There is also a confusing six-way intersection. You need to carefully distinguish the directions. Walking to the left is Wanghu Garden. In the direction of Parking Lot No. 1 are Sunwu Garden and Zhu Maichen’s Reading Terrace. In the direction of Parking Lot No. 3 are the Bell and Drum Towers. In the downhill direction are Ningbang Temple and Wanyue Terrace. First go to Wanghu Garden. The area around Wanghu Garden, including Huancuilou and Wanghu Tower further inside, is a good place to overlook the scenery at the foot of the mountain. There are several viewing platforms along the way. The lush mountain scenery is all in sight. It is said that Emperor Qianlong also overlooked the mountain scenery here. Then go to Sunwu Garden. This is a very important major scenic spot on the mountain. Sun Wu wrote ‘The Art of War’ here. Deep in the dense forest that blocks out the sky, the winding brick and stone path leads to several thatched cottages. The bamboo fence and the gurgling spring flow into the stone well through bamboo tubes. It really looks like the secluded residence of a martial arts master in a martial arts novel. In the garden, there are also scenic spots such as the stone carving corridor of ‘The Art of War’ and the BingSheng Hall in the architectural style of the Spring and Autumn Period. In the tea room of Sunwu Garden, you can recall the scene of Sun Wu and his friends drinking tea and playing chess here in the past while tasting tea. Climbing up the steps is Zhu Maichen’s Reading Terrace. On a huge rock is engraved ‘The place where Zhu Gong, the governor of Kuaiji in the Han Dynasty, read books’, inscribed by Du Mu, a scholar in the Zhengde years of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Maichen, a minister of the Western Han Dynasty, was very poor before. He loved reading but was afraid of being laughed at. After secretly finishing reading a book on the huge rock, he hid the book under the rock. The town of Cangsang on the north side of Qionglong Mountain is named after him. Then return to the six-way intersection and take the direction of the Bell and Drum Towers. The Bell and Drum Towers are the buildings at a higher place belonging to Ningbang Temple. Going down to Ningbang Temple, the temple was built in the Liang Dynasty and rebuilt in the twelfth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty. It was originally called Haiyun Zen Temple. After Yue Fei was killed, Han Shizhong lived in seclusion at Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou and often came to the temple to meditate. Because he still cared about the country, he changed the name of the temple to Ningbang Temple. What is worth seeing in the temple is the imitation Tang Dynasty polychrome reclining Buddha that is 18.8 meters long in the Haiyun Zen Cave. Although it is newly made, it is very exquisite. There is also a fountain in front of the reclining Buddha that is the same as the Nine Dragons Bathing in Wuxi Lingshan Scenic Area, but it is much smaller.Proceeding downwards, after visiting the Play Moon Terrace where Han Shizhong spent his later years with his subordinates, concerned about the nation under the moonlight, you will follow the mountain road down to the main entrance of the scenic area. Throughout the tour of Qionglong Mountain, you can often see cliff inscriptions, which add to the scenery. Unfortunately, the Ruo Mao Peak has not yet been developed, and it is not possible to truly reach the summit.
At the southeast foot of Qionglong Mountain, there is a newly built cultural attraction, the Sun Wu Cultural Park, and further east is the Bird Garden, home to many birds. From the main entrance of the scenic area, take bus number 667 to the ‘Agricultural and Forestry Village Tang Gangtou’ station, walk 400 meters west to reach the Sun Wu Cultural Park; get off at ‘Xiao Wangshan Scenic Area’ station to arrive at the Bird Garden. If you have time, it is worth visiting these two places; if not, it is not a necessity. There are places to eat on the mountain, usually at the Wanghu Garden Restaurant, but it is quite expensive. Before the Shangzhen Temple, there is a row of snack shops, and at Ningbang Temple, you can have vegetarian meals. Near the main entrance along the mountain road, there is a Qionglong Restaurant where you can enjoy barbecue. It is recommended to bring some dry food to satisfy your hunger, and after descending the mountain, head to Cangshu Town to taste the local specialty, Cangshu mutton. There is accommodation available at Wanghu Garden on the mountain, but staying on the mountain is not particularly meaningful. The entire area is open from May 1st to September 30th from 08:30 to 17:00; from October 1st to April 30th from 08:30 to 16:30.
Favorable policies for children: Children under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters in height (inclusive) with valid identification are admitted free of charge; minors aged 6 to 18 years old (inclusive) with valid identification receive half-price tickets. Students: Full-time undergraduate students and below with valid identification receive half-price tickets. Elderly: Elderly aged 70 years old (inclusive) and above with valid identification are admitted free of charge; elderly aged 60 to 70 years old (exclusive) receive half-price tickets.
Service facilities: Interpretation services are provided by the scenic area. Cost: 100 yuan per time. Working hours: 08:30-16:30. Restrooms: There are multiple restrooms within Qionglong Mountain, located near the parking lot, ticket office, visitor center, square within the scenic area, Shangzhen Temple, Ningbang Temple, Sun Wu Garden, and Wanghu Garden, all marked with conspicuous signs.
