Gonglong Mountain is located on the eastern side of Taihu Lake in Suzhou, with its main peak, Ruomao Peak, reaching an elevation of 341.7 meters. A mountain road leads directly to the top, where forests stretch across the landscape, providing a natural oxygen bar for locals in Suzhou.
Historic figures such as Sun Wu have left their marks here, and many of the mountain’s attractions revolve around these notable individuals. Along the way, you will pass by smaller scenic spots including Tiezhu Pavilion, Cixiao Pavilion, Shuangxi Spring, Land Temple, and the original Shangzhen Temple’s mountain gate, Dongtian, eventually reaching the first major attraction, Shangzhen Temple, after approximately 1-2 hours of climbing.
Shangzhen Temple is a Taoist temple, originally built during the reign of Emperor Ping of Han, and has been rebuilt multiple times throughout history. Emperor Qianlong visited the temple six times to pray for blessings. The current Shangzhen Temple is newly constructed, featuring numerous halls that are grandly arranged from east to west following the mountain’s contours, with red-painted walls that exude an imposing presence.
There are many forks in the road at Shangzhen Temple, including a perplexing six-way intersection where one must carefully discern the direction. Turning left leads to Wanghu Garden, while heading towards Parking Lot No. 1 takes you to Sun Wu Garden and Zhu Maichen’s Reading Platform, and towards Parking Lot No. 3 is the Bell and Drum Tower, and downhill leads to Ningbang Temple and Wan Yue Terrace.
First, visit Wanghu Garden, which includes Huancui Tower and Wanghu Tower, offering an excellent vantage point to overlook the scenery below. Several viewing platforms are set along the way, where the lush green mountains can be fully appreciated. It is said that Emperor Qianlong also enjoyed the mountain views from here.
Next, proceed to Sun Wu Garden, a significant attraction on the mountain where Sun Wu is believed to have written ‘The Art of War’. Deep within the dense forest, winding brick paths lead to several thatched cottages, surrounded by bamboo fences and the gentle sound of spring water flowing through bamboo tubes into stone wells, resembling the secluded dwellings of martial arts masters in wuxia novels. The garden also features a ‘The Art of War’ stone carving corridor and the Bing Sheng Hall, which is built in the architectural style of the Spring and Autumn period.
At the teahouse in Sun Wu Garden, you can reminisce about the past while sipping tea, imagining Sun Wu and his friends drinking tea and playing Go here. Further up, you will find Zhu Maichen’s Reading Platform, a large rock inscribed with the words ‘The place where Han Huiji Prefect Zhu read’, written by scholar Du Mu during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Maichen, a Western Han Dynasty minister, was once poor and loved reading but was afraid of being ridiculed, so he secretly read books on this rock and hid them under it. The town of Cangshu to the north of Gonglong Mountain was named after him.
Finally, return to the six-way intersection and head towards the Bell and Drum Tower, which is part of the higher structures of Ningbang Temple. Descend to Ningbang Temple, which was originally built during the Liang Dynasty and rebuilt in the twelfth year of the Southern Song Dynasty’s Shaoxing era. Initially named Haiyun Zen Temple, the temple was renamed Ningbang Temple after Han Shizhong, who retired to Canglang Pavilion in Suzhou following the execution of Yue Fei, frequently visited the temple to meditate, and renamed it out of his continued concern for the nation.
A must-see in the temple is the 18.8-meter-long Tang Dynasty-style painted reclining Buddha in Haiyun Zen Cave, which, although newly made, is exquisitely crafted. In front of the reclining Buddha, there is a fountain similar to the Nine Dragon Pool in Wuxi Lingshan, albeit much smaller.
Continuing down, after visiting the Wanyue Terrace where Han Shizhong and his subordinates worried about the country while looking at the moon in his later years, it is time to walk down the mountain along the winding mountain road and exit through the main entrance of the scenic area. During the entire tour of Qionglong Mountain, one can often see cliff carvings, which is also a scenery. Unfortunately, Ruomao Peak has not been developed yet, and it is impossible to truly reach the summit.
At the southeastern foot of Qionglong Mountain, there is a newly-built cultural attraction, Sun Wu Cultural Park. A little further east is the Wanbird Garden with many birds. Take bus No. 667 at the main entrance of the scenic area and get off at ‘Nonglin Village, Tanggangtou’ station. Walk 400 meters west to reach Sun Wu Cultural Park. Get off at ‘Xiaowangshan Scenic Area’ station and it is the Wanbird Garden. If you have time, you can visit these two places. If you don’t have time, it doesn’t matter if you don’t go. There are places to eat on the mountain. Generally, people solve their meals at Wanghuyuan Restaurant. However, it is quite expensive. In front of Shangzhenguan, there is a row of snack bars. Ningbang Temple offers vegetarian meals. Near the main entrance on the winding mountain road, there is a Qionglong Restaurant where you can have barbecue. It is recommended to prepare some dry food to fill your stomach. After going down the mountain, go to Cangshtown to eat the local specialty food, Cangshu mutton. Wanghuyuan on the mountain can also provide accommodation, but staying on the mountain is not of great significance. Opening hours: Open from 08:30 to 17:00 from May 1st to September 30th; open from 08:30 to 16:30 from October 1st to April 30th. Preferential policies: Children: Children under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters in height (inclusive) can enter for free with valid identification documents. Minors aged 6 (excluding) to 18 years old (inclusive) can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identification documents. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below college students can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identification documents. Elderly: Elderly people aged 70 years old (inclusive) and above can enter for free with valid identification documents. Elderly people aged 60 (inclusive) to 70 years old (excluding) can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identification documents. Disabled people: People with disabilities can enter for free with their disability certificates. Military personnel: Active-duty military personnel can enter for free with their military officer certificates. Medical personnel in Suzhou: From the day of Physician’s Day on August 19 and International Nurses Day on May 12 every year, medical personnel in Suzhou can visit all scenic areas under Mudu Cultural Tourism Group for free within seven days. Supplementary note: The above information is for reference only. The specific situation is subject to the announcements of the scenic area. Service facilities: Scenic area interpretation: The scenic area provides manual interpretation services. Cost: 100 yuan/time. Working hours: 08:30 – 16:30. Toilets: There are multiple toilets in Qionglong Mountain, which are located near the parking lot, ticket office, tourist center, square in the scenic area, Shangzhenguan, Ningbang Temple, Sunwu Garden, and Wanghuyuan, and are marked with eye-catching signs.
