### Guangfu Scenic Area Overview
**Location and Accessibility:**
Guangfu Scenic Area is situated on the shores of Lake Taihu, 28 kilometers west of Suzhou city. It comprises three main attractions: Xiangxuehai, SITU Temple, and Tongganyin Temple. While these attractions are relatively dispersed, they are accessible by public transportation, though traveling by car is recommended for convenience.
**Visiting Tips:**
On ordinary days, the area offers scenic views, but it truly comes alive during the Meihua Festival from February to March, when Xiangxuehai’s plum blossoms draw crowds. To avoid traffic congestion, it’s best to avoid holidays. Additionally, enjoying lake views and fresh lake produce by Taihu Lake and experiencing the joy of fishing is a delightful activity.
### Xiangxuehai
**Essence of the Scenic Area:**
Xiangxuehai, located on Dengwei Mountain, has been a popular place for enjoying plum blossoms for 300 years. The name ‘Xiangxuehai’ was inscribed by Song Luo, a Qing Dynasty governor of Jiangsu, and there is a poem stele by Emperor Qianlong next to the Meihua Pavilion.
**Activities and Views:**
The Wenmei Pavilion halfway up the mountain offers a place to drink tea and enjoy the plum blossoms. From the Guanmei Pavilion at the top, one can overlook the entire sea of flowers. The mountain is not high and can be easily climbed. During the Meihua Festival, various plums bloom, and if you miss this, you can enjoy the荷花 flowers in June and the fragrance of osmanthus in autumn.
### SITU Temple
**Historical Significance:**
Rebuilt in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, SITU Temple enshrines Deng Yu, a great SITU from the Eastern Han Dynasty. Stone carvings of the ‘Shurangama Sutra’ and ‘Diamond Sutra’ from the Ming Dynasty can be seen here.
**Garden and Cypresses:**
Behind the temple, a backyard garden in the style of Suzhou gardens allows visitors to enjoy plum blossoms. The ‘Qingqi Guiguai’ four ancient cypresses in the Bai Garden are worth seeing, each over two thousand years old, with branches intertwined and some still growing after being struck by lightning.
### Tongganyin Temple
**Historical and Architectural Features:**
Tongganyin Temple is about 2 kilometers away from Xiangxuehai, located in Guangfu Ancient Town. It is named after a copper Guanyin statue unearthed during the Song Dynasty. The Guangfu Temple Bridge at the entrance is a Song Dynasty relic, and the Mahavira Hall and the Western Hall were built in 1832.
**Panoramic Views:**
Climbing the seven-story Guangfu Pagoda allows you to overlook the ancient town of Guangfu. The river banks of the ancient town are lined with white walls and black tiles typical of water towns, though they have been newly renovated. The large area of cherry blossoms on the back mountain behind Tongganyin Temple provides comfort for visitors after the plum blossoms have withered.
### Fishing and Aquatic Produce
**Fishing Experience:**
On the southwest side of the scenic area, from Taihu No.1 Bridge to Taihu No.2 Bridge and Taihu Fishing Port Village, countless fishing boats are docked by the lake, offering a free fishermen’s atmosphere for appreciation. You can enjoy fish while boating, with the cost of chartering a boat ranging from 400 to 600 yuan.
**Local Cuisine:**
Eating lake produce on the boat requires an additional fee, with the cost per table in the hundreds of yuan, and the more expensive the ingredients, the higher the meal cost. The ‘Three Whites of Taihu’ – whitefish, silverfish, and white shrimp – are a must-try.
**Market and Specialties:**
The aquatic product wholesale market between ‘Madaowan’ and ‘Taihu No.2 Bridge’ bus station is always bustling with people, and dried fish, shrimp, and hairy crabs are all worth buying. Candied fruit sold by local specialty stalls around Xiangxuehai, especially those with the word ‘plum’, such as green plums, bayberries, and preserved plums, are also good choices.
### Accommodation and Additional Attractions
**Hotels and Stay:**
There are some ordinary hotels in the center of Guangfu Town, and several hotels with lake views by the Taihu Lake. However, as one can return to Suzhou city on the same day, it is not very necessary to stay in Guangfu unless planning to spend a few days by the Taihu Lake for a vacation.
**Other Attractions:**
The scenic area also includes attractions such as Shi Bi Yong Hui Zen Temple (Shi Bi Jing She), Shi Ao An (Shi Ao Jing She), and Sheng En Temple, which are places that only in-depth tourists would visit.
### Operating Hours and优惠政策
**Hours:**
The entire scenic area is open all year round from 08:30 to 16:00.
**Preferential Policy:**
– Children: Children aged 6 years old (inclusive) or below, or with a height of 1.4 meters (inclusive) can enter for free with valid identification.
– Elderly: Elderly aged 70 years old (inclusive) or above can enter for free with valid identification.
– Children/Elderly/Students: Minors aged between 6 years old (exclusive of 6) and 18 years old (inclusive), and full-time undergraduate students and below, can enter with a 50% discount with a ‘Resident Identity Card’ and ‘Student Card’.**Admission Policies**
**Elderly**: Elderly aged between 60 years old (inclusive) and 70 years old (exclusive of 70) can enter with a 50% discount with a ‘Resident Identity Card’ or ‘Elderly Preferential Certificate’.
**Disabled**: Disabled individuals and one accompanying person for severely disabled individuals can enter for free with valid identification.
**Military personnel**: Active servicemen of the People’s Republic of China can enter for free with a ‘Military Service Certificate’, and retired military officers can enter for free with a ‘Retired Cadre Certificate’, accompanied by one person. Veterans can enter for free with a ‘Veteran’s Preference Certificate of the People’s Republic of China’, and family members of martyrs, military personnel who died in service, and deceased military personnel can enter for free with the ‘Family Member’s Preference Certificate of Martyrs, Military Personnel Who Died in Service, and Deceased Military Personnel of the People’s Republic of China’.
**Firefighters**: Firefighters (including active duty, retired, disabled firefighters, fire rescue academy students, and full-time government firefighters) can enter for free with valid identification.
**Tour guides**: Tour guides with a national tourism bureau-issued guide certificate can enter for free when leading a group.
**Holders of a conversion certificate**: Holders of a conversion certificate can enter Shi Tu Temple and Tong Guanyin Temple for free.
**Holders of the ‘Three Exemptions’ honor certificate under the ‘Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Regulation’**: Individuals in Jiangsu Province who have received national awards for voluntary blood donation, voluntary donation of hematopoietic stem cells, and lifelong honorary awards for voluntary blood donation services can enter for free with a ‘Jiangsu Province Blood Donation Honor Certificate’.
**Model workers**: Model workers at the district level and above, as well as model workers in Wuzhong District, can enter for free.
**Holders of sanitation honor certificates**: Individuals with a sanitation honor certificate stamped by the Suzhou City Urban Appearance and Municipal Administration can enter for free.
**Holders of Jiangsu Province’s ‘Sees Righteousness and Acts’ honor certificate**: Individuals can enter for free with valid identification.
**Preferential treatment objects receiving financial aid, retired ‘Two Participants’ military personnel from enterprises**: Individuals can enter for free with valid identification.
**Holders of Wuzhong District tourism preferential certificate**: Individuals can enter for free with valid identification.
**Workers with silicosis at the fourth construction site of Qionglongshang**: Workers with silicosis at the fourth construction site of Qionglongshang can enter for free with valid identification.
**Members of the Wuzhong District Cancer Rehabilitation Association**: Members can enter the Xiangxuehai scenic spot for free with a valid Wuzhong District Cancer Rehabilitation Association membership card.
**Members of the Suzhou Wild Animal and Plant Protection Association**: Members can enter the Xiangxuehai scenic spot for free (accompanied by two people) with a Suzhou Wild Animal and Plant Protection Association membership card.
**Free Entry for Suzhou Forestry Society Members**: Suzhou Forestry Society members, with their membership card, can enter the park for free (accompanied by two people), limited to the Xiangxuehai scenic spot.
**Free Entry for Suzhou Photographers Association Members**: Members of the Suzhou Photographers Association can enter the park for free with their membership card, limited to the Xiangxuehai scenic spot.
**Free Entry for Local Villagers**: Villagers with a villager card can enter the park for free, limited to the Xiangxuehai and Situ Temple scenic spots.
**Half Price for Wu Zhong District Union Members**: Union members can enjoy a 50% discount with their union membership card (excluding the Meihua Festival in February and March); family members of union members can enjoy a 20% discount (limited to 2 people), limited to the Xiangxuehai scenic spot.
**50% Discount for Members, 20% Discount for Family Members Wu Zhong District Union Member Service Card (Universal Card)**: With valid identification, a 30% discount is offered. Taihu Tourism Annual Card (electronic card, physical card): Taihu Tourism Annual Card (electronic card, physical card),入园 by reporting the phone number/swipe card.
**Additional Information**: The above information is for reference only, and the specific details are subject to the public notice at the scenic area.
