Plum Garden is located on the southern slope of Hu Mountain in the western suburbs of Wuxi, originally a private garden built in 1912 by Rong Zongjing and Rong Desheng, the pioneers of China’s national industry. Every February to March, thousands of plum blossoms bloom together in the scenic area, attracting countless photographers with their vast sea of flowers. There is an old saying in Wuxi, ‘Spring begins at Plum Garden.
‘ Visiting Plum Garden is highly seasonal, with spring being the best choice. Early spring plum blossoms come in red, white, and pink, with single and double petals, and a variety of species. Some trees can even produce flowers of different colors. There are also precious light green plum blossoms. The number of tourists visiting on weekends is particularly high, so it is advisable to visit on weekdays if possible. Slightly later than the plum blossom season, from late March to April, tulips bloom, and the scenic area hosts a tulip exhibition. In addition, the ornamental greenhouse located in the Garden Expo Park allows visitors to see plants from the desert. If you visit outside of the blooming seasons, you can enjoy lotus flowers in summer, osmanthus fragrance in autumn, and lantern shows during the Mid-Autumn Festival. If you happen to visit when it’s not the blooming season, Plum Garden will resemble an ordinary large park. At this time, you can visit cultural and historical sites related to the builders of Plum Garden, the Rong brothers. For example, Xixin Spring, Tianxin Terrace, and the three Taihu stones shaped like the characters ‘Fu,’ ‘Lu,’ and ‘Shou’ to the south of it. The main building in the Rong-style architecture, Songbin Hall (commonly known as the ‘Nanmu Hall,’ with all furnishings being the Rong family’s original items), and the reading place are also attractions. On the hillside of Hu Mountain, the Rong brothers built the Nianqu Tower for their mother, which is the landmark of Plum Garden. It is a green-roofed hexagonal tower with three levels and 18 meters high, visible from a distance. It is not a difficult walk to the tower, and from the top, one can overlook Plum Garden. To the east, there is Kaiyuan Temple, built by Rong Desheng, and the vegetarian noodles at Kaiyuan Temple’s vegetarian restaurant are delicious. The Ancient Plum and Strange Stone Garden is also worth a visit, where you can learn about the knowledge of plum blossoms and plum culture at the Plum Culture Museum within the garden. For visitors with children, after entering the scenic area, you can turn right to the ecological park, which has rock climbing projects and a path for the brave composed of a log bridge, a single-step bridge, and a net bridge, among others, where children will surely have a great time. Hengshan to the east of Plum Garden is also included in the scenic area, with scattered pavilions and towers, but not many attractions. It is mainly for climbing and enjoying the view. The opening hours are from June 9th to October 20th, from 7:00 to 21:30. The regular operating hours are from 7:00 to 16:00; the lighting adjustment and safety inspection time is from 16:00 to 17:30 (visitors leave the park); the night tour time is from 17:30 to 21:30 (ticket sales start at 16:30). Preferential policies for the elderly: Jiangsu Province elderly aged 60 to 69 (inclusive); elderly from other provinces aged 70 and above (inclusive), free; elderly aged 60 to 69 (inclusive), half price. Children: aged 6 and below or with a height of 1.3 meters and below are free.Children under 4 meters (inclusive) enter for free; minors aged 6 (exclusive) to 18 (inclusive) enjoy half-price admission. Disabled individuals: Disabled persons and one accompanying caregiver for severely disabled individuals (level 1 and level 2 visual disabilities; level 1 hearing disabilities; level 1 speech disabilities; level 1 and level 2 intellectual disabilities; level 1 and level 2 physical disabilities; level 1 and level 2 mental disabilities) enter for free.
Active-duty military personnel: Active-duty soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force enter for free. Tour bus drivers: Team bus drivers with a Class A1 driver’s license (accompanied by a proof of leading a group on the same day) enter for free. Voluntary blood donors: Individuals within the province who have received the Provincial Unpaid Blood Donation Award, Unpaid Blood Donation Stem Cell Award, and Lifetime Honorary Award for Voluntary Blood Donors (with relevant award certificates) enter for free. Veterans: Starting from April 10th, those holding the ‘People’s Republic of China Veteran’s Preference Card’ or ‘People’s Republic of China Martyr, Died in Service, or Deceased Military Personnel’s Dependents’ Preference Card’ nationwide enter for free. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below-degree students are eligible for half-price admission.
Additional note on half-price admission: The above information is for reference only; please refer to the specific information disclosed by each scenic spot on the day of your visit.
Service facilities: Parking lot: [Wuxi Plum Garden Parking Lot] Reference price: ¥15/hour; Address: No. 13 Bianjia Bay, Binhu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province; Spaces: 600; Small vehicles: ¥15/hour, Large vehicles: ¥20 per entry. Mobile phone charging: Charging power sockets are available at the visitor center. Luggage storage: Interpretation services are provided at the visitor center. Transportation within the garden: Reference price: ¥10 per person. Restrooms: There are multiple restrooms within the scenic area, marked with conspicuous signs. Convenience stores: There are several convenience stores located at the snack square, north square, and Dutch square.
