The Xihui Scenic Area, located at the foot of Huishan to the west of Xihui Park, is a primary attraction for visitors, encompassing renowned sites such as Jichang Garden, Huishan Temple, and the Second Spring under Heaven.
To the east of the scenic area lies the Yingshan Lake, and further east is Xishan, historically known for its tin ore during the Zhou and Qin dynasties. By the Han dynasty, the tin was depleted—hence the name Wuxi, which literally means ‘no tin.’ Every spring, typically in April, the Huishan Folk Culture Temple Fair is held. This coincides with the birthday of the Eastern Peak Great Emperor Huang Feihu, celebrated on the 28th day of the third lunar month, when ‘lords’ from eight temples in Wuxi city gather at Huishan for the festivities. Visitors can witness a lively parade in traditional attire, carrying the ‘lords’ through the ancient town of Huishan and Xihui Park.
April also marks the blooming of rhododendrons, with a rhododendron exhibition at Xihui Park; in autumn, a chrysanthemum exhibition is held. A leisure area admission ticket priced at 10 yuan refers to the Xishan area, excluding the scenic area. If one only intends to visit the park and climb Xishan without visiting the scenic area, a 10-yuan ticket suffices. A full ticket priced at 70 yuan allows access to both the scenic area and the areas included in the 10-yuan admission ticket. It’s important to note that if one purchases a 10-yuan ticket and later decides to visit the scenic area, an additional 70-yuan full ticket is required. Therefore, it’s advisable to plan the visit beforehand.
Xihui Park has five main entrances. The Guhuashan Gate and Xiuzhang Gate are located on the north side of the park, adjacent to the ancient town of Huishan, with the Xiuzhang Gate being closer to Yingshan Lake. To access the scenic area, enter through the Guhuashan Gate. The Xishan West Gate (Qingshan West Gate), Xishan Middle Gate, and Xishan East Gate (Daqiao East Gate) are on the south side of the park, and any of these can be used to access Xishan.
Entering through the Guhuashan Gate, one finds the Jichang Garden, built in the early years of the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, well-preserved and a famous Jiangnan garden in Wuxi. The garden skillfully incorporates the ‘Second Spring’ (Huishan Spring), Huishan, and Xishan into its landscape, using the spring water for its ponds and featuring the reflection of the Longguang Pagoda on Xishan in the garden’s pools.
According to Lu Yu, the author of the Tang Dynasty’s ‘The Classic of Tea’, when ranking the spring waters for making tea in the world, Huishan Spring is considered to be the second in quality. There are upper, middle, and lower ponds here. At night, the moon is reflected in the pond, giving birth to the erhu masterpiece ‘The Moon Reflected in Erquan’ by blind Abing. Beside the Second Spring, there is a tea house. Be sure to have a cup of tea brewed with the Second Spring water and listen to ‘The Moon Reflected in Erquan’ played in the tea house. It is very pleasant. In addition, there are also scenic spots such as Erquan Academy and Hua Xiaoci Temple in the scenic area. After visiting all of them, if you still want to go to Xishan Mountain, go east, pass Yingshan Lake, and then climb the steps to the top of Xishan Mountain. At the top of the mountain, there is the Longguang Tower built in the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the landmarks of Wuxi. You can only look at it from the outside as you cannot go up the tower. Finally, go down the mountain and take a look at the Nine Dragon Wall at the entrance of the middle gate of Xishan Mountain. Although it is newly built, the relief made of colorful colored pottery and glazed tile roof are quite beautiful. At the amusement park at the entrance of the west gate on the south side of Xishan Mountain, there are amusement facilities such as bumper cars, mini shuttles, and flying chairs that sway back and forth, which require additional payment. On the left side of the entrance of Xiuzhang Gate in the park, there is a local specialty store. The Huishan pastries sold here are relatively authentic. The Su-style noodles at Yimusanfen Field at the entrance of Xiuzhang Gate are excellent. Sesame is added to the red soup, which is fragrant. There are also some restaurants in Huishan Ancient Town. You can taste Wuxi’s special delicacies such as Wuxi steamed buns and Wuxi spareribs. Wuxi cuisine is on the sweet side, and perhaps tourists from other places may not be used to it. Huishan Ancient Town can be visited together with Xihui Park. There are many ancestral halls and also the China Clay Figurine Museum. Buying some Wuxi clay figurines in the small shops in the town to keep as souvenirs or give as gifts is excellent. Opening hours: Open from 08:00 to 16:00 from March 1st to October 31st; open from 08:30 to 17:00 from November 1st to February 28th. Preferential policies: Children: Free for children under 6 years old (including 6 years old) or under 1.4 meters in height (including 1.4 meters); discounted tickets for minors aged 6 years old (excluding 6 years old) to 18 years old (including 18 years old). Elderly: Elderly people over 60 years old with their own senior citizen cards can enjoy discounted tickets. Military personnel: Active-duty military personnel (with active-duty military officer certificates or soldier certificates) can enjoy free admission. Disabled people: Disabled people (with disability certificates) can enjoy free admission. Supplementary note: The above information is for reference only. For specific information, please refer to the information disclosed by the Xihui Park scenic area on the same day. Service facilities: Parking lot: [Xihui Park, Qin Yuan Street parking lot]. Reference price: ¥15/hour. Address: Parking lot of Lvyang Hot Spring Farm, Yangjian Town, Xishan District, Wuxi City. Number of parking spaces: 1000. Mobile phone charging: Charging power sockets are available at the tourist center and in some toilets. Luggage storage: Scenic area interpretation: Manual interpretation services are provided at the tourist center of Guhua Mountain Gate (West God), the tourist center of Huishan Gate (formerly Guhua), Zhongling Reception Office, and the tourist service point of the Energy Conservation Section parking lot.
Transportation within the park: Reference price: 10 yuan/person. Address: At the entrance of Xihui Park. Toilets: There are 24 toilets in the park. For details, please refer to the park’s guide map.
