The Yushan Scenic Area is beautiful. The southeastern foothills extend into Changshu City, enjoying the reputation of ‘ten miles of green mountains, half entering the city’. Climbing the mountain is free. Only a few scenic spots on the mountain require tickets. Therefore, many locals can be seen enjoying leisure and entertainment or doing physical exercises on the mountain. Yushan Mountain runs from northwest to southeast, with a length of 6.
5 kilometers, a width of 3 kilometers, and an altitude of 263 meters. It is named after Zhong Yong (Yu Zhong), the son of the Zhou ethnic group at the end of the Shang Dynasty, who abdicated to his younger brother and came to the south to become the ancestor of Jiangnan and was buried here after his death. The western part of Yushan Mountain is the Shidong Scenic Area, the southwest is the Baoyan Scenic Area, the top of the central part is the Jianmen Scenic Area, the north is the Xingfu Scenic Area where Xingfu Temple is located, the east is the Yushan City Wall, and the northeast is the Yushan Park. There are roads leading to the top of the mountain. Self-driving cars can drive up, and buses also run on the mountain. There are multiple entrances to climb the mountain. If you want to climb on foot, it is recommended to start from Xingfu Temple, which is close to the top. Two minutes to the right after exiting the temple gate is the Yushan cableway, which directly leads to the Jianmen Scenic Area. The one-way fare is 40 yuan, and the round-trip fare is 60 yuan. Xingfu Temple was built in the Southern Qi Dynasty and is also known as Poshansi. There is a stone tablet in the temple engraved with ‘Inscription on the Back Courtyard of Poshansi’ written by Chang Jian of the Tang Dynasty. It is the handwriting of Mi Fu, a great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty. The famous line in the poem ‘A winding path leads to a secluded place, and the meditation room is deep amid flowers and trees’ describes Xingfu Temple. The temple has experienced many rises and falls. It was rebuilt in the 1980s and is currently a relatively large and famous temple in Changshu. The incense is prosperous and prayers are effective. Don’t forget to go to the Xingfu Temple Noodle Restaurant next to it and have a bowl of vegetarian noodle with mushroom oil. There is a tea room in Xingfu Temple on the east side. Having a pot of Yushan green tea is also very good. Climbing from Xingfu Temple to the Jianmen Scenic Area on the top of the mountain, you will first see the Jiange standing on the top of the mountain. There is a model sand table of Changshu City on the first floor. The second floor is not open to the public. From the edge of the cliff in front of Jiange, you can overlook the panoramic view of Shanghu Lake, another famous scenic spot in Changshu City. Then you can climb the Jianmen that looks like being split by a sword, see the cliff carvings, and visit scenic spots such as Zanghai Temple, Baoguo Courtyard, and Fushui Qingyan. The road leads all the way to the foot of the western end of Yushan Mountain. When you think you have seen enough, return the same way. Don’t go down the mountain to the west. The scenic spots in the east are more important than those in the west. To the east, you can walk or take a bus at Guixiangyuan not far from the main entrance of the Jianmen Scenic Area. On the way, you will pass Weimo Mountain Villa where you can see a large tea plantation. Weimo Mountain Villa is rebuilt on the ruins of the Song Weimo Temple in modern times. There is a stone well in the backyard, which is a relic of the Song Dynasty. The Wanghai Tower of the villa is a good place to watch the sunrise. Then come to the Yushan City Wall in the east, which is also one of the important scenic spots on Yushan Mountain. The city wall is a section of the ancient city wall of Changshu that encloses the eastern foothills of Yushan Mountain. It was built in the Wude period of the Tang Dynasty. What we see now is restored on the basis of the Ming city wall in modern times. In the middle of the city wall is the Yushan Gate. It extends to the Xicheng Tower and Fucheng Gate in the southwest and to Zhenhaitai in the northeast, with a total length of 1,400 meters.Walking on the city walls, one can overlook the scenery of Changshu City. Heading northeast, you will arrive at Yushan Park, which is constructed with a Jiangnan garden style. Inside the park is the Changshu Zoo, known as Yushan Park Zoo. The zoo is not very large and does not have a wide variety of animals. Yushan Park is free of charge, but visiting the zoo requires an additional fee, with a reference price of 20 yuan.
If you choose to descend from the Yushan Gate on the Yushan city walls to the foot of the mountain, you will encounter the tomb of Zhou Zhang, a monarch of the Wu State. At the eastern foot of the mountain lies the tomb of Yan Hui, a southern disciple of Confucius. At the entrance of Yan Hui’s tomb, you can see several stone arches to the south, which lead to the tomb of Zhong Yong, one of the earliest recorded ancient tombs in Changshu with a history of over 3000 years. Tombs are also a characteristic feature of Yushan, representing the thousands of years of historical culture of Changshu. They are scattered throughout Yushan and require time to explore, such as the tomb of Huang Gongwang near the Shidong Scenic Area in the west of Yushan, the tomb of Weng Tonghe (Weng Tonghe), an imperial tutor during the Tongzhi and Guangxu dynasties, the tomb of Qian Qianyi at the foot of the southern slope of Yushan, and the tomb of Liu Rushi, one of the famous courtesans of the Ming and Qing dynasties and Qian Qianyi’s lover. The Shidong Scenic Area and Baoyan Scenic Area in the west of Yushan are less frequently visited. The Shidong Scenic Area features small stone caves covered with ancient vines and the Xiaoyunqi Temple, which was originally built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and is now newly constructed. The Baoyan Scenic Area mainly offers agritourism experiences, where you can pick bayberries in the Baoyan Ecological Sightseeing Garden in early summer. The Baoyan Zen Temple in the scenic area was originally built during the Liang Dynasty’s Tianjian era, and what you see now is also newly constructed. To truly experience Yushan, you must take your time. Rushing to the top and down again might make you think it’s just a small hill, but you should immerse yourself like a local. You can see people everywhere in Yushan sipping tea and playing 80-point card games with friends. You can also sit there, gaze at the blue sky, or buy some tofu snacks with 7 or 8 different flavors, enjoying them while leisurely exploring the hidden brooks on the northern slope of Yushan, such as Qinpo Brook and Taoyuan Brook. After the rain, the sound of spring water and small waterfalls can be a delightful surprise. In autumn, you might encounter vendors selling chestnuts, which you can buy to share with friends and family. Additionally, you can taste authentic beggar’s chicken and osmanthus wine at Wang Si Restaurant at the foot of the northern slope of Yushan. To the south of Yushan is the Shanghu Scenic Area. Together, this mountain and lake are classic tourist attractions in Changshu City and can be visited together. The entire text is open all year round from 08:00 to 16:00. Preferential policies include: Children: Free admission for children under 6 years old (including 6 years old) with a household registration book or under 1. 4 meters (including 1.4 meters) in height; 6 years old (not including 6 years old) to 18 years old (including 18 years old) with valid documents enjoy half-price tickets. Elderly: Free admission for elderly over 70 years old (including 70 years old) with valid ID; half-price tickets for elderly between 60 years old (including 60 years old) and 70 years old (not including 70 years old) with valid ID. Students: Half-price tickets for full-time undergraduate and below students with valid documents. Disabled: Free admission with a disability certificate issued by the Disabled Persons’ Federation; severely disabled individuals (first and second levels) can bring one accompanying person for free entry. Military personnel: Free admission for active military personnel of the People’s Republic of China with an officer’s certificate. Note: The above information is for reference only, and the specific policies are subject to the public notice of the scenic area.
Service facilities parking lot: Yushan Parking, reference price: ¥10/hour; Address: Beimen Street, Changshu City, Suzhou City. Capacity: 100 spaces.
Stroller rental: Reference price: Free; Address: Visitor Center.
Nursing rooms: Located at the visitor centers of Baoyan Ecological Park, Zhenhai Terrace, and Yushan Park, these rooms are available for tourists to breastfeed and change diapers.
