Must-see attractions in Jiangsu

Jinji Lake lies at the very heart of Suzhou's Industrial Park neighbourhood, home to many of the city's young professionals and expats. At 7.4 sq km,…

The north section (北馆; ¥40) of this extensive subterranean museum, marked by the stunning reflection pool on Gongyuan Jie, has contemporary displays on…

In an interesting old residential area of Sūzhōu, this quiet, unpretentious historic house has a lovely classical Chinese garden. It belonged to Yu Yue …

Hong Xiuquan, the Hakka leader of the quasi-Christian Taiping, had a palace built in Nanjing (then named Tianjing or 'Heavenly Capital'), but the building…

The glassy lake in this lovely, verdant 530-hectare park – backing onto the towering city wall – is studded with five interconnected isles scattered with…

This informative little museum, west of the ticket office for the Humble Administrator's Garden, gives an overview of the history, evolution and aesthetic…

Constructed in 1342 by the Buddhist monk Tianru to commemorate his master, who lived on Lion Cliff on Zhejiang’s Tianmu Mountain, this garden's curiously…

This large and attractive temple originally dates to the 10th century, but has been largely reconstructed (since last being mostly destroyed during the…

Small but charming public park in Sūzhōu's downtown area. Popular amongst local retirees, this is a great place to experience China's outdoor group…

The Grand Canal – its name much grander than its modern-day appearance – passes to the west and south of Sūzhōu, within a 10km range of the town. Hop on…

Peaceful but maudlin Wuchaomen Park is home to the Ming Palace Ruins, and usually filled with locals practising ballroom dancing while saxophonists,…

This exhibition of more than 1200 crystal dendrites (crystals that form in rock fissures) was collected over a period of 30 years by a husband-and-wife…

Visiting Bridge Park is probably the easiest way to get up onto the Yangzi River Bridge. Catch bus 67 from Jiangsu Lu, northwest of the Drum Tower (鼓楼;…

A low, forested hill about 13km west of Sūzhōu and famous for its medicinal spring waters, Tiānpíng Mountain is a wonderful place for hiking or just…

The amber-hued ‘Full Fortune’ temple was originally founded during the Song dynasty, but has been repeatedly rebuilt. The structure you see today is an…

The antique fans on display here demonstrate the skillful painting and embroidery of the art form. Many of the silk fans feature a cat motif; rat-catching…

This huge, faux–Ming dynasty complex is filled with tourist shops and a couple of exhibition halls. Admission is free and the landscaped gardens, ponds,…

Down a narrow lane, this small museum is dedicated to kūnqǔ, the opera style of the region. The beautiful old theatre houses a stage, musical instruments,…

This delightful pagoda was built in 1004 and overlooks the Pan Gate Scenic Area in the southwest of the old town.

A tree-lined pathway winds around pavilions and picnic grounds in the Míng Xiàolíng Scenic Area and ends at this scenic lake.