[2025 Suzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Suzhou Wangshan Jiulongtan Scenic Area (Updated May)

🌿 If you're tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and want to refresh your body and mind with a light hike, Wangshan in Suzhou is the perfect weekend getaway for workers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai! Known as the "most beautiful village in Jiangsu," it features a picturesque blend of bamboo forests, tea gardens, ancient temples, and mountain trails. It's beginner-friendly and you might even stumble upon an Instagram-worthy café. Here's a detailed guide to help you explore this unfiltered forest paradise! 🗺️【Route Overview】 Starting Point: Wangshan Scenic Area Visitor Center (Free Parking) 🏁 End Point: Jiulongtan 📏 Total Distance: Approx. 8 km loop (including side trails) ⏰ Duration: 3-4 hours (including photo breaks) ⭐ Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ Family/Pet Friendly 🚶♀️【Segment Breakdown】 1️⃣ Visitor Center → Jiulongtan (1.2 km) Pass through the bamboo archway with "Wangshan" inscribed on it and start your journey along the rainbow path. The bamboo forest in the morning mist has a natural soft light filter. Don't forget to overlook the emerald Jiulongtan from the viewing platform. Legend has it that the ninth son of the Dragon King once trained here. The ancient trees by the pond hang like curtains, perfect for taking photos in traditional Chinese clothing and feeling like a martial arts movie heroine! 2️⃣ Jiulongtan → Aidaoling (2.5 km) Turn onto the gravel path and encounter a real-life "Emerald City." This section has an 80% tea field coverage, and during the tea-picking season in April and May, you can see tea pickers with straw hats skillfully picking tea leaves. We recommend experiencing freshly fried Biluochun tea at the "Wangshan Tea Museum." From the mountain top viewing platform, you can see both Taihu Lake and Suzhou City. 3️⃣ Aidaoling → Baohua Temple (4.3 km) Cross the ancient path and find the ancient Baohua Temple from the Southern Dynasties hidden in the bamboo forest. The yellow walls and black tiles contrast beautifully with the bamboo shadows. At the "Listening to Pines Pavilion" behind the temple, you can hear the sound of the wind rustling through the pine forest. We recommend taking the west route down the mountain, where you'll pass by a super healing alpaca farm (tickets are CNY 20 and you can feed them). 📸【5 Must-Visit Spots】 Jiulongtan Bamboo Shadow Walkway: We recommend taking photos before 9 am. The morning mist and Tyndall effect are breathtaking. Aidaoling Viewing Platform: Bring a telephoto lens to capture the curves of the tea fields and the sails on Taihu Lake in the same frame. Meet the Louvre: A French café halfway up the mountain with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the bamboo forest. We recommend the matcha latte and raspberry tart. Baohua Temple Prayer Wheel Corridor: 108 prayer wheels surround an ancient ginkgo tree. The golden leaves in autumn are stunning. Mysterious Stonehenge: Navigate to "Qianyuan Temple Ruins" to find scattered Tang Dynasty stone carvings, perfect for dark-themed photos. 🍜【Food Stops】 ✔️ Grassroots Preaching: A rustic private kitchen at the foot of the mountain. Must-try dishes include spring water chicken soup and osmanthus lotus root. ✔️ Wangsen Chocolate Manor: Afternoon tea in a fairytale castle. We recommend the raw chocolate lava cake. ✔️ Tea Farmer's Pickled Fresh: Randomly walk into a farmhouse with a tea garden. Seasonal wild vegetables are so fresh they still have dew on them. 📌【Practical Information】 🚗 Transportation: 1.5 hours by car from Shanghai / CNY 15 taxi ride from Yuexi Station on Suzhou Metro Line 4 🎫 Tickets: Free (Baohua Temple requires a CNY 10 incense ticket) 👟 Gear: Non-slip shoes + sun hat + mosquito repellent, hiking poles are optional 📅 Best Season: March-May (tea picking and flower viewing) / October-November (ginkgo and red leaves) 💡Tips: 1️⃣ For photos of empty tea fields, visit on a weekday morning. 2️⃣ Aidaoling has a fork leading to Qianyuan Temple. If you have the stamina, you can add 2 km to your hike. 3️⃣ Bring an empty bottle to collect spring water! The water from Longxianchi is sweet and drinkable. 4️⃣ Pets must be leashed, and some tea fields are off-limits. 🌱 Standing under the century-old camphor tree at Baohua Temple, watching the sunlight scatter like gold on the prayer wheels, I suddenly understood the ancient saying "steal half a day's leisure." There are no crowds of tourists at popular attractions here, only the gentle whispers of the wind through the bamboo sea and a cup of tea filled with the essence of spring. This weekend, put aside your KPIs and PPTs and come to Wangshan to be a mountain dweller for half a day.

❤Recommendation reason: Wangshan has a good name. A friend of mine recommended that many people go hiking in Wangshan this year because the main scenic spots are free and the name is also auspicious. May you all return with good fortune. ⛰【Attractions Guide】 Located in Yuexi Street, Wuzhong District, Suzhou, the village has a total area of ​​about 7 square kilometers, of which the forest area reaches 3.59 square kilometers. The main attractions include Jiulongtan, Baohua Temple, Xishuangling, Gengdao, Qianjiawu, etc. 🌟Highlights: The Jiulongtan Scenic Area includes the Jiulong Xizhu Area and the Bamboo Sea Leisure Area, and there are large tracts of white tea trees and ginkgo trees planted, which makes it look like a sea of ​​ginkgo trees at a glance. There is even a golf training ground hidden here. Among them, the main peak of Wangshan is the Xixi Mountain. Climbing to the top of the mountain, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire Wangshan Scenic Area. Qianjiawu is a scenic spot featuring farm stays, where visitors can taste authentic farm dishes. In addition to the above attractions, Wangshan Village also holds various activities from time to time, such as the Tea Culture Festival, Picking Festival, etc. You may wish to go and participate! 📍Detailed address: Wangshan Village, Suzhou 🕙Business hours: open all day, free admission

|||Pet-friendly‼️ Feel free to bring along🎉 but remember to keep them leashed🎉 This is a route that can be done in one day, with plenty of time for driving, and friends who have weekends off can rest another day on Sunday, which is simply too cool. Here I share some of the small scenic spots on this route, as well as things to pay attention to if you go yourself. ✅Overall route: 📍From Shanghai city area→📍Suzhou Wangshan Scenic Area parking lot→📍Wangshan circuit hike→📍Return to Wangshan parking lot→📍Drive home. 🚗Self-driving part: Friends can choose to rent a car or drive their own car there, it takes about 40 minutes to drive to Suzhou, and the overall road conditions are pretty good😁, just step on the gas and hit the highway, remember to prepare some snacks for the road, munching and laughing along the way, and you'll arrive in no time. 👚Dress code: Check the temperature in advance, 🌞the sun on the mountain is still quite strong, remember to do a good job with sun protection, 🧢hats, 👕sunscreen clothing, 👟hiking shoes, 🎒backpacks, etc. should all be brought along～ 🧗You can prepare a walking stick, as some parts of Wangshan require external assistance when climbing. 🍜Dining part: 🅿️Around the parking lot under Wangshan Scenic Area, there are many farmhouses, which are generally reliable, 💰averaging about 70-100 yuan per person. Friends who have plenty of time can order some stewed dishes, as they are made in the kitchen on the spot, so it might take a bit longer to serve. 📝Other tips: There will be one or two supply points on the mountain, water💰5 yuan/bottle, popsicles💰5 yuan/bottle. It's best to carry some snacks in your backpack, the entire circuit⛰️ is 7.62 kilometers long, ⌚️takes about 3.5 hours (because I walk slowly and also brought a dog🐶), and it takes about 3 hours to complete the whole journey. 🎋The bamboo forest section and the Jiulongtan section are more strenuous to walk because the stairs are quite steep, it is recommended to wear knee pads or carry a walking stick.

Wangshan Jiulongtan Scenic Area is located in Wangshan Scenic Area, Hengjing Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The opening hours are from 09:00 to 16:30, with the last admission at 16:00, and it is recommended to visit for more than 3 hours. Inside the scenic area, a mountain spring flows down from above, gathering into a pool of clear water, which is so deep that the bottom cannot be seen. On the dam, nine stone-carved dragon heads are arranged in a row, each with a unique shape. Whether it is the posture of the mouth or the direction of the whiskers, each is different. During thunderstorms, when the rain is plentiful and the water level rises, water will spout out through the nine dragon heads, forming nine water column waterfalls below the pool. The waterfall sometimes flows slowly and sometimes rapidly. From a distance, the water is as clear as silk, and upon closer inspection, it seems to have a rhythm. This is known as 'Nine Dragons Playing in the Water'.

Wangshan Scenic Area-Jiulongtan Scenic Area🍁 Say goodbye to the hustle and bustle of the city and come to the beautiful Wangshan Scenic Area - Jiulongtan Scenic Area! Follow me as I answer some questions about this maple leaf 🍁. 📍Location: Use the navigation to locate the path near Xishi Bridge in Wangshan Scenic Area, and follow the path to arrive. 💰Tickets: Free, enjoy the love of nature 🚗Parking: A row of parking lots can be found near the Jiulongtan Scenic Area. If you can’t park, don’t worry 😉, Qianyuan Temple and Wangshan Meet the Louvre both have backup parking lots. 🍁How many maple leaves are there? The lakeside is covered with red maple leaves, and the mountains are lush and green, intoxicating. The surrounding ginkgo trees are dotted with autumn colors. 👨‍👩‍👦Travel method: Bring your kids 👶, bring your dog 🐶, ride a bike 🚲, hike 🚶, Wangshan Scenic Area can adapt to any of your needs. This place is very suitable for leisure travel. It is not only a scenic spot in name, but it is actually located among rural villages, like a paradise. 🌳Nearby attractions: If you want to explore the thousand-year-old temple architecture, go to Baohua Temple; if you are looking forward to a breathtaking art journey, Wangshan Meets the Louvre and it is waiting for you to explore. How can you miss such a scenery! Take action 💃!

A beautiful place with numerous scenic spot like hills, lake, tea garden etc. If you live or stay in Suzhou then you can cover this place within couple of hours and the distance from downtown is about an hour drive by car. Better to be there in the morning and return in the evening to see everything with satisfaction. Don't forget to try coffee while sitting outside the cafe and experience the tranquility of surroundings. #wintergetaway#travelinspiration#scenicspotguide#awesomepic#café#naturalwonders#urbanexplorer