HISTORIC WUXI DAZZLES THE SENSES

The Grand Canal stretching nearly 18ookm from Beijing to Hangzhou is the world’s longest and oldest canal and is still a major lifeblood in the eastern part of China.  The man-made canal was started in 486BC with the major construction taking place from 605-610AD.

open air kitchen tempts the palate, Wuxi

Along the canal are many cities and towns, big and small and many of these, especially in the area west of Shanghai are historic tourist destinations.  Suzhou, Zhouzhuang and Tongli are with 100km of Shanghai while only a further 40km away is Wuxi.

Although the best way to see Wuxi is by a guided tour from Shanghai I enjoyed the experience of making my own way there by bus and train. It was a challenge to buy tickets at Shanghai Railway station, joining queues of Chinese travellers to get tickets (often assisted by helpful locals whose English certainly was better than my Chinese) The express train covers the 126km to Wuxi in an hour (and was packed both ways) while the bus takes two hours..

The city straddles the Beijing-Hangzhou canal and also borders lovely Taihu Lake, the third largest freshwater lake in China.  The six kilometre stretch of the canal through Wuxi is very scenic especially the eastern part where a major restoration project is underway rebuilding many of the old houses and other buildings that line the banks.  Attractive arched bridges span the narrow waterway none more spectacular than Qingming Bridge.

attractive scene on canal, Wuxi

Qingming Bridge, Wuxi

Pleasure craft operate tours along the canal and there are also pathways along the bank although at present the building work makes some sections difficult to negotiate. There is a large shopping area being completed adjacent to the canal, many of the buildings reflect the old style with high pitched roofs giving them a ‘temple’ look. The Miaoguang Pagoda of the Southern Buddhist Monastery is located here and is very colorful and ornate. Nearby is Longguang Pagoda which was built in the Ming Dynasty, and at 32.2m high the 7 storey brick and wooden structure is the second largest of its kind in China.

Nanchang Buddhist Monastery, Wuxi

If you step away from the new developments you are quickly in a maze of narrow streets where family and commercial life seems unchanged from years ago.  A busy fruit and vegetable market hums with activity while you also see artisans at work using traditional implements.

Also within the city area is Xihui Park which contains lovely Jichang Garden (a classical garden of southern China), Huishan Temple and expansive recreational areas.  Further on Meiyuan Gardens is famous for the more than 5000 species of plum trees growing there while Liyuan Garden contains a garden landscape mixed in with small pavilions and tiny bridges.

The western outskirts of Wuxi border 2400sq km Taihu Lake, a popular tourist and recreation area in this part of China.  The part of the lake close to Wuxi is known as Meiliang Lake contains a number of attractions.  Yuantouzhu Park is an islet so named because a huge rock juts out into the lake shaped like a turtle’s head; the best views of the lake are obtained there.  There are numerous other islands in this part of the lake. Boat trips are available on the lake.

Unveiled in 1997 the 88m high bronze statue of Sakyamuni is the largest likeness of the Buddha in China.  It is located on a hillside of the lesser Lingshan Mountains on the outskirts of Wuxi.

Wuxi is also a well known film and television producing city and many famous Chinese films have been made there.  For example Three Kingdoms Town was the location of the production of the film based on the Chines novel Romance of Three Kingdoms.

Wuxi is a major industrial city with a population of over 4.5 million.  Arriving by train you notice the outskirts are dominated by huge residential tower blocks with new skyscrapers in various stages of construction.  However it also known for its silk weaving and the nearby town of Yixing is noted for its tea production and for clay teapots

There are plenty of excellent hotels in Wuxi and also around Lake Taihu and prices are remarkably reasonable with four star hotels available for around $100 per night.  Excellent choices in the city area include Sheraton, Courtyard, Renaissance, Kempinski and Jin Jiang Grand while Doubletree by Hilton is well situated lakeside.

Related posts:

1. Wuzhen Is Delightful Historic Water Town