Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Peninsula)

Situated on northwest of Taihu Lake, Yuantouzhu is the best place to enjoy the beauty of Taihu Lake. The literal meaning of Yuantouzhu is “the head of the Dragon Turtle, which refers to the peninsula’s resemblance of a turtle head emerging from the lake. For centuries, tourists, poets and painters have visited Yuantouzhu. Numerous poems and paintings about the spot have been passed down to the present day.

The gardens of Yuantouzhu were first constructed in the late nineteenth century. The bridges and pavilions now are standing at Yuantouzhu date from that time. Along with the small ponds of the lakeside gardens, the man-made structures were designed to accentuate the beauty of the natural landscape around them. Many celebrities and high officials have built private gardens and villas nearby Yuantouzhu. The garden is one of the largest scenic botanical gardens in China.

Lingshan Buddhist Scenic Area

Development of the Lingshan Buddhist Scenic Area first broke ground in 1994. The area is composed of a series of articulately designed Buddhist sites including the Lingshan Grand Buddha-the world's tallest standing statue of Sakyamuni, the ancient Xiangfu Temple, a series of dynamic musical sculptures known as Nine Dragons Bathing Baby Buddha, as well as a collection of unique Buddhist locations scattered throughout the park.

A cultural park holding rich the serene beauty of Buddhism, Lingshan integrates ancient cultural ideas and customs with modern civilization, combining the profound insight of Buddhism with a continual thirst for the spirit of Sakyamuni in today’s China. The modern construction of Lingshan speaks to an invigoration of ancient culture thriving within modern society.