If Taihu Lake is mom to Suzhou City, then Xishan is a joyful spoiled child of Taihu Lake.

  Xishan is an isle on the southeast of Taihu Lake, and is originally called the Taoyuan of the Wu Kingdom. Of the 72 peaks in the Taihu Lake, 41 are within the Xishan. It is characterized by the landscape of clustered isles, antique villages and the Wu-yue culture. It is the cream of Taihu Lake, with more than 100 historic and cultural relics, and 7 protected antique villages controlled by the Suzhou municipality.

Drive off from the southwest of the ancient city in soothing breeze for 40 kilometers, an expanse of water melting into the sky appears before you. Just a green pearl, with rounded peaks and smooth and continuous ridges. In each season, the nature has a new offering for you, plum flowers in spring, lotus in summer, after oranges turn red, apricots surrounding the houses shine brightly in golden yellow, and then come loquat, red bayberry, plum and peach, ginko, chestnut, and pomegranate, ..., all these are to the point of intoxicating.

On the isle proper, literary traditions and fantastic legends are everywhere: King Yu of Xia Dynasty harnessed flood, the King of Wu spent summer with his concubine Xi Shi, the temples built by Taoists and Buddhists in the East Jin and Souther & Northern Dynasties, the recluse where the northern nobles retreated to after the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, and about one hundred antique buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, such as the Jingxiu Hall, the Rongde Hall, the Chunxu Hall, and the Airi Hall. As you arrive here from the expressway on the Taihu Bridge, those players in the history seem to appear and disappear over the winding paths, the secret lanes and among the blossoms and trees. They have all been here: Bai Juyi, Wang Changling, Pi Rixiu, Lu Guimeng, Fan Zhongyan, Fan Chengda, Su Xunqin, ....

The splendor and charm of the Xishan can best be described by a lyric from the Yuan Dynasty: Clouds at dusk set in, the sun still lingers. Maples stretch afar, and reeds line the river banks. Gulls and egrets perch up, while cows and sheep head for home. The lake with ten thousand hectares is drawn in a picture, and the crystal palace is immersed in red glow.

The Xishan is truly a hill of flowers and fruits, flowers blossom each month, and fruits ripen every season. There are a plenty of tea, nuts, fish and shrimps, which attract many a tourist to feast their eyes and glut their stomachs. Currently, 12 scenic spots are open to the public, and you have the options of Farming Joy, self-driving sightseeing, visits of antique villages, picking fruits, and climbing to choose from as offered here in the Jinting Town.