Day 1 Suzhou → Yushan → Suzhou
All day
Meeting point: 08:00-08:15, at the intersection of Jintang Street and Zongguantang Road (near Exit 6 of Pinghe Road Station on Metro Line 2. Self-driving cars can park at Yaosheng Building, capped at 20 yuan/day)
08:15 We got on the bus and set off. Led by the staff, the team members introduced themselves to each other, interacted with each other, laughed and talked all the way, and unknowingly approached the destination.
Arriving at our destination around 9:30 AM, our team leader led everyone through pre-climbing warm-ups. Yushan Mountain lies northwest of Changshu City, bordered by the Yangtze River to the north and Shang Lake to the south. It was named after Yu Zhong (also known as Zhong Yong), the ancestor of Jiangnan during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, who was buried there. The southeastern foot of Yushan Mountain extends into the ancient city, earning it the nickname "Ten Miles of Green Hills Halfway into the City." It has now been designated a National Forest Park. Yushan Mountain offers numerous hiking trails, ranging from short ones perfect for morning exercises to more immersive hikes. A classic example is the Yushan Eagle Route, which weaves through diverse landscapes, passing tea plantations, dense forests, ancient trails, plank roads, river valleys, and bridge tunnels, offering a diverse array of scenery. Even more remarkable is the intersection of the trails, forming the shape of an eagle.
This time we hiked the very classic Eagle Route: Yushan Reservoir - Jiandao - Songfeng Pavilion - Jianmen - Tea Garden - Zhulian Cave - Haohanpo - Nianmu Mountain - River Valley - Dragon Temple - Yushan Reservoir.
At noon, we shared the various lunches brought by everyone at the top of the mountain, overlooking the mountains and enjoying the outdoors!
We arrived at the destination at 5:00 PM. The bus was already waiting. We boarded and headed back to Suzhou. We arrived back around 6:30 PM. We were still reluctant to leave, so we said goodbye with tears in our eyes!
