Liyuan Garden in Wuxi Finds a More Fairy-Tale Jiangnan by Taihu Lake than Suzhou

I've claimed the entire Taihu Lake sunset at Wuxi Liyuan Garden! This place is not a miniature version of Suzhou gardens, but a landscape scroll where pavilions and towers are directly planted in the vast misty waters.

🗺️ Lihu Lake Touring Routes

🌅 Half-Day Essence Route (3-hour deep tour)
Afternoon: Liyuan Garden Main Gate → Qianbu Corridor for framed views → Four Seasons Pavilion to enjoy osmanthus → Lakeside Pavilion for boat ride → Xishi Garden for exploration
Dusk: Lake Viewing Terrace to wait for Taihu sunset → Jinghan Water Courtyard for reflection and silhouette shots

🚤 Double Garden Combined Tour (5-hour full version)
Morning: Yuantouzhu Park Changchun Bridge → Taihu Fairy Island for climbing
Noon: Liyuan Garden to try boat cuisine → Fan Li Memorial Hall to hear legends
Afternoon: Fisherman’s Island boardwalk stroll → Water Forest kayaking

🏯 Garden Secrets Decoded

▎ Qianbu Corridor — The Flowing Gallery
• 87 flower windows framing Taihu Lake as a painting, with slanting light after 4 PM acting as a natural filter
• Couplets on corridor pillars hide the story of Xishi, look for the “Sinking Fish” stone carving

▎ Xishi Garden — The Hidden Easter Egg
• A lake island reached by rowboat, preserving the Ming Dynasty “Xiangxie Corridor”
• When the golden osmanthus fragrance fills the garden in October, the whole place smells sweet as if traveling through spring and autumn

▎ Secret Moments
✅ When morning mist lingers: Taihu and the garden blend into an ink painting
✅ At dusk when lights come on: Night projection show reenacts Fan Li and Xishi boating

🍜 Taihu Flavor Memories

�️ Garden Specialties
• Xishi Tofu Pudding: dried shrimp and pickled mustard with Taihu water-milled tofu pudding
• Liyuan Boat Snacks: lotus flower pastry + three-shredded spring rolls (available for takeout on boat tours)

▎ Nearby Time-Honored Brands
✅ Taihu Sanbai Restaurant: steamed fish egg custard + fish wontons
✅ Zuiyuelou: osmanthus sugar taro shoots with crab roe soup dumplings
✅ Ancient Canal Restaurant: mirror box tofu + Liangxi crispy eel

�️ Seasonal Specials
October: Lake fresh hotpot
Night tour period: Light and shadow tea feast (projection animation with meal)

💡 Garden Tour Tips

🚄 Transportation
15 minutes by taxi from Wuxi Station (saves 1 hour compared to Suzhou gardens)
Recommended to bike around the lake road, stopping anytime for photos

📸 Photography
Bring a telephoto lens to compress the distance between Taihu and the garden
Use framing composition at Qianbu Corridor, and osmanthus foreground at Four Seasons Pavilion

🎑 Hidden Experiences
Book early morning opening privilege (exclusive empty shots 1 hour before opening)
Join water chestnut harvesting activity (every Wednesday morning in October)

When the sunset dyes Taihu the rouge color of Xishi,
you understand why Fan Li gave up his kingdom.
The most beautiful garden
should be framed by endless misty waves.