A Cherry Blossom Paradise

Mo Tingtingg

Though not so famed as Suzhou Gardens， Turtle Head Isle （Yuantouzhu） in Wuxi is worth your exploration. It is said that a trip to Taihu Lake is imperfect if one does not visit Turtle Head Isle. If Taihu Lake is a crown of the motherland， then Turtle Head Isle can be dubbed as a gem on the crown. You will lose yourself in such Chinese-painting like scenery if you wander through cherry blossom garden to appreciate a pink world in the early spring， boat on the smooth surface of the Taihu Lake to feel the retreating pleasure of the general Fanli （536 BC-448 BC） and the beauty Xi Shi （the late Spring and Autume Period-473 BC）， and appreciate private villas integrated with gorgeous design of imperial garden in north China..

A place drawing men of literature and writing

Wuxi， a shining peal setting at the south of Jiangsu Province， is a fertile land teeming with fish and rice. It was once rich in tin during the Zhou Dynasty （1046 BC-256 BC）. For the overuse of tin at the end of Qin Dynasty （221 BC-206 BC）， the place got the name “Wuxi”， meaning “a place without tin”. Travelers who come to Wuxi should pay a visit to Taihu Lake and those who visit Taihu Lake must take a visit to Turtle Head Isle. Surrounded by hills， Taihu Lake gives an ethereal quality， in particular when it is covered by mist， or lit under the setting sun， with the poetic songs of older fisherman ringing in the air. You can enjoy a leisure time on Taihu Lake just as Fanli did two thousand years ago. Located in the southwest of Wuxi， Turtle Head Isle is a peninsula poking into the northwestern shore of Taihu Lake. It is given such a name for it resembles a raising head of a floating turtle.

In the Xiaoliang Period （502-557）， Guangfu Temple was built here， which was one of the 480 temples in the Southern Dynasty （420-589）. Before the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， Turtle Head Isle had been a holy land for praying. The Turtle Head Isle was first built in 1916， with an area of over 500 hectares. During the Republican Period （1912-1949）， many celebrities and dignitaries came here for a fictitious land of peace， and built private gardens and villas， making a unique example of the garden style in Jiangnan area. It was rebuilt in 1918 by Yang Hanxi， President of Wuxi Chamber of Commerce in the late Qing Dynasty （1636-1912）. At that time， he ingeniously built the garden by naturally using the mountains and rivers. Since Turtle Head Isle boasts a long history as well as many historical sites and classic elegant private gardens， the tracing， stone carving， painting and other remains of celebrities in the past dynasties can be seen everywhere.

There are a wide range of scenic spots， including Taihu Lake Memorial Archway， Xu Xiake Bronze Statue， Cliff Stone Carving， Jiangnan Orchid Garden， Hengyun Sino-Japanese Friendship Oriental Cherry Planation and so on. It is no exaggeration to say that Turtle Head Isle is a gift endowed by nature， as you can immerse in the fantastic scenery praised by Chinese well-known modern poet Guo Moruo： “The superb view of the Taihu Lake， after all， lies in the Turtle Head Isle”.Surrounded by water on three sides， Turtle Head Isle is rewarded as “The First Scenic Spot on Taihu Lake”， with the pastoral scenery of countryside such as endless wind， changeable sunshine， frog in the morning， cherry blossom in spring， green trees in summer， fallen leaves in autumn， tree branches covered by frost and snow in winter.

Immersing in a pink wonderland

Turtle Head Isle Scenic Area comprises of the lake， the peninsula and the Sanshan Islands， occupying the most beautiful corner of Taihu Lake. Once known as the Sanshan Islands， Taihu Fairy Islands are composed of three mountain isles， with a blending of the ancient Taoism culture and legends. To travel between Turtle Head Isle and Taihu Fairy Islands， you can take a ship or speedboat for sightseeing. The boat journey takes about 20 minutes.

Entering into Turtle Head Isle， you wont miss the Taihu Lake Memorial Archway decorated in classical style with glazed tile roof and on which was inscribed the poem of Guo Moruo. Or you can pass through Changchun Bridge that looks like the Yudai Bridge of Summer Palace， have gorgeous view of lotus blossom， walk to Turtle Head Isle in the Spring Waves to fully appreciate Taihu Lake scenery， visit the ancient Guangfu Temple to have a basic understanding about Buddhism， enjoy about 180 kinds of orchid in Jiangnan Orchid Garden with tall bamboos and clear stream flowing， and appreciate beautiful flowers and trees along the Ten-Mile Fragrant Lane. Besides， there are more spots worth visiting. The cherry trees blossoming here during springs turn the whole place into a fairy-tale world.

If youve missed the sakura season in Japan， dont worry！ Because Turtle Head Isle is dubbed as the first place in China， as well as one of the top three places in the world to appreciate cherry. The best time to visit Turtle Head Isle is from March to early November. You can celebrate spring at the Yuantouzhu International Cherry Blossom Festival which is held at Turtle Head Isle where more than 30，000 cherry trees dot the verdant island！ At least 70 types of cherry flowers are in full bloom， covering an area of 0.65 km2. Every spring， Turtle Head Isle is like a young lady putting on her most graceful clothes， showing her beauty to all.

You can pamper yourself in a leisure walk through the tranquil path decorated with cherry blossom， take a traditional boat floating on the water and enjoy the cherry blossom miles away， or climb up to the top of Luding Hill to have a panoramic view of the the pink and white flowers. Birds twitter and the fragrance of flowers are found everywhere. At this time， a wonderful display of cherry blossoms， set against a backdrop of classic Jiangnan-style architecture， can be seen along the shores of the lake. During the season， there are also at least eight ancient fishing sailboats in the lake. Seagulls follow the boat and like to be fed by tourists on boat. The lake and mountain under the light of the setting sun and the fishermens songs at night always create a poetic atmosphere.