User:Nathan Yu 2023/Yuantouzhu

Yuantouzhu is a peninsula which lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Tai, near Wuxi in China's Jiangsu province. It was established as a park in 1916 and celebrates its centennial in 2016.

Yuantouzhu, or "Turtle Head Isle" in English (so called because its shape resembles a turtle's head), is a popular scenic tourist region. Tourist ferries leave from Yuantouzhu to the Sanshan Islands (三山岛), which were opened to tourists in the mid-1980s. Seagulls follow the boat and like to be fed by tourists on boat.

The Yuantouzhu park is famous for its tourism especially during the spring season from March to April when hundreds of cherry blossom trees start to bloom. Two gates are open for tourists which are Chongshan gate and Dushan main gate. During the season, there are also at least eight ancient fishing sailboats in the lake.

In 2012, Turtle Head Isle was awarded as the national AAAAA level tourist attraction.

Many Scenic spots in Turtle Head Isle are proteced as cultural relic units of Jiangsu Province.

Major Spots
Sakura Valley 樱花谷

Sakura Valley is located at the northern foot of Luding Mountain in Turtle Head Isle, adjacent to and integrated into the Sino-Japanese Cherry Blossom Friendship Forest, covering an area of 200,000 square meters(50 acres, 2152780 square feet). There are more than 30,000 cherry blossoms of 68 varieties, and It is the largest special cherry blossom garden in China.



Lotus Deep 藕花深处

Located at Shi Li Fang path near Lihu Lake. Lotus, water lily, duckweed and other aquatic plants are contiguous for several miles. Walking at the lotus pound in summer, we can see and feel the green leaves swaying, lotus fragrance, and cool breeze.

South Region Orchid Garden 江南兰苑

South Region Orchid Garden is a special garden for cultivating and viewing orchids. In 1989, it was listed as China Orchid Germplasm Conservation Research Center by Chinese Botanical Society. In the garden, the greens are lush, pavilions scattered, elegant layout, orchid fragrance during four seasons, quiet and pleasant, here can be called the best place to enjoy orchid.



Former Residence of Kunlun Wang 王昆仑故居

There is a modern building among the green trees and red leaves on hill called "Former Residence of Wang Kunlun".

Wang Kunlun was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. In the eleventh year of the Republic of China (1922), he joined the Kuomintang. In the fifteenth year of the Republic of China (1926), he served as a political instructor at Chaozhou Branch of the Huangpu Military Academy and took part in the Northern Expedition. In 1949, Wang Kunlun joined the Democratic Revolution and served as its fifth and sixth central chairman.

Wang Kunlun was an outstanding revolutionary activist, whether writing old style poetry or new poetry, he has shown quite high literary accomplishment.

Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 8:00 to 16:30, Saturday/Sunday 8:00 to 17:00, last cruise starts 16:50.

Tickets Price
Turtle Head Isle Audult Ticket: 85 CNY/12.53 USD;

Turtle Head Isle Audult Ticket + Sightseeing Bus Line 1: 113 CNY/16.66 USD.

Natural Resources
Turtle Head Isle's flower acorus planting scale and numbers of variaty ranks the first in the East China Gardens. In May, the flowers of the same nationality of the flower acorus, such as Xisun and yellow flower iris, bloom widely.

These two flowers are mostly full bloom in the late April. Other varieties of calamus flowers are already blooming sporadically and will enter the best viewing period around mid of May.

In the mid 1990s. the flower acorus park was built. Most of the original flower acorus were imported from Japan, covering an area od about 3,000 square meters/ 32,291 square feet/ 0.74 Acres.

Flower acorus generally bloom with purple, white, yellow, as well as edge color, gradient color.

Local Delicacies
The Natural food SanBai (Three Whites) in Taihu (Taihu Lake) are used to entertain all guests.

Taihu Sanbai refers to the three river specialties of Taihu Lake in China: white fish, whitebait and white shrimp, which are the signature dishes of "Taihu Boat dish". The white fish has delicate meat, fat under the scales, similar to shad, is a rare fish in Taihu Lake; The whitebait meat is tender, with rich nutrition; The white shrimp meat is tender, and its nutritional value is very high.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, Turtle Head Isle Fresh Food Festival is a sub-activity of Turtle Head Isle fishermen's Festival, visitors can receive the local customs, cultures and ecological food in Turtle Head Isle.