The most beautiful natural sites to discover Coastal China

The Purple Mountain is a huge forest park in the heart of the city of Nanjing. There are many tourist attractions that constitute the identity of the city, the former Republican capital, and in particular the most famous of them: Sun Yat-sen mausoleum; or the Linggu temple. The Purple Mountain is also an ideal place to escape the heat of the city in summer and enjoy the quietness. 

It's nothing less than one of China's five largest freshwater lakes!

This vast expanse of shallow water (less than two meters), 500 times greater than that of Xihu Lake in Hangzhou (2,400 km ²) is the central element of regional culture. To the northeast, fish and freshwater crabs are stretched inseparable from the mulberry plantations. Boiled chrysalides serve as food for fish whose feces produce rich fertilizers. To the north, the nine peaks of the Huishan hills overlook the lake. This landscape, evoking a dragon seeping along the banks is a sign of good Shui feng, Chinese geometry…

At the end of May 2007, severe pollution caused the sudden onset of algae on Taihu Lake, leading to the interruption of the water supply for over one million Wuxi inhabitants and triggering the start of national reflection on environmental issues…

Located at the foot of Nandu Hill, on the edge of Lake Taihu, approximately 8 km from Wuxi, this peninsula is the shape of a turtle head moving in the waters of the lake. Yuantouzhu offers an excellent perspective of the lake.

Guo Moruo (1892-1978), the famous contemporary Chinese writer, says «The beauty of the Lake is revealed in Yuantouzhu». A few steps away, the terrace of an old tea house offers a pleasant stopover. The clarity pavilion at the top of the hill offers an exceptional view of the lake and 72 peaks.

The Temple of Universal Happiness (Guangfu Si, 光复寺), built in 1924 on the ruins of a temple of the Southern Kingdoms, is still active today.

A boat trip between Yuantouzhe and the islands in the Three Mountains (Sanshan, 三山) allows a nice walk. The pier is located on the side of the Arche ark and the bridge of the Spring spring.

This lake has an area equivalent to 3 000 lakes in the West! Qiandao has 1 078 islands, the best known being: Longshan island, De, Xianshan, Jhongjhiguan Guangyu, De. Take one or two days of visit.

The valley of the river Qiantang or Zhijiang is the longest in the province, 410 km with a watershed covering approximately 420 000 km ². The river takes its source in Huangshan Mountains, in the Anhui. It is known as the Xin'an river, before joining the river Fuchun, then the river Qiantang which flows into the East Sea, some tens of kilometres north of Hangzhou. The valley of the south-west is a marvel. Little known to tourists, it remains very wild in the extreme variety of its successive sections: walk through richly wooded hills, the plains of rice, then massive massifs planted to get and reach the lake to the Thousand Islands (Count 1 078 to be exact), point of rallying of tourists. The lake is artificial, this is the result of the construction of a dam in 1959.

Created between 1522 and 1619 by Zhu Sansong, a craftsman specialising in bamboo engraving, this garden was destroyed during the war against the Japanese in 1937-1945. The current package is a reconstruction of the late 1950 s: the garden is now 6 hectares against only 1,8 hectares.

Located in the temple of Confucius, the "Mare de reunion des dragons" (named because of its winding shape) was dug in 1588, under the Ming, and then integrated into a traditional garden. At the centre of the water plan emerges a small island, Yingkui hill (symbolizing five dragons playing with a jade pearl) built in 1660. The garden underwent a significant expansion in the late 1970 s a Qing theatre Scene (1888) from Shanghai installed there: a finely decorated artwork, the main attraction of the site.

About kilometres from Shanghai, Sheshan is a little bit of the Shanghai leisure Centre. The surrounding area of Sheshan has many tourist facilities, allowing the Shanghaiens to enjoy the greenery and mountains. Nevertheless, some cultural sites deserve to be mentioned, including its cathedral.

The latter passes to be the largest cathedral in Asia. It was built by the Company of Jesus between 1863 and 1866 and was completed in the 1930 s by a basilica. Above all, the outdoor show is worth a detour; perched on a hill, the cathedral dominates the region. The interior is not of particular interest.

This 125 km long Shanghai cut from east to west, from Taihu Lake to Suzhou, to throw into Huang Pu. At the beginning of the th century, it marked the separation between British, American and Japanese concessions. But the river has played an important role in the trade and transport of goods. Throughout the banks, industrial zones have been established, with factories, warehouses of all kinds: textiles, steel, electronic materials or flour. In the 1990 s, the Shanghai government ordered the relocation of all these plants outside the city. The buildings were abandoned, some demolished, others invested as artists'squatter (one closer to Moganshan Lu). Today, some of the wharves have been redone, so they can walk freely.

Located in the west of the island, this park stretches over 430 hectares, with a total of 200 hectares of water. It is an ideal place to make a little boat, pedal boat or to enjoy the afternoon in front of a nice hot café on the terrace. Atmosphere over time.