Tinglin Park

Saturday, with the high sky and crisp autumn air, I took the Suzhou Metro Line 11 to walk around Kunshan city. I boarded the train at Huaqiao Metro Station after nine o'clock, and it took thirty-five minutes to reach Yushan Square Station. The station hall is designed in a modern style with elements of Kunqu opera art, even the benches are characters of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou. Exiting from Exit 2 (Exit 3 is closed), I strolled along Tinglin Road. Passing through Xianhou Street and Dongxitang Street, I experienced the typical small bridges and flowing water of the Jiangnan style. Not far away, I passed by the old Kunshan brand, Aozao Restaurant. At a quarter past ten in the morning, it was already bustling with people inside. Not feeling hungry, I decided to visit the park first. I arrived at Tinglin Park and found the scenery outside to be quite nice, so I didn't enter through the East Gate but walked along Ma'anshan Road instead. Lotus ponds, lawns, streams, stone bridges, pavilions, and even a closed temple, Huazang Temple. Even the Starbucks on the roadside had the ancient charm of Jiangnan style. I reached the West Gate of Tinglin Park and spent over three hours touring. The garden is very nice (big enough to warrant a separate note). After one o'clock in the afternoon, I exited from the East Gate and managed to get into Aozao Restaurant half an hour before it closed at two, to enjoy a bowl of Aozao noodles. The taste was very good, and I also avoided the long queue during peak hours. After the meal, I strolled along Chaiwang Road and was turned away at the Kunshan Calligraphy and Painting Institute near the Hutong Building. I turned onto Congming Alley to give myself a bit of enlightenment 😂. On the way back to Yushan Square Metro Station, I made a special trip to queue up for a small bag of freshly fried chestnuts. The price was very affordable, 14 yuan per jin, while another store across the street was charging 31, making me wonder why there was a queue here. Sweet and glutinous, the taste was fantastic! A perfect autumn weekend city walk.

🧢Nice park for a day walk. The park fees 20 yuan but on the day we arrive there there were promo if we used the app the all entrerece fee is 18 yuan. Children if free. What I like: - Children friendly simple hiking area. - Nice place for photographer to cpture the moment. - We were there on Saturday less crowd. Other: - few trails closed.

Tinglin Park, the oldest garden in Kunshan, Jiangsu, is known as the 'best beautiful mountain in Jiangdong'. It was built in 1906, originally named Ma'anshan Park, and has a history of more than a hundred years. In 1936, it was renamed Tinglin Park in memory of Gu Yanwu, a thinker in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Tinglin Park covers more than 850 acres and is located at No. 1, Ma'anshan East Road, Kunshan. Inside the park, the scenery is picturesque and the scenery is simple and elegant. There are Tinglin Sir (Gu Yanwu) Memorial Hall, Kunqu Museum, and famous scenic spots such as Suiyuan, Yinghua Pavilion, and Cuiwei Pavilion. Walking into Tinglin Park, there are many tourists. Fitness, garden tours, playing music and singing, it's lively. After all, it's an old garden, but you can see old trees and ancient woods everywhere. There is an ancient ginkgo tree on the southern foot of Yufeng in the park. It is said that it has been a thousand years old and is still growing vigorously. Tinglin Park also has three treasures: Kunshi, Qionghua, and Bindi Lotus. Kunshi, unique to Tinglin Park, Yufeng Mountain in Tinglin Park is the original treasure of Kunshi. Kunshi, also known as Linglong Stone. Its natural multi-porous, color white as snow, yellow like jade, crystal clear, no shape, mostly a foot or so. It is reported that Kunshi has been mined for nearly a thousand years and has always been regarded as a good appreciation of art. Qionghua, also known as Jubaixian, is mainly distributed in the south of the Yangtze River. The largest Qionghua in Tinglin Park is more than four meters high. The plant nameplate shows that it has a history of more than 360 years. Such an ancient and rare thing is rare in the south of the Yangtze River and even in the whole country. In Tinglin Park, there are also two special Qionghua gardens for tourists to enjoy. It is said that there is also an ancient Qionghua in the Slender West Lake Park in Yangzhou, which was planted by the host Dao Hong Chan in the Kangxi period (1709), but its age and scale cannot be compared with the ancient Qionghua in Tinglin Park. Bindi Lotus, on the east side of the park, in front of the Kunshi Museum, there is a square lotus pond of hundreds of square meters. The Bindi Lotus in this lotus pond was originally planted in Zhengyi Ancient Town, more than ten kilometers southwest of Tinglin Park, and was privately owned by Gu Aiying, a poet in the late Yuan Dynasty. It was planted in its Dongting, also known as Dongting Lotus. In the 1950s, it was moved from Dongting, Zhengyi Town to the lotus pond in Tinglin Park. Kunshan Bindi Lotus was also transplanted to famous gardens in the south of the Yangtze River such as Suzhou Humble Administrator's Garden and Hangzhou West Lake.

Kunshi once became a symbol of the high-mindedness of literati and the spirit of wildness in the mountains and forests. Lu You used his heart to contain the spirit, as if he were facing Songhua, and the poem said, 'Yanshan calamus is famous for Kunshan, and Chen Sou brings it to comfort the solitude.' His teacher was once obsessed and crazy, begging for it in every possible way. After getting the stone, he placed it on his desk to play with, and wrote, 'Scattered books are lined up in the window, and the rubbing comforts the decay.' Yang Bei, the younger brother of Yang Yi, a famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, was a master of seven-character quatrains. He generously recognized Bi He's beauty of jade, and the poem said, 'The mountain light in the cloud is about to flow, and it is difficult to seek a piece of jade at that time.' Zhang Yu of the Yuan Dynasty got a Kunshi about a foot high and was extremely excited. He wrote, 'With Mr. Zuo's strange stone for offering, the East China Sea in his sleeve is like a treasure.' Gu Ying, a Yuan Dynasty ticket friend who loved strange peaks and stones, introduced the lotus with the same stem, and was one of the three richest men in the south of the Yangtze River. In his Jade Mountain Thatched Cottage, he collected the famous 'Cloud-making Stone', often organized Jade Mountain Poetry Gatherings, and wrote poems for appreciation. Later, when Qianlong went down to the south of the Yangtze River, the green lotus in the Meishi Garden in Hangzhou, and the sister stone 'Qingzhi Xiu and Qingyun Piece' loved by Mi Wanzhong, were all netted back to the Yuanmingyuan and the Summer Palace. In the Ming Dynasty, stone appreciation became a fashion. Wang Chideng came to Yufeng to visit the ancient times and wrote, 'The land thinks that Jin Zeng clothed, and the mountain will get the name of jade.' Wu Kuan, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, ascended to the ancient times, and wrote, 'The jade stone of Kungang has not been burned together, and the ancient trees and dangerous vines are covered with white clouds.' Gui Zhuang, the great-grandson of Gui Youguang, and Gu Yanwu were known as 'Gui Qi and Gu Gui'. He used objects to express his aspirations and wrote, 'The divine work and the ghost axe have been chopped for a thousand years, and the chicken bones and peach blossoms are all natural', which is the most moving. Kunshi is as clear as jade, as full and moist as snow, and is known as one of the four traditional famous stones in our country with Taihu Stone, Lingbi Stone, and Ying Stone. It is also known as one of the three famous stones in the south of the Yangtze River with Rain Flower Stone and Taihu Stone. Kunshi is easy to break, the main component is silicon dioxide, in the crystal cave of the quartz vein, the crystal cluster formed is Kunshi. And the Kunshi produced in places like Gaoting Mountain in Hangzhou, Longyan in Fujian, and Langya Mountain in Anhui is called 'pseudo-Kunshi'. Kunshi is warm and elegant, exquisite and full of holes, full of elegance, with the charm of emptiness and the feeling of jade. The beauty of Kunshi, in the cloud head and rain foot, perfectly fits the stone appreciation concept of 'thin, wrinkled, leaky, transparent' and 'hump and drunk'. According to the texture of Kunshi crystal clusters and vein pieces, they are named Chicken Bone Peak, Snowflake Peak, Jellyfish Peak, Walnut Peak, Bayberry Peak, Bird Droppings Peak, etc.

🏯Kunshan Tinglin Park covers more than 850 acres and is a famous scenic spot with a long history in Kunshan. The Yufeng Mountain in the park looks like a saddle, with a flat plain for hundreds of miles, and a single peak stands out. It has the famous Yufeng Three Treasures: Kun stone, Qiong flower, and lotus with two stems. 🚗Parking: Tinglin Park is divided into East Gate and West Gate. There is a large underground parking lot across the street, which is very convenient for parking✌

✅Preparation before departure 1. Documents: Carry ID cards, student cards and other documents, some attractions can enjoy discounts. 2. Clothing: Prepare appropriate clothing according to the season, Kunshan's climate is humid, it is recommended to carry rain gear. 3. Medicine: Carry common medicines according to personal needs. 4. Others: Camera, power bank, sunscreen, etc. Travel time The best time to visit Kunshan is in spring and autumn, avoiding holidays and weekends, you can better experience the tranquility and beauty of Kunshan. Per capita consumption The consumption level of Kunshan is moderate, generally speaking, the per capita consumption is about 300 yuan per day, and the specific consumption varies from person to person. 📍Transportation 1. Airplane: Kunshan does not have an airport, the nearest airports are Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. There are various transportation options from the airport to Kunshan, such as high-speed rail, long-distance buses, etc. 2. High-speed rail: Departing from Kunshan South Station, you can reach cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. 3. Bus: There are many bus routes in Kunshan, covering most of the attractions and urban areas. You can check the routes and fares at the bus station. Itinerary Day1: Morning: Arrive in Kunshan, check into the hotel, visit Tinglin Park, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Kunshan. Afternoon: Visit the Kunshan Museum to learn about the history and culture of Kunshan. Evening: Taste Kunshan's special dishes in the restaurants in Kunshan city, such as Ao stove noodles, Wan San trotters, etc. Day2: Morning: Take a car to Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, visit attractions such as Shuangqiao, Shen Hall, and Zhang Hall. Afternoon: In the tea house or coffee shop in Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Evening: Take a night cruise in Zhouzhuang and enjoy the night view of the ancient town. Day3: Morning: Go to Jinxi Ancient Town, visit attractions such as Chenfei Shuizong, Lianchi Zen Temple, etc. Afternoon: Return to Kunshan city, shop at Kunshan Department Store or Zhengyang Bridge Business District. Evening: Pack your luggage and prepare to leave Kunshan. Accommodation recommendation 1. Hotels in Kunshan city, convenient transportation, complete surrounding facilities. 2. Inns in Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, beautiful environment, can better experience the style of the water town. 💯Must punch 1. Tinglin Park: The iconic attraction of Kunshan, the Yufeng Mountain in the park is known as the "first mountain of Kunshan". 2. Zhouzhuang Ancient Town: China's first water town, there are many well-preserved Ming and Qing buildings and unique water town scenery. 3. Jinxi Ancient Town: An ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of more than two thousand years, characterized by ancient bridges, ancient temples, and ancient streets. 🍝Food recommendation 1. Ao stove noodles: Ao stove noodles are traditional noodles in Kunshan, with red oil fried fish noodles and white soup braised duck noodles being the most famous. 2. Wan San trotters: Wan San trotters are a special dish of Zhouzhuang in Kunshan, made from pig's trotters, through pickling, boiling and other processes. 3. Qingtuan: Qingtuan is a traditional pastry in Kunshan, made mainly of glutinous rice flour and bean paste, with a soft and sweet taste. 🎁Shopping recommendation 1. Kunshan Department Store: Kunshan Department Store is one of the largest shopping centers in Kunshan, with various brands of clothing, shoes, cosmetics, etc. 2. Golden Eagle International Shopping Center: Golden Eagle International Shopping Center is a high-end shopping center, with many international brands and luxury brands. 3. Kunshan Wanda Plaza: Kunshan Wanda Plaza is a large shopping center, with various brands of clothing, shoes, catering, etc. ✨Photography skills 1. Use the characteristic buildings and rivers of the water town as the background to take photos with the style of the south of the Yangtze River. 2. Try to shoot at different times, such as early morning and evening, to capture different light and shadow effects. 3. Pay attention to composition and angle, and use foreground elements to increase the sense of layering in the picture. 🔴Attention tips 1. Pay attention to protect the environment and do not litter. 2. Respect local customs and abide by the rules of the scenic area. 3. Pay attention to personal property safety, especially in crowded places.

The art of bonsai, originated in our country, is a treasure in the art of gardening, is a "three-dimensional painting, silent poetry", is the creation of the clever fusion of human spirit and nature, is the aesthetic creation of poetic painting, is the creation of a full of meaning. Although bonsai is small, its artistic conception is unlimited, and the mystery of life can be seen in a square inch. Through creative composition, with the cultural connotation of the material itself, full of charm of the name, deepen and render the poetic and emotional situation of the work. Chinese bonsai art, advocating nature, beauty in the artistic conception. Bonsai art is not deliberately pursuing the sick and ugly state of affectation, but the beauty of vitality and simplicity. A pot of Qinggong, can "move heaven and earth, pot stand big thousand", glimpse a mountain forest atmosphere, there is a kind of forest under the style. Because of the heart to create the situation, dynamic and static contrast, both the natural "live fragrance", and the "live rhyme live emotion" of heaven and earth. The beauty of bonsai, lies in conforming to the natural law, leading the rhythm and rhythm of nature, can attract people. The beauty of bonsai is also the beauty of the creation of lively charm, is the realization of traditional philosophical wisdom and aesthetic ideal. Mountain stone bonsai, to be uneven, to be steep winding, to be both rigid and flexible, like heaven opened; Tree stump bonsai to hide appropriate, to be sparse and appropriate, to be elegant and graceful, can have a scene to have an end, but the feeling of endless meaning. Suzhou style bonsai originated in Tang and Song dynasties, flourished in Ming and Qing dynasties, ancient and elegant, chic and handsome. Among them, Bai Juyi, Fan Chengda, Wen Zhenheng, Hu Huanchang and others are all masters. Under the advocacy of bonsai master Zhou Shoujuan, Zhuozheng Garden set up a bonsai garden in the western garden, which is the viewing base of Suzhou style bonsai.

Tinglin Park in Kunshan, a place full of historical heritage and cultural atmosphere. As I step into this lush land, it's as if I've traveled through time and space, back to that flourishing era. The east gate of Tinglin Park is its main entrance. As soon as I entered, I was attracted by the tall statue of Gu Yanwu. He is dressed in a long robe, holding a scroll in his hand, with a firm gaze, as if he is telling his philosophy: "The rise and fall of the world, the common man has responsibility". Continuing inside, I came to the Kunshi Museum, Kunqu Museum, and Gu Yanwu Memorial Hall. Each place is full of a sense of historical weight, as if telling the history and culture of Kunshan. Inside the Kunshi Museum, various strangely shaped Kunshi are displayed. Some are as high as mountains, some are winding like flowing water. Each piece of Kunshi has its own unique characteristics, which can't help but marvel at the wonders of nature. In the Kunqu Museum, I even appreciated the charm of Kunqu. The melodious singing and graceful posture made me feel as if I was in that ancient and beautiful scene. Walking out of the museum, I strolled along the lake. The lake is sparkling, and occasionally a few ducks swim leisurely. The distant Yufeng Mountain, like a beautiful scroll, unfolds before my eyes. I can't help but sigh, this is really a fairyland on earth! Unconsciously, the sun sets, and I reluctantly leave Tinglin Park. This trip has given me a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Kunshan. Tinglin Park is not only a beautiful park, but also the pride of the people of Kunshan. I believe that everyone who comes here will be attracted by its beauty and history, and deeply fall in love with this land.