Xihui

Xihui Park is located on the western edge of Wuxi between Xi Shan and Hui Shan hills. In 1958 the hill was linked by a manmade lake with Tin Hill (Xishan) to become Xihui Park. Famous for this artificial lake, the park has numerous paved paths and the seven-story Dragon Light Pagoda on the top of Xi Shan.

The Dragon Light Pagoda was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD) but burned down during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911AD). The current Pagoda is a brick and wood reconstruction. Climbing up to the Pagoda offers one of the best views Wuxi can offer on a clear day.

The only better view is to hike to the top of Huishan Hill. This is the highest point in Wuxi. Once on top you cam also explore a number of paths which follows the crest of the hill. Sometimes called the Nine Dragons or Jiulongshan because the nine hilltops look like dancing dragons.

According to a fairy tale, nine sons of the Dragon King fell asleep after playing ball and turned into the nine peaks of Huishan. Located within the park there are also a number of famous springs. Many of these have dried up over the years but a few are still active during the spring time.

A hike up the mountain takes about 45 minutes of moderate to stressful uphill walking. You can spend a couple of hours at the top exploring. Bring a good pair of boots or runners and prepared to share the path with a lot of Chinese tourists. If want to take the easy way up you can ride up in a chair lift.

The chairlift costs 50 RMB. Admission to the park is 45 RMB. If you purchase a park pass yearly admission is included but you pay extra for the chairlift.

Take Bus K88 or K12. A cab ride costs approximately 8 RMB from downtown.