[2025 Taicang Attraction] Travel Guide for Leyin Garden (Updated Jul)

There are many charming free 🆓 ancient towns hidden around Shanghai. Which ones have you visited? I recommend 🌟 Shaxi Ancient Town in Taicang, a Jiangnan water town with over 1,300 years of history, famous for its unique "one river, two streets, three bridges, one island" layout and rich historical cultural heritage. 🚌 Transportation Guide Self-driving: From Shanghai: Shenhai Expressway (G15) → Taicang City exit → Drive west along Provincial Road 339 for about 15 kilometers. Public transportation: Take high-speed rail to Taicang Station → Transfer to Taicang Bus Route 501 to "Shaxi Station" → Walk 10 minutes to the ancient town. 🅿️ If driving, navigate to the North Gate entrance where there's a free 🆓 parking lot 💰 The ancient town is open all day with free 🆓 entry However, some attractions inside require tickets. There's a 30 yuan combo ticket that includes four sites: Shaxi Cultural and Historical Museum, Hongjing Memories, Tang Dynasty Research Institute, and Yahang. Worth considering if you're interested in history and culture. My recommended route is: North Gate entrance ➡️ Hengli River Historical District ➡️ West Market Street ➡️ Central Market Street ➡️ East Market Street 👍 Best photo spots: When walking from West Market Street to East Market Street, be sure to visit these three Ming Dynasty bridges: ✅ Xin Bridge, ✅ An Bridge, and ✅ Yixing Bridge, which span across the old Qipu River in sequence and are Shaxi's iconic landmarks. The white walls, black-tiled roofs, and wooden structures of houses along the river create perfect spots for capturing the essence of Jiangnan water towns. While there are many food stalls on the old street, many seem to sell wholesale items from elsewhere without unique local characteristics. 👍 I personally recommend two shops that make fresh pastries on-site: ✅ Yam Rice Cake and ✅ Muzi Su Baked Flatbread, both freshly made and delicious 😋. The teahouses on the old street have a traditional ambiance, perfect for enjoying a cup of tea. Other attractions: 📍 Leyin Garden: A private garden built by the late Yuan Dynasty recluse Qu Xiaozhen, featuring typical Jiangnan garden style. 📍 Gong Family Ancestral Home (Carved Hall): Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, with exquisite wooden carvings on the beams. 📍 Wu Xiaobang Former Residence: Home of the father of modern Chinese dance, where you can learn about his life and artistic achievements. 📍 Xinhua Bookstore: A representative 1960s building selling books, postcards, bookmarks, fans, and other cultural products. 📍 Jiangnan Folk Poetry Gallery: Experience the poetic culture of Jiangnan. 📍 Traditional Craft Workshops: Try bamboo weaving, blue calico fabric making, and other traditional crafts (some require advance booking). Fun Facts 🌟 Historical Evolution: Shaxi Ancient Town began in the late Yuan Dynasty, gradually formed markets in the mid-Ming Dynasty, and saw the beginnings of modern industry and education during the Qing Dynasty. This area has produced many talented individuals throughout history, including 30 imperial scholars and 48 provincial scholars from the Song Dynasty to the early Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. In modern times, it continues to produce outstanding talents. 🌟 Intangible Cultural Heritage: The town has shops like "Zitan Fang" that preserve four generations of woodcarving craftsmanship, with award-winning works.

It's so low-key, there are not many ancient towns that have retained their original appearance... It only takes 1 hour to get to Taicang Shaxi Ancient Town (not Shaxi in Dali) from Shanghai or Suzhou. It has preserved many traditional Jiangnan residences and many historical sites and old shops. The streets are bustling with people before the New Year, and the town is full of life. Unlike many commercialized ancient towns, most of the items and food here are local. If you want to experience the traditional Jiangnan customs during the Spring Festival, come here and experience a traditional Suzhou "Su Year". - Shaxi Ancient Town is divided into East and West Streets. The East Street is more lively, and most of the historical sites are on the East Street. ✅Tour route: Leyin Garden - Xinhua Bookstore (Wenzhi Bookstore) - An Bridge - Yixing Bridge - Liji Bridge - 📒Tips: 1. Xinhua Bookstore is in its original appearance, and you can get a stamp there. After visiting the three bridges, you will have seen most of the ancient sites in the ancient town. 2. You can see a beautiful wintersweet tree at the entrance of Leyin Garden. 3. In addition to Shaxi Ancient Town, there are some other fun places in Taicang, Suzhou. If you plan to spend a day here, you can refer to the following route: - ✅Xiangtang Yelin Camping Village - Shaxi Ancient Town - Taicang Power Station Ecological Park - Rothenburg Style Street - Taicang Alps International Resort - Alps Snow World has an ice and snow lantern festival. In addition to skiing during the day, you can also come here to see the lantern festival at night. The lantern festival is like entering a magical forest. There are fireworks shows, intangible cultural heritage iron flower shows, fire pots, and New Year fireworks during the Spring Festival. You can see everything you want to see during the New Year here❗️There are two iron flower shows every day, at 18:30 and 20:00, and the time is subject to the actual time on the day! There are fireworks shows every day from the first to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year!

🎋The Joyous Shade Garden in Shaxi Ancient Town | A Unique Beauty of the Garden🎋 🌳Family, today I want to share with you an absolutely beautiful place—the Joyous Shade Garden in Shaxi! 🏞️The Joyous Shade Garden, also known as the Joyous Hidden Garden, has a long history😎! Originally built by the late Yuan Dynasty hermit Qu Xiaozhen, although the old garden site has long been lost, it was rebuilt on the original site in 1982, still retaining its classical charm🤩. 🌟The garden landscape here is simply stunning! The entire garden is divided into three parts: central, east, and west. The central part features a lake surrounded by rockeries, long corridors, waterside pavilions, flower halls, hexagonal pavilions, and Tongjin Bridge🎄. The entrance wall of the west part mimics the entrance of the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. The small flower hall on the north side is simple and bright, and through the finely carved wooden lattice windows, you can enjoy the exquisite mountain view in the small courtyard behind the house🎍. The long corridor and waterside pavilion are built by the lake, and looking north across the shore, the willows sway beautifully😍. The carved flower hall in the west is even more exquisite, with finely carved beams and long glass windows making the hall spacious and bright. The platform in front of the hall is wide, and the terrace behind the pavilion is close to the pond💧. 🎈There is also a tea room in the east, a small garden within the garden, which is an excellent place for visitors to rest🥰. In summer, leaning against the mountain and water here, pouring a cup of tea, looking at the lotus in the pond, the greenery of the garden makes people feel extremely comfortable; after autumn, the golden wind brings coolness, and the fragrance of osmanthus fills the air, giving a unique joy of hiding🤗. 🌈The garden uses fine stones to pave the paths, which are very elegant. The winding stone paths create a unique artistic conception. The lotus stepping stones and Tongjin Bridge connect the east and west sides🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️. 📍The specific address of the Joyous Shade Garden is 168 Baiyun Middle Road, Taicang City, Suzhou. 🎫And it is open to the public for free! The opening hours are 08:00-17:00 (entry stops at 17:00). This is not only a beautiful garden but also a place where one can feel a strong historical and cultural atmosphere, definitely worth a visit👍! Friends, if you have the chance, you must come and experience it yourself😘!