[2025 Kunshan Attraction] Travel Guide for Lianchi Temple (Updated May)

**🌿Kunshan Travel Guide: The Poetic Slow Life of Jiangnan Water Towns🍜** Kunshan, a treasure city hidden between Shanghai and Suzhou, has the everyday atmosphere of ancient towns, the natural beauty of lakes and mountains, and mouth-watering delicacies! Today, I'll take you to unlock the right way to experience Kunshan~ ### **🚶‍♂️Must-Visit Attractions** 1️⃣ **Zhouzhuang Ancient Town**—"China's No. 1 Water Town". Take a gondola and pass through the Twin Bridges, watch the white walls and black tiles reflected in the water, and it is even more dreamy when the lanterns light up at night🌙. 2️⃣ **Jinxi Ancient Town**—More tranquil than Zhouzhuang, with 36 ancient bridges, Chenfei's Water Tomb, and Lianchi Temple, every shot is a watercolor painting📸. 3️⃣ **Qiandeng Ancient Town**—The birthplace of Kunqu Opera, with winding stone slab streets. Gu Yanwu's former residence is worth a visit, and thousands of lanterns are super romantic at night🏮. 4️⃣ **Tinglin Park**—Kunshan's "city lung". Climb Yu Peak to overlook the entire city. When the Chinese herbaceous peonies are in full bloom in April, it's absolutely stunning🌸. ### **🍜Food Recommendations** - **Aozao Noodles**: Red oil braised fish noodles + white soup braised duck noodles, so fresh you'll lose your eyebrows! 🍜 - **Wansan Pork Knuckle**: Zhouzhuang's famous dish, soft and flavorful, a must-try for foodies🐷. - **Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab** (limited to autumn): Full of crab roe and fat, freshly caught and steamed from old-brand crab farms in Bacheng🦀. ### **📌Useful Tips** - **Transportation**: A 20-minute high-speed train from Shanghai directly to Kunshan South Station, and it's super convenient to take a bus/taxi to the ancient town🚄. - **Accommodation**: Stay in a waterfront homestay in Zhouzhuang or Jinxi and fall asleep to the sound of oars at night🌊. - **Things to avoid**: Crowds during holidays, it is recommended to come on weekdays! There is a charge for the second song sung on the Jinxi gondola ride💸. **✨The beauty of Kunshan is the cooking smoke in the morning, the aroma of tea in the afternoon, and the boat songs in the evening... Come and start your healing journey in this water town!** 🚤💖

Jinxi is located in Kunshan, about an hour's drive from Suzhou. Nearby are Zhouzhuang and Tongli Ancient Towns, with similar scenery, but Jinxi is relatively smaller, so there aren't as many visitors. I first noticed Jinxi Ancient Town from someone's video, and immediately felt it embodied the Jiangnan water town atmosphere I was looking for. It truly didn't disappoint. Jinxi is not only small, but locals still live within the ancient town, giving it a vibrant, authentic feel without obvious commercialization. When we arrived that afternoon, we wandered casually through the streets. By the time we entered the ancient town proper, night had fallen and most tourists had left. Many shops were closed, and some elderly women were chatting and preparing vegetables in front of their doors, making us feel like we had wandered into someone's home. Nighttime Jinxi is peaceful and beautiful - you can capture wonderful scenery from any spot. We decided to stay another half day to see some views again in daylight. Early the next morning, we crossed the bridge to Lianchi Zen Temple and saw Chen Fei's Water Tomb. Later, we walked to the residential area of the ancient town and sat by the shore listening to elderly locals chat about their daily lives. Though we couldn't understand their dialect, I hoped I could have such a lifestyle when I'm older. Around ten o'clock, we returned to the ancient town and found a teahouse where we quietly enjoyed tea while listening to the owner livestream and share tea knowledge - truly the relaxed lifestyle that working people dream of. We stayed at the Xingcheng Hotel just outside the ancient town, only steps away from it. We enjoyed white-cut chicken and steamed white fish at Manjianglou Restaurant, along with silver fish with scrambled eggs. We also tried the crispy chicken from the ancient town and sock-bottom pastries from Xiao Mao's. The prices were reasonable and everything was delicious. So, Jinxi is perfect for working people to escape and unwind for a short time, away from the crowds.

#favouriteitinerary Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty ordered the establishment of monks and the construction of a temple to commemorate her and chant sutras for her soul. The monks later excavated a lake and planted lotuses on the east side of the temple, giving it the name Lotus Temple. The temple faces north and is small, exquisite, and elegantly ancient. Personal Opinion: In my opinion, Lianchi Zen Temple stands as a beautiful and serene tribute to Chen Fei. Its historical significance and elegant design make it a peaceful and enriching destination.

Lianchi Zen Temple: It was first built in the first year of Longxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1163). It was built by Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty for Concubine Chen who died of illness. It took 40 years to complete. There are still the remains of Concubine Chen's water tomb from the Southern Song Dynasty, the Wenchang Ancient Pavilion built in the 38th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, and the Podocarpus pine planted by Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty. Chen Fei's Water Tomb is a small island with a small pavilion and archway built on it. No matter how high the water level of the lake is, it is always above the water. Stroll through the small bridges and waterside pavilions in the ancient town and feel the rare tranquility and comfort... This is also the reason why I like Suzhou[Cute]

Lianchi Temple is located on the south side of Jinxi Ancient Town in Kunshan, at the mouth of Lingtang Bay on the shore of Wubao Lake. The temple was built in the Southern Song Dynasty to pray for the soul of Concubine Chen of Emperor Xiaozong of Song. The newly renovated temple is small and exquisite, with a ginkgo tree that turns golden yellow. The light and shadow at dusk are very beautiful, and the Suzhou-style garden windows allow you to enjoy the scenery from different angles. The temple cats are calm and used to the hustle and bustle of the temple.

Jinxi Ancient Town is a Jiangnan water town with a history of over two thousand years. It is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Folk Museums," preserving numerous cultural landscapes, historical sites, and countless buildings with unique Ming and Qing characteristics. Attractions: Tongshen Royal Court, Chenfei Water Tomb, Lianchi Zen Temple Adult Ticket🎫: 65 yuan/ticket Public 🚍 Transportation: There are private cars from Kunshan Railway Station to Zhouzhuang, with a stop at Jinxi. Jinxi Ancient Town, a thousand-year-old water town, is named after a small stream in the town that shines like a brocade belt. The town is surrounded by water, with streets and alleys along the water, and ancient bridges connected in succession... It is known for its "36 bridges and 72 kilns." The establishment and evolution of Jinxi, with changes in the town's name, have spanned over 2500 years.

Jinxi Ancient Town, as a relatively lesser-known ancient town in Suzhou, has never had a large flow of visitors. However, this 800-year-old Lianchi Zen Monastery is still worth a visit. Just like its name, the monastery is actually surrounded by a large lotus pond, and I think it must be very beautiful when the lotus flowers bloom in summer. Inside the monastery, there are many details of Tang Dynasty architectural style, and there is a mural room where painting is currently underway, which I guess will be even more beautiful once completed. The monastery houses the magnificent Four Heavenly Kings and a tall golden Buddha statue. In addition, there is a Fan Deng bookstore and a vegetarian noodle restaurant.

~Lotus Pond Zen Temple. Lotus Pond Zen Temple was built in the Southern Song Dynasty, also known as Lotus Pond and Ancient Lotus Temple, located at the mouth of Lingtang Bay on the shore of Wubao Lake. It is surrounded by water on all sides. The reason why it is called Lotus Pond Zen Temple is because there is a lotus pond next to it. Every summer, the lotus moves with the wind, the scenery is pleasant, and walking along the willows and long bridge corridors on the lakeshore, everywhere is poetic and picturesque. The feature of Lotus Pond Zen Temple is that all the Bodhisattvas at the mountain gate are carved from wood. Come to the Hall of Wishes to take a look at the Bodhisattvas here, each of them is lifelike and splendid. Continue to walk forward along the hall, you can see a reclining Buddha, the Buddha carved from Han white jade lies there peacefully, waiting for devout Buddhists...... Lotus Pond Zen Temple

Jiangnan Ancient Town I really love Jinxi the most. This ancient town is a real Jiangnan ancient town Extremely rich in history and culture The ancient town with white walls and black tiles is built entirely on water These things that you imagine Jiangnan to have, Jinxi also has them How to play in Jinxi Lotus Pond Temple, Chen Fei's Tomb, Shiyan Bridge, Wenchang Pavilion There are eight major scenic spots in Jinxi (Tongshen Imperial Courtyard, Chen Fei Water Tomb, Lotus Pond Zen Temple, Tianshui Bridge, Puqing Bridge, Lihe Bridge, Shiyan Bridge, Wenchang Pavilion) Jinxi Ancient Town has many cultural landscapes and historical sites. Checking in these remaining histories will definitely give you a different kind of gain~ Admission is free (small attractions charge fees, which are all very cheap) Parking lot, there is a parking lot near each gate of Jinxi, you can directly navigate Rowing boat: 150 yuan/boat, 6 people, 25 yuan per person on average, and the boat girl sings, very cost-effective Accommodation: There are many famous B&Bs. I stayed in a famous B&B near Jinxi West Gate called Guigong. It was newly opened, the room was very clean, and the sweet cakes in the free breakfast were local specialties and were especially delicious. gourmet food There must be a place for sweet cakes, Aozao noodles, white fish, crabapple cake, crispy chicken snack bar, iron plate tofu, green rice dumplings The teahouses are also very unique. They are all built by the lake, so you can taste tea while enjoying the lake view.