Wuxi (无锡; Vu-sik in Wu, Wúxī in Mandarin) is an industrial city roughly halfway between Shanghai and Nanjing. Suzhou is nearby, under half an hour by bus or car. The city has a population of 4.32 million and covers an area of 4650 square km.

Wuxi is bordered by water, with Lake Tai to the South and the Yangtse River to the North.

Garden in Wuxi

Understand

Wuxi has a history of over 3,000 years; its establishment can be traced back to the end of the Shang Dynasty.

The climate is moist and temperate, sub-tropical with distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is 15.5 ℃ There are 250 frostless days and the average rainfall is about 1,000 mm. There are hills, rivers and lakes in this area but most of it is flat and crisscrossed with canals and small rivers. It is a fertile area, the “land teeming with fish and rice”.

Wuxi is well-developed economically and has good transport connections.

With rich natural and cultural heritage, Wuxi is one of the top ten tourist cities in China. The typical features of the area is that of the regions of rivers and lakes. Wuxi occupies the most scenic part of Lake Taihu and enjoys the beautiful scenery.

The city of Jiangyin and Yixing are administered as part of Wuxi.

Get in

By plane

• 🌍 Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (WUX  ^IATA). Direct flights from major cities in China and Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Hongkong. 

In Shanghai you can take the new G-Train to Wuxi. The journey will be about 50 minutes and it costs ¥60 (Oct, 2022).

Otherwise you can take the normal D-Train which takes about 60 minutes and cost ¥47 (Oct, 2022).

If you get off from Nanjing Lukou Airport, you can take intercity Bus or taxi, don't forget your belongings when getting off.

Nianhua Bay

Get around

Talk

The local language is Wu Chinese, often known as Shanghainese (although the Wuxi dialect differs significantly from that of Shanghai). It is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin, though as Mandarin is the official language and medium of education in China, almost all locals will be bilingual in the local dialect and Mandarin.

As with virtually elsewhere in China, English is not widely spoken, though staff at expensive hotels will usually be able to speak basic English.

See

Bridge along the coast of Taihu

• Xihui Park and Old Town (锡惠公园) - An old town pedestrian street with many souvenir and snack shops. Free but the individual residences cost extra (maybe ¥10 each). The main ticket is for several gardens and temples clustered together including the Garden of Ecstasy (Ji Chang Yuan) one of the leading gardens in SE China and Emperor Qianlong, who made seven visits, had a copy made of the garden at the Summer Palace in Beijing. The entrance ticket is also for the nearby park which is rather large if you spend the time to travel around the hill. You can pay extra for the cable car (might also be available as part of combined ticket) to get to the pagoda on the top of the hill.Xihui Park holds the Wuxi Flower - Rhododendron Festival exhibition from April to June every year. The opening ceremony of Wuxi Flower - Rhododendron Festival was held in Jiulongbi Square.
• Lingshan (灵山) - The main attraction is Grand Buddha, one of China's largest Buddha statues at over 80m tall. The whole Lingshan area is a tourist attraction built only in 2008 so there is no history to find here, with a musical fountain which plays out the story of the birth of the Buddha, as well as the Brahma palace (梵宫), a very grand palace with the pillars made of sandalwood, built to host the 2009 Buddhist conference. Entrance is ¥210 for a standard ticket excluding the electric buses. There is a show in one of the temples and you should get a free ticket when you buy the park fee (maybe not in peak season). It is only 20 minutes long and partly video thus not worth spending extra cash on if you did not get the ticket with your entrance ticket.
• Lake Tai (太湖) - A very large lake with many scenic spots, famous for its fish and freshwater pearls. Nothing in particular to visit but Lingshan.
• Grand Canal 1800 km long and travels from Beijing to Hangzhou. NOT really for sightseeing but it is there.
• 🌍 Donglin Academy (东林书院). Enjoy the Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture of this well preserved site with gardens and classrooms of a famous school that prepared its students for the state exam. If you are in the neighborhood, it is worth the ¥5 entrance fee to visit. Attractions are a stone arch, pool, Donglin monastery, Lize Hall, Yong Tang, Oscillation Temple, promenade, Road South Temple and Donglin Temple. 
• Yuantouzhu (鼋头渚) - It is a peninsula on the northwest coast of Taihu Lake. Because the boulder is surrounded by water on three sides, it is named "Yuantouzhu". Using the real mountains and waters, the garden is built to be three-pointed and seven-percent natural, making it the most ideal tourist attraction for viewing Taihu Lake.
• 🌍 Wuxi Museum (无锡博物院), 100 Zhongshu Road, Liangxi District (梁溪区钟书路100号) (take a metro train to Qingmingqiao Station on Line 1 or take bus no. 67), ☏ +86 510 85727500, +86 510 85727600, wxbwy506@163.com. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Free. (updated Oct 2022)
• 🌍 Nianhua Bay (拈花湾), 68 Huan Shan Xi Road, Binhu District (Take the Le You Line 2 for five stops to reach Nianhua Bay Station.), ☏ +86 4001287777. 9:00am-22:00pm. Nianhua Bay is a themed town scenic area with Zen as its main theme, located to the west of the Ling Shan Scenic Area. 140. (updated Oct 2023)

Do

Three Kingdoms Water Margin City Gate

Huixianqiao

• Three Kingdoms City Water Margin Scenic Spot (三国城水浒城景区) It is a large-scale film and television shooting and tourism base, attracting a large number of tourists with its unique natural scenery, large-scale human landscape and complete film and television service functions. The ticket price is ¥90 for the Three Kingdoms City, ¥85 for the Water Margin City, and ¥150 for the Three Kingdoms City Water Margin combined ticket.

Buy

Wuxi is a city with a lot of shopping areas; It has a wide range of brands is available.

• 🌍 Great Eastern Department Store. Located in the most prosperous central business district of Wuxi City, it is the shopping mall with the highest turnover in Wuxi. (updated Sep 2023)

Eat

Traditional Wuxi food is very sweet and savoury. Local specialties include Wuxi-style xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) (小笼包 xiǎolóngbāo) which is sweeter than Shanghainese style, as well as Wuxi-style pork wonton (馄饨 húntūn). Wuxi-style braised spare rib (酱排骨 jiàng pái gǔ) is known throughout China; the pork ribs are braised in red sauce with star anise until they fall off the bones.

In some alleys there are different kinds of foods on a stick, it is very popular with the locals.

There is also a wide selection of western food.

Drink

Fairy Island of Taihu Lake

There are numerous watering holes around Wuxi. While there are more expats to be found in some of them, you can expect a mix of locals in any pub or nightclub in Wuxi.

• Havana Cafe Bar Lounge, XianQian Jie (behind 85 coffee shop). Latin inspired cafe with and extensive cocktail and beer selection. 
• Blue Bar Cafe, 53 - 1 Chongning lu, ☏ +86 82759866. 5:00pm - 2:00am. Western-owned and -managed bar/restaurant in the center of town. 
• The Imperial family no.1 (蝗家一号), 无锡市东梁溪路9号一楼 (Located on bar street with lot of other bars), ☏ +86 510-81889898. This is a big noisy club. 
• 🌍 NOW OG ONE CLUB, No. 12-3, Yongle East Road, Nanxia Tang (Accessible by walking from Nan Chan Si Station on Metro Line 1.), ☏ +86 18626365663. 14:00pm-05:00am. A club-style bar and Drinks available in the evening with live entertainment. 250. (updated Oct 2023)
• 🌍 DUCAL COFFEE&FOOD, 135 Nanxia Tang Street, Liangxi District, ☏ +86 13506193668. 08:00am-22:00pm. A small pub serving cocktails and light meals. (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

Wuxi is home to a variety of accommodations catering to both foreign and local guests.

• Hongyun Hotel, 317 Zhongshan Road, Chong'an District. A 4-star business hotel offering 186 rooms furnished with modern amenities. Business facilities include meeting rooms and a business center. Leisure facilities such as Japanese-style sauna and KTV room are also available. 
• Wuxi Jin Jiang Grand Hotel, 218 Zhongshan Road, Chong'an District, ☏ +86 21 61226688. A 4-star hotel that features a revolving restaurant located on the 28th floor which affords guests a stunning panoramic view of the city. Various amenities plus excellent service. 
• 🌍 Ascott Central Wuxi, No 288, Zhongshan Rd, Liangxi District, ☏ +86 510 6888 2888, enquiry.wuxi@the-ascott.com. This property offers all-day dining. Guests can select from studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments. 
• 🌍 Hilton Garden Inn Wuxi Huishan, No. 1 Luo'ou Road, Huishan District (Accessible near Su Temple Station on Metro Line 3.), ☏ +86 (0510)83551999. The hotel offers complimentary breakfast and features a fitness center and meeting rooms for use. 890. (updated Oct 2023)

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