Located 15 kilometers west of Suzhou city, Tianping Mountain is the burial site of Fan Zhongyan’s ancestors and is home to a concentration of cultural attractions related to the Fan family, mainly at the foot of the mountain. With an elevation of 201 meters, Tianping Mountain may not be particularly high but is somewhat steep, offering a thrilling climb. Every year from October to December, during the Red Maple Festival, the colorful autumn scenery always attracts countless photographers and visitors.
At the foot of Tianping Mountain, there are several ponds, making it feel like a large park. Children enjoy pedal boats and rowing boats, and families can have picnics on stone benches or the grass. After passing the ‘Xianyou Hou Le’ archway at the foot of the mountain, visitors will find buildings such as the Fan Zhenggong Temple and the Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall, which contain information about Fan Zhongyan’s life and works from the Northern Song Dynasty. It’s just a few minutes’ walk from the scenic area entrance to these sites. After visiting, one can start climbing the mountain along the nearby mountain path.
Ascending to Yunquan Pavilion, there is a White Cloud Spring that is channeled through bamboo tubes into a basin beneath the stone wall of the pavilion. Further up is the ‘One Line Sky’, a narrow passage that only allows one person to pass through at a time. Tianping Mountain has many peculiar rocks that have formed unique structures like ‘One Line Sky’ and ‘Flying Stones’. Visitors need not worry, as these rocks are not at the level of outdoor hiking and offer a moderate intensity climb that allows everyone, except those with mobility issues or very weak individuals, to reach the summit in about an hour.
From the summit’s Wanghu Terrace, one can overlook the cityscape of Suzhou and the nearby Tianyun Temple, which was originally built in the 1980s by locals to worship the Qing Dynasty’s renowned Jiangnan physician, Ye Tianshi. The temple has since been renovated and visitors do not need to make a special trip there; a distant view from the summit is sufficient before taking another set of stone steps down the mountain. Some people choose to ascend via the stone steps and descend through the rocky path, but this is not recommended as it can be dangerous.
Although Tianping Mountain has many branching paths, they all eventually lead back to the park-like area at the foot of the mountain before exiting the scenic area. At the foot of the mountain, visitors can also explore the Tianping Villa, built by the seventeenth-generation descendant of Fan Zhongyan, Fan Yunlin, during the Ming Dynasty. It includes areas such as the Zhubo Temple, Laiyan Pavilion, Fan Canyuan Temple, Gaoyi Garden, and Baiyun Ancient Temple, with several quaint buildings and the small Fan family temple Baiyun Ancient Temple, creating a serene environment.
Walking east along the yellow wall of Baiyun Ancient Temple, one will see a stone archway inscribed with ‘The Tombstone of the Ancestor of the Fan Family Who Moved to Wu, Tang Zhuguo Lishui Prefecture Lord’. Entering through this archway leads to a pathway with stone sheep, stone tigers, and stone horses, and the tomb of Fan Zhongyan’s great-grandfather, Fan Sui. If one wishes to see red maples, they are mostly located at the foot of the mountain; there are very few on the mountain itself. The maples truly become vibrantly red in mid-to-late November. The two rows of maples at the entrance of the scenic area turn red earlier but do not represent the essence of Tianping Mountain’s red maples. The ancient maple forest near the ‘Xianyou Hou Le’ archway, with ancient maples transplanted from Fujian by Fan Yunlin, are over 400 years old with towering branches and leaves that are stunningly beautiful when red.
During the Red Maple Festival, acrobatic performances can be enjoyed at the foot of Tianping Mountain. Additionally, from April to June each year, Tianping Mountain hosts a Cartoon Festival where cartoon models are displayed at the mountain’s base, and visitors can take photos with people dressed in cartoon costumes and watch acrobatic shows. Outside the Tianping Mountain scenic area, there are farmhouse leisure activities. Within the scenic area, there are small shops at the foot, midsection, and summit of the mountain, with the most vendors around the ancient maple forest at the foot, selling snacks like sausages. During the Red Maple Festival, there are more food stalls, but it is recommended to bring your own supplies just in case. Water is a must as it is more expensive on the mountain. Four kilometers south of Tianping Mountain is the ancient town of Mudu, which can be visited together. The opening hours are from 08:00 to 17:00 all year round. Preferential policies include: Children: Under 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters in height (inclusive), free with valid ID; 6 years old (exclusive) to 18 years old (inclusive), half price. Elderly: Over 70 years old (inclusive), free with valid ID; 60 years old (inclusive) to 70 years old (exclusive), half price. Students: Full-time undergraduate and below with valid ID, half price. Military personnel: Active military personnel and retired military officers of the People’s Republic of China, free with valid ID. Disabled persons: Disabled individuals with a ‘Disability Certificate’, severely disabled individuals requiring assistance can be accompanied by one free caregiver, free. Preferential treatment targets: With ‘People’s Republic of China Veterans Preference Certificate’, ‘People’s Republic of China Martyrs, Military Personnel Who Died in the Line of Duty, and Deceased Military Personnel Dependents Preference Certificate’ (excluding additional charges within the park, and night tour projects), free. Suzhou medical staff: Free to visit the scenic area for seven days starting from International Nurses Day on May 12 and Chinese Doctor’s Day on August 19 each year (May 12 to 18, August 19 to 25). Suzhou medical staff, when visiting the scenic area, please show your ‘Personal ID’ + ‘Suzhou Medical Staff Free Garden Card (electronic card)’, no need to make an appointment, and the first ticket fee is waived. Service facilities include: Parking lot: [Red Maple Parking Lot] Reference price: 6 yuan for the first hour, 4 yuan for the second hour; Address: Hongfeng Parking Lot, Lingtian Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province; Spaces: Subject to the actual situation of the scenic area. WiFi: Account: Tianping Mountain; Password: No password required; Range: Scenic area visitor service center. Mobile phone charging: Charging power sockets are available at the scenic area visitor center. Luggage storage: Reference price: Free; Live animals, valuables, flammable and explosive items, and food cannot be stored. Scenic area interpretation: The scenic area provides free electronic interpretation services. Visitors can enjoy free interpretation services by scanning the WeChat QR code.
Restrooms: The scenic area is equipped with multiple restrooms, located near Tianping Mountain Villa, near the scenic area entrance, and near the Red Maple Square, all marked with conspicuous signs. Convenience Store: There is a convenience store within the scenic area, situated near the Tianying Pavilion.
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