Explore Jinji Lake Scenic Area

        Jinji Lake Scenic Area is a fence-less open tourist area rated at national AAAAA level by the state. With a total area of 11.5 square kilometers, it is located in Jinji Lake business district of Suzhou Industrial Park, and about two thirds of the scenic area, precisely, 7.4 square kilometers，are covered by water. As the first “Prototype-zone of National Business Travel” in China, the area has been regarded as the sole intensified demonstration & core zone for the purpose thereof. If we liken Suzhou City to a piece of double-sided embroidery which is a specialty of Suzhou, SIP (Jinji Lake Scenic Area) and the old Soochow City proper (featuring lots of ancient private gardens) are in sharp contrast yet complement with each other, forming the different sides of this embroidery respectively. 

        The scenic area owns a lot of attractions, and among them the following ten top the list, which are “Suzhou Center”, “The Gate of the Orient”, “Music Fountain”, “Jinji Lake Bridge”, “Culture and Arts Center”, “Moon Harbor”, “Eslite Bookstore”, “Suzhou International Finance Center”, “Lake Watching Corner” and “Ligongdi Causeway”. These ten attractions are linked by JinjiLake Fitness Trail which is 14 kilometers long. Five trestles in different styles built over water enable citizens and tourists to come into the lake and enjoy the lake scenery within arm’s reach. 

        Under the background of “Mega Tourism” and “Comprehensive Economy”, the scenic area is planned in an integrated way, that is, the administration has combined tourism with finance, culture, convention & exhibition, sports and commerce, so that these different fields benefit from and promote each other for mutual development. The scenic area boasts booming commercial real estate economy, solid industrial foundation, thorough integration of culture and tourism, as a result of which, the area has hosted a series of cultural activities of international renown, such as arts festival of Jinji Lake, Suzhou Youth Theatre Festival, and “iSING! Suzhou International Youth Singer Art Festival”. Besides, there are also many activities featuring competition, celebration or demonstration held annually in the scenic area, for example, Jinji Lake International Half-distance Marathon, Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race, Jinji Lake Regatta, Jinji Lake Peach Blossom Festival, Jinji Lake Biennale Exhibition, Jinji Lake Makeup Art Festival. All these activities have become the “signature dishes” on the “menu” of the scenic area offered to tourists. 

        The Eslite Bookstore in the scenic area is the first branch of this brand in the whole mainland China which provides not only books but also fashionable lifestyle and culturally creative products, making it a “must-visit” place for the young people who love literature and arts. Exhibition halls have also flocked in the scenic area which will bring you a unique touch of Suzhou culture. The most famous ones of them are Yao Jianping Embroidery Art Gallery, Cai Yundi Three Carvings Art Gallery, Chinese Museum of Funds, Ming Gallery of Art. Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, also called “Junior Bird's Nest” of Suzhou, is the permanent birth place for annual China Golden Rooster Film Awards. With a number of cultural organizations gathered inside it like Suzhou Arts Cineplex, Suzhou Arts Ballet Theatre, Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum, Grand Theatre, Performance Hall, and SIP Cultural Center, the giant building has proved itself to be the“culture and arts center”. Suzhou International Expo Center, Harmony Times Square, Jiuguang Department Store，Shin Kong Place, Crowne Square, Intercontinental Hotel, Hyatt Hotels are all well-known establishments like pearls scattered around the Jinji Lake providing one-stop services for tourists.    

        The administration has successively provided four optional sightseeing routes to cater to different needs as well as to deepen tourists’ understanding of the lake. The four itineraries have their respective themes or focuses, namely, “travel to get in intimate touch with the lake”(lake tour), “go heavenward like spider-men”(architecture exploration), “travel with books’ and music’s company”(cultural experience), “strolling along the greenway”(greenery walk).  You can enjoy view or culture or an idyllic setting at your option.