At the first-season results announcement & second-season starting ceremony of Jiangsu Provincial “water-nurtured Jiangsu · welcoming you” cultural tourism consumption promotion activity held on the evening of October 29th, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Cultural and Tourism awarded the name tablets to six awardees (organizations) in Jiangsu Province including Jinji Lake Scenic Area Administration listed in the first batch of national-level nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clustering areas.  

Meanwhile, a number of organizations were also awarded “Jiangsu Culture & Tourism Consumption Demonstration Area for Convenient Payment” tablet or “Jiangsu Provincial Tourism and Leisure Block” tablet respectively at the ceremony including Jinji Lake Scenic Area and Ligongdi Causeway. It is the first time such tablets have ever been awarded.     

Jinji Lake Scenic Area is a fenceless tourist area rated at national AAAAA grade. There is no boundary between the scenic area and the city. Walking into the area, you can get different views with each step forward you make. When night befalls Jinji Lake, the rippling lake is illuminated by numerous lights in the high buildings lined along the lakeshore. Jinji Lake boasts a thorough integration of culture and tourism, get-together of various industries and cluster of different landscapes. It represents the most internationalized, fashionable and vibrant side of Suzhou. On October 19, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the first batch of national nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clustering areas. Suzhou’s Zhouzhuang Ancient Town and Jinji Lake Scenic Area were included in the list together with 118 other tourist attractions across the country.   

With a water area of 7.4 square kilometers, Jinji Lake combines the two opposite traits of Suzhou. As a scenic area with beautiful water view, Jinji Lake strengthens Suzhou’s fame as a tranquil water-town with many classic gardens. On the other hand, Jinji Lake is inside SIP, a modern city with booming economy and fashionable lifestyle. Jinji Lake-encircling pedestrian walkway, which runs 14 kilometers long and strings through ten scenic spots of Jinji Lake, is widely acclaimed as “the most beautiful route in Jiangsu province for runners.” The walkway is also one the first awardees having been conferred the title of “tourism landscaping path of Jiangsu province.” Jinji Lake scenic area is a cluster area of multiple industries including commerce, tourism, culture, sports and expo. At present, 26 large culture and tourism agencies as well as more than 1,700 tourism-related businesses flourish in the scenic area. Jinji Lake scenic area has created a mature nighttime tourism consumption market, which is in contrast with yet a complement to the old city of Suzhou. The night economy well demonstrate the modernity and trendiness of Suzhou, accelerating the development of Suzhou towards an international metropolis and attracting large numbers of consumers.  

Culture and Arts Center, also called Suzhou-edition “Bird's Nest,” (The National Stadium of China, nicknamed “Bird's Nest,” is located in the southern part of the Beijing Olympic Park and is the main stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.) is the permanent “voting and selecting” place for Golden Rooster Film Awards, as well as the cradle of such renowned cultural brands as Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Ballet Theatre, Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum. The time-honored Ligongdi Causeway is always the premier destination for many tourists with its white-walled black-roofed houses during the daytime and grand view of splendid lights during the night. More than a dozen of exhibition halls located at Ligongdi causeway such as Yao Jianping Embroidery Art Gallery, Cai Yundi Jiangnan Carving Art Museum, Ming Galary of Art are all eye-catchers for their blending the traditional and modern, the East and West.   

Moon Harbor, another “must-see” spot in Jinji Lake scenic area with unique European-styled villas, boasts many attractions including Eslite Bookstore. Young people who like reading often come here after work to enjoy not only the scholarly atmosphere but also the romantic scenery created by the lights of the wharf. Strolling along Jinji Lake in the evening is an enjoyment! You can go to appreciate the magic waterscape presented by the Music Fountain, or go to view the magnificent light show collectively provided by the Oriental Gate complex, Lake landscape belt, and sculptures made up of lamps. Or you can go to the Times Square to watch the Sky Screen.   

With Jinji Lake lying at the center, and the landmark buildings such as Suzhou Center, Times Square, Jiuguang Department Store, Shin Kong Place as well as the luxury hotels like Crowne Plaza Hotel Suzhou, IHG, Shangri-La Hotel, Park Hyatt, W Hotel distributed around the lake, the hospitality industry at Jinji Lakeside is growing rapidly with more and more hotels to participate.