Lake Taihu

The Garden of Plums (Meiyuan) on the northern bank of Lake Taihu is particularly attractive in spring, when thousands of plum trees are in blossom.

In the middle of the garden stands the Pagoda of Plums (Mei Ta), built in the traditional style.

Sea-Shell Garden (Li Yuan), 5km/3mi east of Turtle Head, is known for the artificial hills built on it. They are made of rough blocks of stone dug out from the bottom of Lake Taihu; such stones are also used in many other gardens in China.

Three Hill Isle (Sanshan Dao), 3km/2mi west of Turtle Head, is a small garden floating on the water.

Turtle Head Peninsula (Yuantouzhu) - its shape is rather like a turtle's head - forms the tip of a peninsula in the north of the lake.

The landscape here is quite fascinating, with steep cliffs and winding paths.