Jiangsu - Kunshan Hiking Tours

Kunshan is located between Shanghai and Suzhou towards the east of Jiangsu province and it is the cradle of Kun opera. There are many attracting places waiting for your exploration here, such as the Tinglin Park, Qiandeng old town and Jinxi old town. Qiandeng and Jinxi old towns are less known as Zhouzhuang but they are more worthy for those who would like to explore the original flavor of the water towns which are less affected by the commercialization and keeps the rustic and natural style.

 

If you would like to stay several days in Kunshan city, the recommended economical hostel in Kunshan for backpackers is Hanting Hostel (Kunshan) which is located at No. 35 South Renmin Road. The transportation is very convenient with only 1 kilometer from the city center and is quite near to the train station and bus station.

 

If you arrive from the train station, you can take the bus No. 1 or No. 10, No. 11 and No. 105 to Tinglin Park. Besides the bus No. 9, 18, 19, 109, 117 and 118 will also stop there. The ticket of Tinglin Park is CNY20.00. There you can have the chance to enjoy the guelder rose, the combined pedicel lotus and Kunshi Stone. You can climb to the top of the hill where you can get a panoramic view of Kunshan City. The visit takes about one hour.

 

Then proceed to Qiandeng old town which is 15 km southeast of Kunshan city. The transportation there is also very convenient. You can go to the coach station (Add: at the intersection between 312 national passway and Bailu Road; Tel: 0512-57302812) to take the coach heading for Qingpu, Dianshanhu or Shipu direction and get off en route at Qiandeng old town. It is free for you to enter the town for tour but some of the spots are charged. You are advised to buy the through ticket of CNY30.00 for all the charged spots. Enjoy your afternoon time leisurely in the town. You can also hike at the town surroundings to enjoy the beautiful scenery there. Return to Kunshan city in the afternoon.

 

On the second day, continue southwest to travel to Jinxi old town which is about 23 km from Kunshan city. You can take the coach at the coach station to the destination Jinxi and the coach fare is about CNY10.00. The coach rides about one hour to get to Jinxi. After getting off the coach and seeing the road sign reading “Jinxi”, you need to continue walking for about 20 minutes to reach the scenic spot area. The through ticket is CNY30.00. The main tour spots there are Lianchichan Yard, Wenchang Pavilion, the Old Tail Museum etc where you can trace back to the ancient vision of the town. Compare to the crowd and bustle of Zhouzhuang, you will experience the hard-won peace and leisureliness in Jinxi town. Return to Kunshan in the afternoon. You may end your short hiking tour or extend your stay here.