Changshu China

Changshu China is located within the Yangtze Delta and is west of Shanghai connecting with Suzhou and Wuxi. It has a history of more than 5000 years.

Changshu China covers an area a 1264 square kilometers, with a built-up urban area of about 56.8 square kilometers, population around 1.2 million. In 1986 it was granted by the State Council to be a significant historical city. It is known as “A land of plenty"… a very wealthy city.

Changshu China is only 120 Km from Shanghai and can only be reached by road, it has no railway station; this is why it is often forgotten, the road is new and quick if you take your own car, by bus it takes around 1hr 40 minutes.

ChangShu China is not a main stream tourist destination and usually only gets locals visiting from all over the area, not many foreigners visit this place. So you will get stared at. I went in October 2006 ‘Golden Week” and for a National holiday it was very quite.

The sites to see are Yu Shan Mountain with its delicate Chinese Classical Gardens and Tea houses, Shang Hu Lake and Sha Jia Bang and Great Shopping, with huge markets that buyers come from all over China to buy from.

I have covered the sites in depth below; all the sites have been through major renovations over the last few years, with most being completed the end of 2005, when I went all were clean and very well set up.

The main high street is modern and there is a central square to with plenty of things happening, also a large pagoda right in the middle of town, it has a lovely Chinese garden surrounding it, just behind the pagoda and easily missed is an old Chinese style shopping area, beautiful old Chinese building and shops. There is also a night market in town just off the main street, it closes around 9-9-30pm

There are great local restaurants and food, with one specialty dish being a Chicken cooked in a mud casing, a very earthy / smoked sort of flavor.

There is a big local temple about 2 km down the road moving away from the main Yu Shan mountain area called Xing Fu Shi, this a local working temple and very interesting, there is a famous local restaurant opposite the entrance to the temple call Wang Si, the food in here is very good, with a local specialty dish of sweet, deep fried pineapple balls; if you have a sweet tooth, they’re very good.

The sites of ChangShu China

YU Mountain - (Yu Shan Park, This Mountain Park is very well done, clean, lovely tea houses everywhere, the garden landscaping is beautiful. The mountain has an elevation of 261 meters and stretches for about 9 kilometers. You can walk up the mountain via the road and see the tea fields and if you’re lucky as I was, the ladies picking and working in the fields. (To take a small bus up the mountain is about RMB 3)

If you walk up the road, past the tea fields close to the top there is a wonderful tea house in an enclosed area, they may charge you a small fee to get in, I just walked in, and the noodles here are very good there a local specialty. When I went it was full with locals playing Mahjong and enjoying the sunshine.

Just up the road from this tea house is a Tea factory and about 500 meters past the Tea factory, just off to the left of the road, is a path through the trees to a Pagoda that you can climb up and see a wonderful view of the city.

Yu Mountain also has reconstructed its ancient city wall, that you can walk up and if you walk across the top and down the other side, just half way down, there is a nice tea house, it’s quite, clean and has a great view of ChangShu and the lakes. If you continue down this side of the mountain there is a small information area telling you some local history about ChangShu City, strange place to put it, as all the people seem to be on the other side of the mountain where the park is.located.

(Please note) If you go down this side, the only way to return to the side of the mountain you started from is to go back the way you came, or go down to the road and walk around the mountain via the road, back to the side you started, it will take about 15 to 20 minutes. There is no loop path on the mountain to bring you back to where you started from.

I found no over pricing at any of the tea houses I went to; the locals do not see foreigners and was treated very warmly by all. Changsha’s main tourism is local Chinese from all around the area.

Most local buses go Yu Shan Park, (local buses in ChangShu stop running about 5pm)

Shang Hu Lake

This is very close to ChangShu city, only 15 minutes on a local number 116 bus.

This is a huge set up with many lake areas, amusement park for the kids, Jet ski-ing if you want, all brand new, clean, with some lovely walks and things to see, also places for the kids to run around.

I was there for the lantern festival October 2006 and there were 20 people watching the Dragon dancing, all of ChangShu was very quite and peaceful.

The entrance gates and signs are all in English, however maps etc are not, you can get an electric car ride around the complete park for RMB10 this should give you a clear idea of everything on offer for you to walk back to.

The park is open some evenings, the lights and the presentation of the park in the evening is very well done; if it is open, the entrance fee is cheaper after 5pm.

Note - local buses in ChangShu stop running about 5pm, so if your out at the lake park you will have to get a taxi back into town, the ticket office may help. I went down the road to the local 3 Star Garden hotel and asked them to order me a taxi, I still had to wait 30 minutes for one to come out and get me.

Sha Jia Bang, Wet lands, Film Center, famous for producing the best Crabs in China and the Peking Opera.

Take a local bus number 111 from town and it will take you straight to this great wetlands area just outside of ChangShu, remember the buses stop around 5pm if you coming back.

This is a man-made wetland park that was used for filming of a famous 40 episode TV soap opera set in the 1940’s within China; the film set still remains and is now a tourist centre filled with local food and sites.

There is not much information in English about this place, however all the site seeing signs etc when you get there are in English, it’s defiantly worth a visit.

The best way to get over to the film set is to take a RMB 10 small electric car, it will drop you off at the set, then when you are ready to go, just hop onto the next one driving past and it will take you back to the main area. Another way to get to the film set is to take a boat across the lake.

Zhao Shang Cheng

This is a massive market place, a lot of Chinese traders from all over China trade here; it is so big it’s overwhelming.

It’s building after building of Clothes, Jeans, Coats, 2 big buildings just full of shoes.

All at prices cheaper than local markets within Shanghai, the venders will ask you 2 questions, have you come to buy or order, the order price or quantity price will be lower than the single buy price and the quantity price could be for as low as 10 pieces.

You can bargain, but not nearly as much as in Shanghai, the prices are low, so not much room for more reductions.

It’s a brave, strong person that can last all day here.

There is no real place to just sit and have a rest, if you go across the road (Zhao Shang Cheng Rd) to the Zhao Shang Cheng bus station, just to the right as you are looking at the station front entrance, is a Chinese fast food place, you can sit in there are have a coffee and rest, the menu is a picture board and the food it ok.

I hope you get a chance to visit ChangShu China as it’s a great little place to get away from Shanghai, the people and food are great, with plenty of places to enjoy some space and fresh air.

Contact me for more information on Changshu China