Why this ride
73 km from Songling to Songling, about 1 h 13 of riding. It goes by way of The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, Classical Gardens of Suzhou and back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal and Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 73 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 13
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
The Grand Canal is the longest artificial waterway in the world, running from Beijing to Hangzhou, and the Jiangnan section through Suzhou is one of its most storied stretches. Here, the canal winds through a landscape of water towns, rice fields and lakes, past ancient bridges, temples and gardens. It is part of the World Heritage site that recognises the canal as one of the greatest engineering achievements of the pre-industrial world.
Read the complete Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal is where the day begins. Next is The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
2. The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
Suzhou has been famous for its gardens for centuries, and the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, known in Chinese as Huanxiu Shanzhuang, is one of the nine that UNESCO lists among the classical gardens of the city. It lies in the western part of town, a short way from the old centre, and it is quieter than the more famous gardens on the tourist trail. The name suggests a mountain retreat that holds beauty within it, and the design delivers on that: a pond at the centre, pavilions around it and a large rockery of weathered limestone that is the best-known feature.
Read the complete The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty comes up about 16 km into the recorded legs. Next is Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
3. Classical Gardens of Suzhou
A classical Chinese garden is a whole landscape squeezed into a courtyard: rocks stand in for mountains, ponds for lakes, and a winding covered walkway reveals one framed view after another, each window cut in a different shape. Suzhou, a canal city west of Shanghai, perfected the art over centuries, as scholars, officials and merchants built private retreats behind high white walls. Nine of its gardens are listed by UNESCO as the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, among them the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden and the tiny, exquisite Master-of-Nets Garden, and the Retreat and Reflection Garden in the water town of Tongli.
Read the complete Classical Gardens of Suzhou write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 36 km into the recorded legs you reach Classical Gardens of Suzhou. Next is back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
4. back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, late in the day. Next is Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal.
5. Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal to The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal → The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty to Classical Gardens of Suzhou
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty → Classical Gardens of Suzhou is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Classical Gardens of Suzhou to back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
Classical Gardens of Suzhou → back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty to Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
back through The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty → Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.