Why this ride
From Suzhou it runs 288 km to Suzhou; allow about 4 h 02 of riding. It goes by way of Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal, Area of Yaoshan Site and back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal. It climbs into the mountains.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty and Area of Yaoshan Site
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 288 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 02
- 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal.
2. Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal
Nanxun is one of the water towns of the Yangtze delta, south of Lake Tai, where life has revolved around canals for more than a thousand years. In the nineteenth century, it became immensely rich through the silk trade, and its merchant families, known by nicknames like the four elephants and the eight bulls, built mansions that mixed Chinese courtyards with European columns, stained glass and Western-style furniture, an unusual blend you will not find in many other water towns. The canal running through the town is part of the Grand Canal, the immense waterway linking Beijing with Hangzhou, which UNESCO listed in 2014.
Read the complete Nanxun 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
Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal comes up about 62 km into the recorded legs. Next is Area of Yaoshan Site.
3. Area of Yaoshan Site
Five thousand years ago, on the plain north of Hangzhou, people built a city with a water system so sophisticated that archaeologists still marvel at it. This is the Liangzhu culture, and the Yaoshan site is one of its most intriguing pieces, thought to be a ritual platform where elites took part in ceremonies and where beautifully worked jades were buried. The Liangzhu people carved jade into discs called bi and tubes known as cong, with delicate, mask-like faces, and these objects were symbols of status and belief. The whole Liangzhu complex has been a UNESCO site since 2019.
Read the complete Area of Yaoshan Site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 145 km into the recorded legs you reach Area of Yaoshan Site. Next is back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal.
4. back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Nanxun 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 through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal, late in the day. Next is The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
5. 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 at The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty to Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty → Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal is 62 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal to Area of Yaoshan Site
Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal → Area of Yaoshan Site is 83 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Area of Yaoshan Site to back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal
Area of Yaoshan Site → back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal is 82 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal to The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
back through Nanxun Section of Jiangnan Canal → The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty is 62 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.