Why this ride
178 km from Wuxi to Wuxi, about 2 h 48 of riding. On the way it passes Classical Gardens of Suzhou, The Lingering Garden, Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal and The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal and The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 178 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 48
- 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. Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal
The Grand Canal is the longest artificial waterway in the world, stretching from Beijing to Hangzhou, and some of its sections have been in use for more than two thousand years. In the Jiangnan region, south of the Yangtze, it flows through a landscape of rice paddies, lakes and old towns, and in Wuxi it runs right through the city. The canal was listed by UNESCO in 2014, and the Wuxi section includes historic streets, bridges and warehouses along its banks.
Read the complete Wuxi City 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
Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal is where the day begins. Next is Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
2. 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
Classical Gardens of Suzhou comes up about 35 km into the recorded legs. Next is The Lingering Garden.
3. The Lingering Garden
The Lingering Garden, called Liu Yuan, is one of the four most famous gardens in China, and a masterpiece of the Suzhou school. It began in the sixteenth century as the private garden of an official of the Ming dynasty, and was later rebuilt by a Qing dynasty owner, whose family name, Liu, gave it its present name, which also means lingering or staying on, and that is exactly what visitors want to do. It belongs to the UNESCO listing of the classical gardens of Suzhou, from 1997, and it covers a couple of hectares, with halls, pavilions, corridors, ponds and rockeries arranged in a design that seems to turn a small space into a landscape.
Read the complete The Lingering Garden write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 52 km into the recorded legs you reach The Lingering Garden. Next is Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal.
4. 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, about halfway. Next is The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty.
5. 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 sits at 97 km, about halfway. Next is back through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal.
6. back through 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 through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal comes up about 104 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through The Lingering Garden.
7. back through The Lingering Garden
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The Lingering Garden write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 122 km into the recorded legs you reach back through The Lingering Garden. Next is back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
8. back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou, late in the day. Next is Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal.
9. Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Wuxi City 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
The route ends here after 178 km.
Leg by leg
Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal to Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal → Classical Gardens of Suzhou is 35 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Classical Gardens of Suzhou to The Lingering Garden
Classical Gardens of Suzhou → The Lingering Garden is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The Lingering Garden to Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
The Lingering Garden → Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal is 19 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
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 back through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty → back through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal to back through The Lingering Garden
back through Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal → back through The Lingering Garden is 18 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The Lingering Garden to back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou
back through The Lingering Garden → back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou to Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal
back through Classical Gardens of Suzhou → Wuxi City Section of Jiangnan Canal is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.