Suzhou Yuyangshan Nightmare Zone! My Sincere Warning? SAVE YOURSELVES!
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Sisters, let me give you a piece of advice: don’t recommend yourselves to visit the Yu Yang Mountain in Suzhou (it's by Taihu Lake, which is one of China’s largest freshwater lakes)- I really don't suggest going there! We drove from Shanghai for about 2 hours, the ticket costs RMB 80, which is ridiculously expensive! However, upon entering, it looks like mere barren mountain trails and inadequate planning for the scenic spot.
Here are my reasons why not to go:
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Expensive tickets and poor planning: It's just an unmanned mountain! Many paths are blocked and the wooden steps are in disrepair, with the real concern that people might slip or fall. What's advertised as "Fahua Temple" (a temple) and "Four-faced Guanyin Pavilion" (a place enshrining Guanyin Bodhisattva), turned out to be either in dilapidated condition or left open. The fee for these attractions could have been used to enjoy free breeze and lake views!
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Summit cafe closes at 2 pm, and poor service: It took roughly 20 minutes to climb to the top, yet it included installing an expensive gondola. It's frustrating that there's only one noodle shop available on the mountain and it closed at 2 pm! There wasn't even a shop selling instant noodles. This inadequately addresses the basic food demands for tourists, which is definitely a big problem!
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Scenic views aren’t quite great: The scenery they were boasting as the “First View of Taihu Lake” was mediocre. Besides a lucky few moments under certain atmospheric conditions, most spots were just bare mountains with rock formations. Photos had become considerably retouched to make them look much better.
It would be more fun visiting the nearby, free parks! In summary:
- Yu Yang Mountain is just a “fake” scenic spot with a “Taihu Peninsula” badge, made to bring money.
- If you want to see beautiful scenes or climb mountains, consider going to Xishan Island or Dongshan Island adjacent to it instead; They provide gorgeous sceneries, better facilities and many areas offering free entry.
Specific notes for first-time visitors:
- Spend your money in vain if you choose to visit Yu Yang, because its facility is still in raw stages and isn't worth paying the RMB 80;
- Safety concerns also exist, as some routes and trails are blocked, and the available wooden stairs might be old or unstable. One must be careful while walking to avoid falling down.
- Some temples mentioned in their publicity, are either deteriorated or closed up completely, causing disappointment when expected.
- With the restaurant closing at 2 pm, it'd be hard to find places where you can either eat or get some water to drink.
- How to avoid such disappointment: When you’re in Suzhou and wishing to see beautiful Taihu lake or climb mountains, I firmly suggest venturing over to Xishan Island and Dongshan Island, their numerous free zones offer delightful natural landscapes, better facilities, better value, and are much more worthwhile in comparison!
- My earnest words: Such an undeveloped rocky mountain should not charge such an expensive fare. With a pay made, it should correspondingly provide infrastructure and services, including repaired roads, opened venues, and accessible dining facilities.
In this translation, I've carefully preserved the tone and emotions that the author initially conveyed. To make the text easier for target-language readers to understand, I've also paid special attention to sentence structure and word choices.
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It's a tourist trap for out-of-towners, and Piaomiao Peak is another example.
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Oh, really? I was actually planning to visit Piaomiao Peak next time.
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Last time I went to the Dongshan Carved Mansion, they charged me 60 yuan for a ticket. Inside, there was just one building, and the garden had hardly any landscaping. A total rip-off.
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Entrance fees at tourist attractions are generally way too high.
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I've been there too. I came back thinking the most beautiful part of Taihu Lake is in Wuxi, including Lihu Lake and Changguangxi Wetland. That's probably why CCTV chose the less famous Wuxi for its Spring Festival Gala.
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Noted for next time!
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Why bother entering through the main gate? A one-way cable car ticket should be much cheaper.
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I mainly wanted to do some hiking and wasn't keen on taking the cable car.
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There are free hiking trails available, though.
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They're closed off now, you can't get through!
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It seems Suzhou isn't too keen on developing the Taihu Lake area. Wuzhong District doesn't seem to prioritize it either. After all, it's tough to make tourism development there truly stand out.
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I feel Wuxi has done a better job with development. Over at Guangfu, there were a few black-headed gulls, and even though that area is free, I still ended up going to Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle).
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I think there used to be an aquarium over there. That was a real rip-off.
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Good thing it closed down.
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Am I right in guessing this spot is managed by a private tourism company?
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They really need to step up management and set higher standards, or it'll hurt Suzhou's image as a cultural tourism destination.
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Wuxi is truly the pearl of Taihu Lake! There are so many stunning, free scenic spots like Lihu Lake, Taihu Lake itself, Huishan, and the Grand Canal. Plus, the Wuxi part of Taihu Lake is dotted with peninsulas, islands, mountains, lakes, wetlands, and parks. This picture shows Wuxi's '18 Bends' along Taihu Lake, a place I often go cycling.
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Gorgeous!
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Over 200 yuan for two adults and two kids.