Did you smell the heavy scent of flowers while walking on the city’s streets recently? Of course you did, because osmanthus flowers, the city flower of Suzhou, are in full bloom. Check this out and have a flower trip in Suzhou!
Guihua Park
Address: No. 1 Zhuhui Road, Gusu District (姑苏区竹辉路1号)
Florescence: September 30 to October 29
Name after osmanthus flowers (guihua), Guihua Park owns the greatest range of osmanthus flowers in the country. Besides, some characteristic drinks and foods are available at the Gui Hua Cha Yuan (osmanthus teahouse) all year round, such as osmanthus syrup, wine, tea, etc.
The Lingering Garden
Address: No. 338 Liuyuan Road, Gusu District (姑苏区留园路338号)
Florescence: September 30 to October 29
The Lingering Garden boasts such strains of osmanthus flowers as golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus and five others. The “Wen Mu Xi Xiang Xuan” (闻木樨香轩) in the park is a good place to enjoy osmanthus flowers.
Tiger Hill Yixie Garden
Address: No. 8 Tiger Hill, Gusu District (姑苏区虎丘山门内8号)
Florescence: September 30 to October 28
Reputed as the “No. 1 historical relics in Suzhou”, Tiger Hill is brimming with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers in autumn. The fresh air there is also very inviting. Sitting in the north of Tiger Hill, the Yixie Garden is a small quaint one and boasts a unique tower-mountain scenery.
Beiban Garden
Address: No. 60 Baita East Road, Gusu District (姑苏区白塔东路60号)
Florescence: September 30 to October 28
The garden, also known as Lu’s Half Garden, is named as Beiban Garden (literally means north half garden) for its location—to the north of Shi’s Half Garden (史氏半园) in Cangmi Lane (仓米巷). A 150-year-old osmanthus tree grows in the garden. It’s a good choice to stop for a rest and have a sip of tea there.
Guangfu Yaoshang Village
Address: Yaoshang Village, Guangfu Town, Wuzhong District (吴中区光福镇窑上村)
Florescence: October 1 to 29
Located in the northwest of Guangfu Town, Yaoshang Village owns over 2,000 mu (133.34 ha.) of osmanthus fields and is a famous place for osmanthus appreciation. The village’s annual yield of osmanthus flowers can be up to 250,000 kilograms.
Baixiang Bay Ecological Tourism Area (白象湾生态旅游区)
Address: No. 1088 Cangshu Cangbei Road, Mudu Town, Wuzhong District (吴中区木渎镇藏书藏北路1088号)
Florescence: October 1 to 29
Situated at Cangbei Area of Mudu Town, the Baixiang Ecological Tourism Area boasts thousands of osmanthus trees. It’s now the best time to visit Baixiang Bay and experience tranquility there: have a sip and taste tea, enjoy the landscape there and smell the sweet-scented osmanthus flowers.
In addition to its sweet fragrance, the osmanthus flowers are good to eat as well. Osmanthus syrup, made from osmanthus flowers and white sugar, is one of the essential ingredients in many local snacks, such as stuffed lotus roots with glutinous rice, osmanthus cakes, etc.
Enjoy the beautiful autumn days amid the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers!
