天平山 · Tiānpíng Shān
Tianping Mountain
One of China's four great maple mountains.
Why visit
- One of China's great maple-viewing mountains, at its blazing best each November
- An ancient maple forest planted in the Ming, its oldest trees over 400 years old
- The three wonders of Tianping: strange rocks, clear springs and red maples
- The mountain of Fan Zhongyan, the Song statesman, whose family lie buried here
- The Maple Viewing Terrace, for the ten-thousand-feet-of-red-cloud panorama
- Ticket
- from ¥30
- Opening hours
- 08:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best time
- Red maples, mid-Nov to early Dec
- Rating
- AAAA
- Address
- Lingtian Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou, Jiangsu
Overview
Tianping Mountain is Suzhou's autumn secret. An hour out from the gardens, it holds one of the great red-maple forests of China, trees planted in the Ming dynasty more than four hundred years ago, and for a few weeks each November the whole hillside burns orange and crimson.
It's a mountain of three things, as the old saying goes: strange rocks, clear springs and red maples. Most people come for the maples and never climb higher than the viewing terrace, which is the right call if you want the postcard. But the rocks above, with names like A Thread of Sky, are worth the scramble if your legs are willing.
There's history in the trees, too. This was the mountain of Fan Zhongyan, the Song statesman whose line, worry before the world worries and enjoy after it enjoys, still gets quoted a thousand years on. His family lie buried here.
Come on a weekday, right at the 8 AM opening. In peak maple season the weekend crowds are heavy, and the early light through the leaves is the whole point.
History & cultural significance
Tianping Mountain, also known as Baiyun or Ci Mountain, has been a place of pilgrimage and poetry for a thousand years. In the Northern Song it became the burial ground of the family of Fan Zhongyan, one of the most admired officials in Chinese history, remembered for the creed to worry before the world and enjoy after it. A memorial hall on the mountain still honours him.
The maples that made the mountain famous were planted in the Ming, and the oldest are more than four hundred years old. Together with its strange rocks and clear springs they earned Tianping the title of the finest mountain in the Wu country, and a place among China's great maple-viewing destinations.
What to see
The Ancient Maple Forest
The heart of Tianping and the reason most people come. These maples were planted in the Ming, more than four hundred years ago, and in autumn they turn a slow riot of green, yellow, orange and red, often on the same tree. Walk it in the low morning light, before the crowds fill the paths.
The Maple Viewing Terrace
Halfway up the mountain, this is the spot for the view: the whole forest laid out below in layered colour, the ten-thousand-feet-of-red-cloud that gives Tianping its autumn fame. The best panorama on the mountain, and worth the climb.
Shijing Pond & Baiyun Pond
Two still pools that mirror the red maples on a calm day, the classic lake-reflecting-maples scene. The curved bridge at Shijing Pond is the reflection shot everyone wants.
Baiyun Ancient Temple (白云古刹)
A Tang-dynasty temple that comes into its own in autumn, when golden ginkgo leaves fall among the fiery maples at its doors. Frame a shot through a temple window for a quiet, composed scene.
The Strange Rocks
Above the maples, Tianping's other wonder: dramatic stone formations with names like Ten Thousand Tablets Facing the Sky and A Thread of Sky. Reaching them is a proper scramble, but it's the payoff for anyone who wants more than the forest.
Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall
A hall honouring the Northern Song statesman whose family are buried on the mountain, and whose creed, to worry before the world worries and enjoy after it enjoys, is one of the most quoted lines in Chinese history. The cultural heart of the visit.
Plan your visit
Difficulty
Moderate
Steady pace with some stairs or uneven ground.
Best time to visit
There is one season people come for, and it is autumn.
The maples turn from mid-November into early December, a slow shift from green through yellow and orange to deep red, and at their peak the hillside looks, in the old phrase, like ten thousand feet of red cloud. The mountain runs a Maple Leaf Festival through the season, and the weekends fill up.
Go on a weekday if you can, and arrive at the 8 AM opening. Spring and summer are quiet and green, pleasant for a walk, but it is the red maples that make the trip.
Tickets & entry
- Admission
- ¥30· Admission
- Free· Suzhou Garden Card· with card
- Hours
- All year08:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Address
- Lingtian Road, Wuzhong District, Suzhou, Jiangsu
- Closed
- Open daily, year-round
- Reservation
- Free with the Suzhou Garden Card; otherwise buy at the gate or online.
- Typical visit
- 2–3 hours
Getting there
Entrance: The main entrance is on Lingtian Road, at the foot of the mountain. From there the path leads in past Shijing Pond and straight into the ancient maple forest, which is the heart of the visit. Save the climb to the viewing terrace and the rocks for after you have walked the forest.
- Metro Line 1 to Mudu Station, then Bus 4 or a short taxi to the mountain
- A taxi from central Suzhou is quick if you're short on time
Tianping sits out in Wuzhong District, west of the old town. Take Metro Line 1 to Mudu, then Bus 4 or a short taxi to the mountain. A taxi from central Suzhou is easy if you are short on time.
From Shanghai it's a day trip: about 30 minutes by high-speed train to Suzhou, then the metro or a taxi out to the mountain.
Map
View larger map · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Suggested route
A loop that takes in the best of the mountain in two to three hours. From the entrance, walk in past Shijing Pond, then into the ancient maple forest, the reason you came. Carry on to the Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall and the Tang-era Baiyun Temple, lovely in autumn when golden ginkgo meets red maple at its doors.
From there climb to the Maple Viewing Terrace, halfway up, for the panorama over the whole forest in colour. If your legs are willing, push on into the strange-rock area above, past formations like Ten Thousand Tablets Facing the Sky and A Thread of Sky.
Local tips
What to bring: Proper walking shoes with grip. The maple forest is gentle, but the rocks higher up are a real scramble, and the stone gets slippery in the rain. Bring water and a power bank, and mosquito repellent in the warmer months. Watch your footing on wet days.
Photography spots: The Maple Viewing Terrace, for the bird's-eye view of the whole forest and the ten-thousand-feet-of-red-cloud effect. The curved bridge at Shijing Pond, where the still water mirrors the red maples for a symmetrical shot. Frame a scene through the doors and windows of the Baiyun Temple, where ginkgo gold and maple red sit together. And use the Gaoyi Garden archway as a foreground to give your maple shots some depth.
Nearby
Restaurants
- Mudu Ancient Town, a short ride away, for Suzhou noodles, snacks and teahouses
FAQ
Its autumn red maples, among the finest in China. An ancient maple forest planted in the Ming turns crimson each November, and the mountain is also known for its strange rocks and clear springs, the three wonders, and as the mountain of the Song statesman Fan Zhongyan.
For the maples, mid-November into early December, when the leaves are at their reddest. The mountain runs a Maple Leaf Festival through the season; go on a weekday and at the 8 AM opening to beat the crowds.
30 yuan, or free with a Suzhou Garden Card.
Take Metro Line 1 to Mudu Station, then Bus 4 or a short taxi to the mountain. From Shanghai it is about 30 minutes by high-speed train to Suzhou, then the metro or a taxi west to Wuzhong District.
The maple forest and the viewing terrace are an easy-to-moderate walk suitable for most people. The strange-rock formations higher up are a real scramble, so wear proper shoes and take them only if you are up for it.
Mudu Ancient Town and Lingyan Mountain are both close, and easy to combine with Tianping on the same trip out to Wuzhong District.
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