Just 20 minutes further than Suzhou lies ‘Little Shanghai’. Wuxi is often neglected by expats and we can’t quite understand why. Crammed full of culture and beautiful scenery, if you’re willing to go that little bit further it is definitely worth the trip. There is a lot to see in Wuxi but the main places can be comfortably done in busy day if you want. Having said that, it suits a weekend away much better. Here are the things that we feel you shouldn’t miss out on if you head to Wuxi. But don’t be afraid to explore a little yourself, surely that’s half the fun of travelling.

Taihu Lake

Wuxi is built on the shore of this magnificent lake. The third largest in China, it has all sorts of things to do in and around its banks. One of the coolest things you can do is check out Turtlehead Island. This spot in particular has Facebook profile shot written all over it. Take your chance and see the sunset pour over the islet and you’ll never look at a sunset the same way again. It’s that fantastic.

Mountain of Tin and Kind-heartedness

The ‘Mountain of Tin’ and ‘Mountain of Kind-heartedness’ are, despite their names, not mountains at all. Instead they are two small hills located at the western part of Wuxi. The classic royal Jichang Gardens are located at the foot of the hills as well as the very famous Tianxiadier Spring, or in English the Second-Best-Spring. Why they called it the Second-Best-Spring is not clear because, from where we were standing it was pretty darn good.