Mudu Ancient Town 木渎古镇

About Mudu Ancient Town

Mudu Ancient Town (木渎古镇) is the old centre of Mudu, a town in Wuzhong District (吴中区) that adjoins the western side of Suzhou (苏州), 12 km from the city centre, with Lake Tai (太湖) only a few kilometres to the west.

Mudu has also been called Duchuan (渎川), Chaize (柴泽), Xiangxi (香溪) and Xujiang (胥江). Its present name is tied to a Spring and Autumn period story: the King of Wu (吴王) built the Gusu Terrace (姑苏台) from sacred timber sent as tribute by the state of Yue (越国), and for three years the logs clogged the river. The town itself was founded in the Northern Song and belonged to Wu County (吴县) for most of its history.

The Qianlong Emperor, who toured the south six times, came ashore at its Imperial Wharf, and Hongyin Shanfang (虹饮山房) served as one of his lodging palaces in the region. Xu Yang's (徐扬) scroll Prosperous Gusu (姑苏繁华图), painted in the Qianlong years, depicts a village, a town (Mudu), a city (Suzhou) and a street (Shantang, 山塘); the Mudu section fills half the scroll. Jiangsu named Mudu a provincial historic and cultural town in 2001, and in 2005 it joined the second national batch of Famous Historical and Cultural Towns of China. The Suzhou Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau lists Mudu Ancient Town as an AAAA-rated scenic area.

The old town keeps several gardens that are now on the Suzhou Garden Register. The Yan Family Garden (严家花园) was once the home of Shen Deqian (沈德潜); the grandfather of Yen Chia-kan (严家淦), later President of the Republic of China, bought it and renamed it Xianyuan (羡园). The Qing-period Old Pine Garden (古松园) stands on Mudu's own Shantang Street. Two Qing houses on that street, the former residences of Feng Guifen (冯桂芬) and Cai Shaoyu (蔡少渔), became Jiangsu provincial protected sites in 2019.

What to look for

• Yan Family Garden (严家花园), an 11,100 m² Qing residential garden at 98 Xianyuan Street (羡园街)
• Old Pine Garden (古松园), a Qing residential garden at 23 Shantang Street
• Hongyin Shanfang (虹饮山房) at 56 Shantang Street, one of the Qianlong Emperor's lodging palaces in the south
• The Imperial Wharf (御码头), where the Qianlong Emperor came ashore
• Former residences of Feng Guifen (冯桂芬故居) and Cai Shaoyu (蔡少渔旧宅) on Shantang Street, provincial protected sites since 2019
• Bangyan Mansion (榜眼府第) at 32 Xiatang Street (下塘街), also on the Suzhou Garden Register
• Qing-dynasty Yong'an Bridge (永安桥) and Yiquan Pavilion (怡泉亭) on Shantang Street, and the late-Qing covered bridge over the town river on South Street (南街)

Location & getting there

Getting to Mudu Ancient Town

• Search for 木渎古镇 with 苏州市 and 吴中区.