Suzhou is famous for its classic gardens. The city has been popular among domestic and foreign tourists. The Jinji Lake (Golden Rooster) tourist attraction in the eastern part of the city has become a new landmark in Suzhou that enjoys global fame.

The lake ranked top among all the popular scenic spots in China for its highest search rate during the May Day holiday, according to statistics revealed by CCTV (China Central Television) on April 30. During this year’s Labor Day holiday, Jinji Lake attracted 287,400 visitors in total.

The Lingshan Buddhist scenic area in Wuxi of Jiangsu province ranked second on the list, followed by Wuzhen town in Zhejiang province. The Palace Museum in Beijing failed to make the top 10.

Jinji Lake is the first national demonstration area for business tourism as well as a 5A tourist attraction. It has earned high praise around the world. In 2013, it received about 9.77 million tourists, increasing by 47.76 percent and ranking first among the major scenic spots in Suzhou.

Located in Suzhou Industrial Park, the lake has become China’s largest urban lake and is home to a great number of cultural, entertainment, commercial and business facilities.

Design work on the lake area was done by EDAW, a United States architectural firm that has worked with Disney theme parks and eight themed attractions, including Yuanrong Time Square, the Ferris wheel on water, the musical fountain, Ligongdi Street, Linglong Bay, Lakeside Street, the water corridor with art and culture facilities, and Jinji Lake Bridge.

Covering an area of 100,000 square meters, Jinji Lake provides tourist centers offering free tourist information, emergency medicine, wheelchairs and umbrellas.

In addition, a tourism app for the scenic spot is available to the public. Visitors can download the app from the App Store to get information about transportation, food, accommodation and other resources.