Datang eco-park in Qiandeng town is the place for urbanites from nearby cities such as Shanghai and Suzhou to catch a break from the clammy summer days.

It offers a mixture of relaxing places and activities, including archaic buildings, horticultural designs, and fruit and vegetable picking and angling sites. A restaurant on-site offers dishes made of organic food grown at the park.

The good life: a farmer picks vegetables at Datang eco-park in Qiandeng town, Kunshan city. [Photo from WeChat account ksqdly]

Verdant hollies, scarlet Chinese roses and pinkish moth orchids are planted along the winding paths. Lotus flowers and leaves float in the irrigation canals.

Maize, asparagus, cucumber, melon and tomato crops are ready for picking around this time of year.

The park has plentiful spots for angling and wooden and stone bridges for taking a leisurely stroll.

Sheltered stands for angling are built along the lakes inside the Datang eco-park. [Photo from WeChat account ksqdly]

Next to the lakes are a restaurant in a natural setting and a business center.

The Chinese-style restaurant is housed in a greenhouse, making it look like a plant nursery, and can house more than 100 diners. The business center is designed with a European style.

The green house restaurant offers organic produce from the farm. [Photo from WeChat account ksqdly]