Two Days in Yangzhou

though it perches on the northern bank of the Yangtze River， the Jiangsu city of Yangzhou is poetically regarded as a jewel of China’s fertile Jiangnan region—which， though it technically refers to the area south of the Yangtze， is more a spiritual realm than a geographic one. Jiangnan is， as writer Ginger Huang wrote in a previous issue， “a word associated with apricot blossoms， spring rain， stone bridges and waterways.” If we are to take the Tang poets’ word for it， this description perfectly captures Yangzhou. Li Bai first immortalized the city in verse with the line， “Leaving for Yangzhou in mid-spring when the flower blossoms fly” (煙花三月下?lián)P州 Y`nhu` s`nyuxi3 Y1ngzh4u). Another Tang poet， Xu Ning， was responsible for Yangzhou taking the name “the moon city” thanks to the single line， “If the bright moonlight were divided into three parts， then two would undoubtedly belong to Yangzhou” (天下三分明月夜，二分無(wú)賴是揚(yáng)州 Ti`nxi3 s`n f8n m!ngyu-y-， -r f8n w%l3i sh# Y1ngzh4u).

Yangzhou’s deep associations with this romantic poetic tradition extended from its Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) heyday through to the decline of the Song Dynasty (960 -1279). The city has inspired countless literary minds， who marveled at its prosperity， wondered at the beauty of its women， fell in love with its charming scenery or lamented its lost glory in the aftermath of war.

Yangzhou is compact enough to explore on foot and the convenient Special Tour Line(旅游專線 l)y5u zhu`nxi3n) bus route stops at all the major scenic spots. But if you have the time and energy， I recommend taking a stroll around the old town to wander the deep， narrow alleys and explore the secret lives behind the brick walls of its households.

Romance aside， Yangzhou is also home to Jiangsu’s delicate Huaiyang cuisine (淮揚(yáng)菜)， which is regarded as one of China’s four most influential culinary traditions. So if you’re a chihuo (吃貨， a foodie)， you’ll love testing out the huge variety of Huaiyang snacks (淮揚(yáng)小吃).

day one

8:30 ShrImp Wonton noodle (蝦籽餃面)

I awoke every morning inYangzhou facing an intriguing dilemma over what to eat for breakfast. Faced with an ocean of choice， I often opted for xiazi jiaomian (蝦籽餃面， wonton noodles with tiny dried shrimps)， which as its name suggests is a combination of jiaozi (small wontons stuffed with pork) and miantiao (noodles)， all doused in a soup seasoned with shrimp-roe soy sauce. The Jiangjiaqiao Noodle Store (蔣家橋餃面店) at the crossroads of Guangling Road (廣陵路) and Xuningmen Street (徐凝門街， named after the Tang poet Xu Ning mentioned above) is an excellent place to try a serving， and you can also pick up a plate of delicious guotier (鍋貼兒， fried dumplings stuffed with pork and diced bamboo shoots).

9:00 he garden (何園)

Five minutes’ walk from the noodle store along Xuningmen is the exquisite He Garden， named after its Qing Dynasty owner He Zhidao. The garden is famous for its architecture， along with the 1，500-meter winding corridor that connects a traditional Suzhou backyard garden (complete with wooden pavilions and a peaceful pond) with Western-style residence halls. Entrance is RMB45， or you can buy a combination ticket for RMB180 that gains you entrance to five tourist sites and is valid for two days.

11:00 zhu zIqIng’S Former reSIdence (朱自清故居)

You can either hop on a tricycle or take the 15-minute walk from He Garden to the former residence of the renowned modern essayist and poet Zhu Ziqing， which is located in a small alley called Anle Alley (安樂(lè)巷). The writer spent most of his childhood years in Yangzhou and developed a deep attachment to the city. Though originally from Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province， he always viewed himself as a Yangzhou native and wrote affectionate prose about its street. Entrance is RMB10.

12:00 dongguan SnacKS Street (東關(guān)小吃街)

From Anle Alley， take a walk to Dongguan Street， an old avenue of snack stalls and restaurants that are chock full of Huaiyang snacks. Don’t forget to try the sanding baozi(三丁包子， steamed buns stuffed with diced chicken， pork and bamboo shoots)， qianceng yougao (千層油糕， thousand-layer rice cake) and wumi shaomai (烏米燒賣， steamed dumplings stuffed with black rice). The street is over a kilometer long， and I strongly recommend you walk the entire length， as it’s lined with places of historical interest.

14:00 ge garden (個(gè)園)

One of the Dongguan sites worth a look is Ge Garden， the private preserve of a wealthy salt merchant who lived during the Qing Dynasty(1616-1911). The garden takes its name from the bamboo trees planted at the entrance， as the Chinese character 個(gè) resembles the shape of a bamboo leaf.

17:00 old SIte oF the eaSt gate (東門遺址)

Exit Ge Garden and walk east to the end of Dongguan to find a restored version of the city’s original East Gate. The gate was first built in the Tang Dynasty and played a crucial military role during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)， when it served as a watchtower and defensive stronghold. Crossing the gate you’ll see an archway commemorating the East Gate Old Ferry Crossing (東關(guān)古渡 d4nggu`n g^d)， which used to be an important connection along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Bathed in the ruddy glow of sunset， the old sites are sure to intensify your appreciation for the vicissitudes of history.

18:00 ShIWeItIan reStaurant (食為天酒店)

Jump on the Special Tour Line near the Old Ferry Crossing and get off at the second stop， Yuejin Bridge (躍進(jìn)橋). From there， take the short walk to Yangzhou’s most widely known authentic Huaiyang restaurant， Shiweitian. Don’t miss their two specialties: xiefen shizitou (蟹粉獅子頭， braised meatballs made with pork and crab meat， diced Chinese water chestnuts and mushrooms， served in a broth dotted with green vegetables) and dazhu gansi (大煮干絲， shredded tofu boiled in chicken soup with diced bamboo shoots， black fungus， green vegetables， gizzard， ham， mushrooms and shrimp).

19:30 nIght VIeW oF the old grand canal(古運(yùn)河夜景)

After dinner， meander along the old Grand Canal， which has a romance all its own when illuminated at night. The streets are warm and peddlers sell peeled Chinese water chestnuts， which at this time of year are delightfully crisp and sweet.

day one

1 . he garden 何園

2. Zhu Ziqing’s former residence 朱自清故居

3. Dongguan snacks street 東關(guān)小吃街

4. ge garden 個(gè)園

5. old site of the east gate 東門遺址

6. east gate old ferry crossing 東關(guān)古渡

day tWo

7 . Liubiju huaiyang snack food 六必居淮揚(yáng)小吃

8. Yangzhou eight eccentrics museum揚(yáng)州八怪紀(jì)念館

9. Willow Lake rd. 柳湖路

day tWo

9:00 BreaKFaSt at lIuBIju (六必居)

The front desk of my hotel advised that a local chain serving Huaiyang snack food called Liubiju offers delicious dishes at reasonable prices. Though less well-known than the famous Fuchun Tea House (富春茶社)， which is both touristy and slightly overpriced， Liubiju is frequented by locals for regular meals. Try their outlet on Yunhexi Road (運(yùn)河西路)， near Shiweitian Restaurant， and be sure to sample their xiehuang xiaolongbao (蟹黃小籠包， steamed dumplings with crab juice and pork stuffing) and sanxian xiaohuntun (三鮮小餛飩， small wontons with pork stuffing).

10:00 Slender WeSt laKe parK (瘦西湖公園)

For a pleasant early morning stroll， take the Special Tour Line to Slender West Lake Park—an exquisite oasis that， more than any other spot in the city， evokes the graceful images conjured by classical Jiangnan verse. If you’re lucky enough to have a sunny spring day， take a walk around the lake， which is lined with weeping willows， flourishing cherry， peach and apricot blossoms， as well as golden jasmine flowers. The park’s postcard feature is the Yangzhou Five-Pavilion Bridge (五亭橋)， also called the Lotus Bridge (蓮花橋). Another must-visit spot is Twenty-Four Bridge (二十四橋)， made famous by Tang poet Du Mu’s (杜牧) line， “Over the Twenty-Four Bridge the bright moon glows /Where those beautiful singing girls play the flute no one knows” (二十四橋明月夜，玉人何處教吹簫 Ersh!s#qi1o m!ngyu-y-， yr9n h9ch ji`o chu~xi`o).

12:00 yangzhou FrIed rIce (揚(yáng)州炒飯)

Though you might have tried Yangzhou fried rice elsewhere in China or abroad， don’t miss the excellent authentic renditions that can be found in almost every restaurant in the city. The traditional recipe should have eight ingredients: egg， peas， shrimp， diced carrot， mushrooms， ham， green onion and of course， rice.

13:30 damIng temple (大明寺)

From Slender West Lake Park take the Special Tour Line to Daming Temple. It was here that the monk Jianzhen (鑒真) (688 - 763) gave lectures to his disciples before sailing to Japan to promote Buddhism. From 743 to 754， the monk tried five times to make the passage to Japan before succeeding on his sixth attempt. In 753， the by this time totally blind Jianzhen finally reached the shores of Japan at the age of 66. The temple’s Jianzhen Memorial Hall (鑒真紀(jì)念館)， built in the same style as the temple where Jianzhen lectured on Buddhism in Japan， commemorates the monk’s endeavors.

15:30 yangzhou eIght eccentrIcS muSeum (揚(yáng)州八怪紀(jì)念館)

“The Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics” were a group of innovative Chinese painters and calligraphers based in the city during the mid-Qing Dynasty， among whom Zheng Xie (鄭燮) was renowned for his unconventional Banqiao style of calligraphy (板橋體 B2nqi1o T@). The artists’ works are displayed in the museum， which is located at 18 Tuoling Alley (駝鈴巷) near Huaihai Road (淮海路) and asks an entrance fee of RMB25.

16:30 WIlloW laKe road (柳湖路)

Exit the museum， walk back to Huaihai and then turn right onto Siwangting Road (四望亭路) at the intersection. Walk five minutes to the next crossing at Liuhu Road， or Willow Lake Road. This tranquil and picturesque thoroughfare lives up to its name， running alongside a lake supporting willows on its banks. From one side you can look over at the Slender West Lake Campus of Yangzhou University and envy its students their idyllic surroundings.

17:30 Wenchang Square (文昌廣場(chǎng))

Walk along the lake south to Wenchangzhong Road (文昌中路)， the central business district of Yangzhou. Here you’ll get a feeling of the modern city， and can end your trip picking up gifts in the big shopping malls in Wenchang Square.