Introduction: The slender and winding lake paths are strung with scenic spots on both banks such as Long Causeway and Spring Willow, Four Bridges in Misty Rain, Xu Garden, Little Golden Hill, Blowing Terrace, Five-Pavilion Bridge, White Pagoda, Twenty-Four Bridges, Linglong Huajie, Xichun Terrace, Wangchun Tower, YinYue Teahouse, Lakeside Corridor, Stone Wall with Flowing Water, Jingxiang Study, etc., just like a long scroll of a naturally beautiful traditional Chinese painting.
Tourist Tips: You can choose to visit on foot or by boat. Visiting in spring allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of peach blossoms and willows, as if you were in a Jiangnan ink wash painting.
Ge Garden
Introduction: It is famous for its rockery art. The four-season rockeries made of bamboo shoot stones, lake stones, yellow stones, and Xuan stones integrate the principles of garden making and the theory of landscape painting. It is regarded as a “unique example in China” by the master of gardens, Mr. Chen Congzhou.
Tourist Tips: Savor carefully the unique shapes and implications of the rockeries in the garden and experience the profound heritage of traditional Chinese garden culture and the ingenuity of the garden owner.
He Garden
Introduction: Also known as “Jixiao Villa”, it has characteristic buildings such as the corridor with double paths and the riding building. The Stone Mountain House was a rockery work by the master Shi Tao and is known as “The First Garden in the Late Qing Dynasty”.
Tourist Tips: Focus on visiting the corridor with double paths, which is the essence of He Garden’s architecture. Strolling along it, you can experience the wonderful feeling of changing scenery with each step.
Daming Temple
Introduction: It combines Buddhist temples, cultural relics and historic sites, and garden scenery. Throughout history, many literati and poets have left precious relics and poems here.
Tourist Tips: You can first visit the temple buildings to experience the solemnity of Buddhist culture, and then climb the Qiling Pagoda to overlook the panoramic view of Yangzhou City.
Food Guide
Yangzhou Fried Rice
Features: Made by stir-frying rice, ham, eggs, shrimps and other ingredients. The grains of rice are distinct, the ingredients are rich, and it is fragrant, soft and delicious.
Recommended Restaurant: Many restaurants in Yangzhou can serve authentic Yangzhou fried rice. For example, “Sanxiang Suijin Yangzhou Fried Rice” is highly praised for its taste and texture.
Fuchun Morning Tea
Features: It includes various dim sum, such as Sandingbao (with diced chicken, diced pork, and diced bamboo shoots as fillings, with thin skin and large fillings, delicious in taste), Thousand-Layer Oil Cake (soft, glutinous and sweet with distinct layers), Emerald Shaomai (with a skin as thin as paper and green fillings, with a delicate and refreshing taste), etc. Pair it with a cup of fragrant tea to start a leisurely day.
Recommended Restaurant: Fuchun Teahouse is a classic place to taste Fuchun morning tea. The dim sum made here inherits traditional craftsmanship and is of high quality.
Lion’s Head (Braised Meatball in Casserole)
Features: There are two cooking methods: stewed in clear broth and braised in soy sauce. The lion’s head stewed in clear broth has tender meat, is fat but not greasy, and melts in the mouth; the lion’s head braised in soy sauce has a bright red color and a rich flavor.
Recommended Restaurant: The lion’s head at Shizilou is quite distinctive. Fresh pork is selected and chopped by hand with exquisite craftsmanship, allowing you to taste the authentic Yangzhou flavor.
Boiled Shredded Dry Bean Curd
Features: Cut the dried bean curd into fine shreds and cook it with chicken broth with ingredients such as shrimps, shredded chicken, and ham. The shredded dry bean curd is soft and the soup is rich and mellow.
Recommended Restaurant: The boiled shredded dry bean curd at Yechun Teahouse is worth trying. Its soup base is delicious, the shredded dry bean curd has a delicate texture, and all the ingredients are well-matched.
Itinerary Planning
One-Day Tour
Morning: Visit Slender West Lake and enjoy the lake and mountain scenery and garden scenery.
Noon: Have a meal at a restaurant near Slender West Lake and taste Yangzhou delicacies such as Yangzhou fried rice and lion’s head.
Afternoon: Go to Ge Garden or He Garden and visit the garden architecture to experience the unique charm of Yangzhou gardens.
Evening: Stroll around Dongguan Street and taste various special snacks and buy some Yangzhou souvenirs.
Two-Day Tour
First Day
Morning: First go to Daming Temple, visit the temple and climb the Qiling Pagoda.
Noon: Have a meal at a restaurant near Daming Temple and try dishes such as boiled shredded dry bean curd.
Afternoon: Visit Ge Garden and admire the four-season rockeries.
Evening: Go to Dongguan Ancient Ferry, enjoy the night view of the canal, and have a meal at a nearby restaurant to taste Yangzhou special delicacies.
Second Day
Morning: Visit He Garden and experience the subtlety of the corridor with double paths.
Noon: Have a meal at a restaurant near He Garden and you can choose Fuchun morning tea, etc.
Afternoon: Walk slowly along Dongguan Street to deeply experience the old street atmosphere of Yangzhou and buy specialties, etc.
Transportation Guide
External Transportation
Airplane: You can first arrive at Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport and then take the airport shuttle bus to the urban area of Yangzhou.
Train: Yangzhou has Yangzhou Station and Yangzhou East Station. You can choose the appropriate station according to your itinerary. After getting off the train, you can take a bus, taxi, etc. to your destination.
Internal Transportation
Bus: The bus routes in Yangzhou are relatively developed, and most of the scenic spots can be reached by bus. You can get the Yangzhou bus card ride code on Alipay or WeChat.
Taxi/Online Car-Hailing: It is also convenient to travel, but it may take some time to wait during the peak tourist season.
Accommodation Suggestions
Near Slender West Lake
Advantages: It is convenient to visit Slender West Lake. The surrounding scenery is beautiful and the environment is pleasant.
Recommended Hotel: Yangzhou Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort, where you can enjoy a comfortable accommodation environment and also experience the hot spring.
Near Dongguan Street
Advantages: There are many delicious foods around. In the evening, you can stroll around Dongguan Street and feel the lively atmosphere of the old street.
Recommended Hotel: Changle Inn. The inn itself is a classical garden-style building full of Yangzhou characteristics.
