Reasons why you should visit Yangzhou

It's not the first city that comes up in your search results when you type in Jiangsu, but the city of Yangzhou certainly packs a punch as a tourist destination. It features both the ambiance of the popular destination of Hangzhou and gardens in the style of the equally popular city of Suzhou.

From the delightfully poetic water gardens to tantalizing tasty local food there is plenty to see and do in the city that sits at the oldest section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It has a rich 2500-year history and an abundance of travel destinations.

Here are five reasons why you should visit Yangzhou:

Poetic Slender West Lake

Originating from water gardens built by rich salt merchants along Baoyang Lake, Slender West Lake got its name from the poem of a Hangzhou poet, Wang Hang. The poem, from the Qing Dynasty (1368-1644), depicted the area for its differing sense of beauty in comparison to Hangzhou’s West Lake in Zhejiang province. Slender West Lake is dotted with Suzhou-style gardens and amazes visitors with its graceful beauty of nature and architecture.

The hauntingly beautiful landscape at Slender West Lake in Yangzhou [Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Delicious Huaiyang cuisine dishes

Yangzhou is the cradle of Huaiyang Cuisine, one of China's four major cuisines. Huaiyang cuisine dishes have an appealing color, aroma and taste. When talking about Huaiyang cuisine, one will never forget about Yangzhou Fried Rice. This is a delicately prepared bowl of fried rice and is common in almost each household in Yangzhou. Visitors to the city can enjoy a bite of artfully prepared, colorful local dishes at the Yechun Tea House.

Charming folk culture

Historically one of the wealthiest cities in China, Yangzhou is a prosperous region and is rich in culture. It is home to a variety of folk arts listed as national intangible cultural heritages, such as its flat engraving typography, Yangzhou opera, Yangzhou Tanci (storytelling to the accompaniment of stringed instruments in the Yangzhou dialect), paper cutting, lacquer wares and jade wares.

Historic temple

First built during the Daming reign (457-464) of the Southern Dynasty (420-589), Daming Temple is a cultural treasure of the nation for its religious buildings, cultural relics and beautiful gardens. A famous Tang-dynasty monk named Jianzhen (688-763) set up the Toshodaiji Temple in Nara, Japan in 759, and was the abbot of Daming Temple before that. The temple has a Jianzhen Monk Memorial Hall in memory of his contributions to China-Japan relations.

Ancient lanes

With winding lanes stretching 1,122 meters, Dongguan Street acts as a window into ancient China’s past. Its well-preserved buildings, featured shops and traditional restaurants make it an historic arcade of arts, crafts and local snacks. Located at the east of the Grand Canal, which runs through the city, Dongguan Street was once the busiest street in Yangzhou.