Gaoyou rural tourism earns national recognition

A tour route in Gaoyou, a county-level city in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, was listed as a national boutique rural tourism route, according to an announcement released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Jan 16. 

The list consisted of 128 rural tourism routes in the country. 

The route, which features places including Qingzhen village, Wang Zengqi Memorial House, Yucheng Postal Stop, and Qingshuitan Tourism Resort, is an ideal one to experience the local folk culture, take in the idyllic landscapes, and enjoy local delicacies. 

The route starts from Lingtang township's Qingzhen village, a national key village for rural tourism that is home to a 700-year-old mosque. 

After this village is Wang Zengqi Memorial House, where visitors can learn more about Wang's life and his literary achievements.

Wang was a prestigious writer who is best known for his work The Love Story of a Young Monk.  

The third stop, Yucheng Postal Stop, was the largest ancient post station along the Grand Canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). It is also the most well-preserved ancient postal building in China and was listed as a world heritage in 2014. 

The route then continues to Nanmen Dajie and Qingshuitan Tourism Resort before ending at Linze resort village. 

Visitors can savor local delicacies like double-yellow salted duck eggs, crabs, and Gaoyou wontons when traveling on the route. 

The best time to go on the tour is from November to March.