Eyes on China – A China Travel Blog

Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China. Located in the Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has always been one of China’s most important cities.Nanjing is the capital city of Jiangsu Province in China, and a city with outstanding position in Chinese history and culture. Apart from having been the capital of China for six dynasties and of the Republic of China, Nanjing has also served as a national hub of education, research, transportation and tourism throughout history.

Main Tourist Attractions in Nanjing:

Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum
The scenic area of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum is the tomb of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner of democratic revolution of China. On June 1, 1929, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s coffin was moved from Beijing to be buried here. Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain. Lying on the mountain, it faces the plain with the verdant mountain at its back, enjoying a regular layout and a spectacular appeal. The archway and the top of the sacrificial hall are all covered with glazed blue tiles, appearing magnificent, spectacular, tranquil and solemn.

Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty
The Ming Tomb, situated at Dulongfu of Wanzhu Peak at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain, the burial place for Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, and his wife Ma Liangliang. It was built in 1381 with a spectacular scale. According to “Records of Jiangnin prefecture under the reign of Kangxi in the Qing dynasty”, the red wall of the Ming Tomb is 22.5 kilometers in circumference. It is one of the largest imperial tombs existing in China so far.

Linggu Temple
As an ancient temple of the southern dynasty, it was built in 515 AD. The temple was moved here when Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming dynasty built the Ming Tomb. Part of the skull of master monk Xuanzhuang is preserved in the Memorial Hall of Master Monk Xuanzhuang.

Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall is for compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Forces of Aggression on December 13, 1937. It is located in the southwestern corner of Nanjing known as Jiangdongmen. It is located near a site where thousands of bodies were buried. Now many people from both home and abroad come here just to tell the world how important the love and peace are.

Remains of the Nanjing Ming City Wall
The City Wall of Nanjing was designed by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368-1398) after he founded the Ming Dynasty and established Nanjing as the capital 600 years ago. To consolidate his sovereignty and keep out invaders, he adopted the suggestions of advisor Zhu Sheng to build a higher city wall, to collect grains and to postpone the coronation. Then, he started to build the city wall. It took 21 years for the project, which involved 200,000 laborers to move 7 million cubic meters of earth.

1. Trekking in Mt.Huangshan
There are two sightseeing choices of Yellow Mountain tour.

The majority of overseas tourists usually make their tour on the rear part of the top, that is to say they get onto the top from eastern side and their hiking is extended around the concentrated scenic highlights, such as Bright Top, Lion Peak, and Begin-believe Peak.
The tourists covering this part are satisfied with easy-reached scenic spots and gentle walk paths.

But most the domestic tourists and some energetic overseas back-packers prefer trekking from the front part to the rear part of the mountain top. They start from Mercy-light Pavilion either on foot or by cable car, they will challenge the following well-know spots: Celestial Capital Peak, Jade Screen Peak, they will have a rest at Greeting Pine areas. Afterwards they will conquer pass by Lotus Peak and thread through Narrow Passage. Then they can have a big lunch at a flat top before they continue the trekking to the Bright Top. By then they join the two parts together. The greatest benefits of trekking from the front part are that you can conquer the summit and enjoy the different styles of the splendid landscapes: the lofty peaks and narrow passages on the front and vivid-looking rocks on the cliff in the rear part.

According to our 10 years of Mt.Huangshan tour experience, you can try the front—rear tour path if you are not aged and little bit energetic. The only challenge is 4 hour’s trekking on the path, down and up steps by turn all the way. But you will have a worthy reward as you can cover all the major scenic spots on the top.

2. The Consumption Standard on the Mount Huangshan

The consumption level is very high on the mountain. Because everything was carried up to the top by porters working for Huangshan Scenic Area. Things up on the mountain cost almost 5 times as much as they cost down the mountain. For example, a mineral water which is only 1.5 yuan can be 8 yuan on the mountain. So does other things. And the room of 4 star hotel on the mountain is over 1000 yuan per night in the peak season. The better way to save money is bringing water and food with you when you begin your tour. And it can also help you save lots of money if you stay overnight at the feet of the mountain.

3. Best time to go
Anytime especially Spring, Summer and Autumn.
An average annual temperature is 46F. July is the hottest month of the year, when the average temperature is about 77F. January is the coldest month, when the average temperature is about 32F. The temperature declines sharply from the top to the foot of Mt. Huangshan. It decreases by around 33F in July and by 32.7F in January. The annual mean temperature is as low as 46F and its annual rang 69.4F only.
There is an annual precipitation of 2,395 mm and 183 precipitation days and annual frost-free period of 258 days.
The relative humidity culminates in July and August and reaches the lowest point in December and January with discrepancy of 30% between them.
(See more climate and weather of Mt.Huangshan, clickhere)

4. Cable Cars on Mt. Huangshan

A. Yungu (Cloud Valley) Cable Way, also called Cable Way One
Travels between Cloud Valley Temple and White Goose Mountain. The journey lasts 8 minutes. From here you can visit the Begin to Believe Peak, the Monkey Gazing the Sea, the Refreshing Terrace as well as the West Sea Scenic Area, the Cloud Dispersing Pavilion, the Red Cloud Peak, etc.

B. Taiping Cable Way, also called Cable Way Two
Travels between Pine Valley Nunnery and Pine Forest Peak. The journey lasts 12 minutes.

C. Yuping (Jade Screen) Cable Way, also called Cable Way Three
Travels between the Benevolent Light Pavilion and Jade Screen Tower. The journey lasts 8 minutes.

5. Ticket
High season(from 1 Mar to 30 Nov): RMB 230/person; Ropeway to Clouds Valley or Jade Screen: RMB 80/person one way; Insurance: RMB 2/person

Low Season(from 1 Dec to 28/29 Feb): RMB 150/person; Ropeway to Clouds Valley or Jade Screen: RMB 65/person one way; Insurance: RMB 2/person

There is a saying “Above there is heaven, below there are Hangzhou and Suzhou.” Hangzhou, with its surrounding hills, water and numerous beautiful sightseeing places, has been ranked as one of the ten best famous tourist cities in China. It attracts more than 20 million tourists from home and abroad every year.

West Lake
West Lake in Hangzhou is a place you would not want to miss during your Hangzhou tour. Hangzhou’s West Lake Scenic Area, in the southwest of the city, covers 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), of which West Lake itself occupies 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 square miles).
West Lake is man-made and created after the Chinese love for garden style parks for recreation. The occasional pagoda and Chinese-style arched bridge add atmosphere to the tree-lined walkways, verdant islands and hills.
There are The Scenic Spots in West Lake: Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring, Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer, Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn, Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter, Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset, Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds, Orioles Singing in the Willows, Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond, Three Ponds Mirroring the MoonEvening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill.

Lingyin Temple
The Lingyin Temple, west of the lake, Hangzhou, stands at the foot of the Beigao Peak and faces the Feilai (Peak That Flew Here) Peak across a stream. With many old trees, groves of bamboo, and quiet and beautiful surroundings, the Lingyin Temple is one of the most famous temples south of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River.
The Lingyin Temple has received numerous tourists from all over the world. During the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebrations, about 70,000 people per day come to the temple to worship.

Qian Dao Lake
Qian Dao Lake is located in Chun’an County, around 160 kilometers west of Hangzhou. Dotted with 1070 islands, hills, water, and evergreens, the lake is a newly opened scenic area and summer resort in the suburbs of Hangzhou.
Covering an area of 573 square kilometers, the lake is more than one hundred times larger than West Lake in Hangzhou. Forest covers nearly 93 per cent of the lake area, which is home to over 1,800 varieties of plant and 2,100 wild animals. With an average depth of 34 meters, its water visibility can reach 7 to 12 meters. .

Six Harmonies Pagoda
Located on the Yuelun Hill besides Qiantang River, Hangzhou Six Harmonies Pagoda was built by King of Wuyu to ward off Qiantang bore. As high as 59.89 meters, this grand pagoda has 7 sides and 8 stories. Looked down from the top, all Qiantang River beauty is birdviewed.
Now near Six Harnonies Pagoda, a Garden of China Ancient Pagodas with more than 100 pagodas and towers in various dynasties has been constructed to display Chines pagoda culture integratedly.

Wuzhen
Wuzhen Town, in Tongxiang City, about 100km from Hangzhou city, has a history of more than 1,000 years.
On both sides of a slabstone-paved street stand pubs, restaurants, pawnshops, weaving and dyeing establishments, and other businesses, all housed in wooden structures of brown. Rivers and creeks spanned with stone bridges in various designs flow through the town, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passes by. Old waterside houses and outside corridors can be found here and there. This is the ancient town of Wuzhen.

Xitang Town
About 100km from Hangzhou, Xitang is an ancient town with peaceful and beautiful environment. it features flat terrain, crisscrossed rivers, numerous, bridges, lanes and ceilinged corridors.
Ceilinged corridors are the most special scene in xitang construction. these corridors were originally built to make convenience for the residents trading on boats by the side of the rivers. each shop has a ceiling over the stone-slate road in front of its own house, and the ceilings connect with one another to form corridors. the longest ceiling stretches 1,300 meters, like a silk belt winding along the river.
Another feature of xitang is the ancient architecture which was well-preserved from the ming and qing dynasty. there are a total of 122 lanes, long and short, wide and narrow. five of them are longer than 100 meters. among all the lanes, shipi lane is the most famous.

Hangzhou National Tea Museum
Hangzhou National Tea Museum is the only tea museum in China. Surrounded by clusters of tea farms and boasting five exhibition halls , the museum vividly depicts the evolution of Chinese tea over a span of thousands of years and the colorful tea culture.
The exhibition center is divided into six tea-tasting session where visitors can have taste teas of various flavor and taste while enjoying tea making ceremonies . The exquisite and quintessential buildings against the backdrop of gardens alternating with tea farms make the visitors totally immersed in this strong tea culture.

Hangzhou National Silk Museum
Situated at the southern bank of the West Lake, in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, the museum is a showcase for the origination, evolution, variety of silk and the evolution of the Silk Road with its social implications and influences.
China National Silk Museum is the first state-level professional silk museum in China as well as the biggest silk museum throughout the world. The museum owns eight exhibition halls, including: the Preface Hall, Relics Hall, Folk-custom Hall, Dyeing and Weaving Hall and Modern Achievements Hall.

Suzhou is located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake in the province of Jiangsu Province. The city is renowned for its stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction.
Suzhou enjoys great fame internationally for its elegant gardens. It is said that the gardens to the south of Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them. Suzhou attracts many visitors both home and abroad every day.

No. 01: Lion Grove Garden
Lion Grove Garden, which is located at 23 Yuanlin Road Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province of China, is famous for the large and labyrinthine grotto of taihu rock at the garden’s center.
The Lion Grove Garden was built in 1342 CE during the Yuan Dynasty by a Zen Buddhist monk. Since 1954, the Lion Grove Garden has been open to the public. The garden is most famous for its elaborate grotto of Taihu stone. The garden is most famous for its elaborate grotto of Taihu stone. This 1154 m2 grotto contains a maze of 9 paths winding through 21 caves across 3 levels. The pond divides the grotto into east and west sections.

No. 02: Lingering Garden
The Lingering Garden is one of the four classical gardens in Suzhou City which is located outside the Changmen gate of Suzhou. The Lion Grove Garden was built by an official named Xu Taishi in Ming Dynasty.
Covering an area of 23,310 square meters, today the garden is separated into the eastern, central, northern and western parts. The four scenic spots of the Lingering Garden are of different features. They set off each other with certain connection, but distinguish from each other at the same time. The corridor connecting all the scenic spots is 700 meters long in total, winding with the topography and making the scenery endless and changeable. It is really a masterpiece of gardens in China.

No. 03: Humble Administrator’s Garden
Humble Administrator’s Garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which are focused on a central pond with pavilions. At 51,950 m2, it is the largest garden in Suzhou and generally considered the finest garden in southern China.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden was a scholar garden during the Tang dynasty and a monastery garden during the Yuan dynasty. It then changed hands many times. The structures are grouped round a labyrinthine lake, rather like a Chinese water village. The garden consists of Eastern, Central and Western sections as well as some residences of the former owners.

No. 04: Master of the Nets Garden
The Master of the Nets Garden, which is located on Shiquan Street in Suzhou City with a total area of 0.54 hectares, is the smallest garden in Suzhou.
The garden was laid out during the Song Dynasty. The main garden, occupying about four fifth of the total area of the garden, is situated northwest of the residential area with a pond in the center. Comparing with the normal architecture in the east residential area, the garden architecture appears freer and was suitable for reading, painting, viewing, resting, sipping tea and holding small banquets.

No. 05: Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill, which is located at the northwestern suburb of Suzhou, is a popular tourist destination and is known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites.
The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. The Tiger Hill covers about 14,100 square metres and is 36 metres in height. The Tiger Hill includes Tiger Hill Pagoda, Sword Testing Stone and Sword Pool, Lu Yu Well, Verdant Mountain Villa and Wanjing Villa. The hill has been a tourist destination for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as is evident from the poetry and calligraphy carved into rocks on the hill.

No. 06: Hanshan Temple
Hanshan Temple is a Buddhist temple and monastery in Suzhou which is located at the town of Fengqiao ( Maple Bridge), about 5 kilometres west of the old city of Suzhou.
Temple has been famous since the Tang Dynasty. The temple compound is a scene of luxuriant green creating a secluded atmosphere. The buildings in it are in an unadorned and natural style. In the center of the compound stands Mahavira Hall. Behind the hall stretches a wooden corridor, at the end of which stands a small tower with a wall behind and a stream in front.

No. 07: Suzhou Museum
Suzhou Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, ancient Chinese paintings, calligraphies, and hand-made crafts, situated in Suzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China.
The museum has a display area of 2,200 square meters. It has more than 15,000 pieces in its collections. Most are ancient paintings and calligraphy, ceramics, crafts, unearthed relics and revolution relics. Among them 247 pieces are ranked first-class. The collection of paintings and calligraphy includes works of masters from Song Dynasty to Ming and Qing Dynasties.

No. 08: Zhouzhuang Town
Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water-towns in China, is situated in Kunshan City, 30 kilometers southeast of Suzhou. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhouzhuang was a part of the fief Yaocheng, called Zhenfengli. Zhouzhuang got its present name in 1086 during the Northern Song Dynasty.
The town covers an area of 3600 hectares. This building is actually representative of the typical architectural styles of folk waterfront residence in south China. The attractions in Zhouzhuang Town includes: Twin Bridges, Fuan Bridge, Shen House, Zhang House, Milou Tower, Chengxu Temple, etc.

No. 09: Suzhou Silk Museum
Suzhou isn’t only a city of gardens, but also the silk capital of China. Suzhou Silk Museum is located in this famous city.
Suzhou Silk Museum documents the history of silk production and Suzhou embroidery from around 2000 BC. Exhibits include old looms with demonstrations, samples of ancient silk patterns, and an explanation of sericulture. Of major note is a room full of live silk worms, eating mulberry leaves and spinning cocoons.. By December, 2009, the live silkworms had been replaced with models.

No. 10: Tianping Mountain
Tianping Mountain, also called Baiyun Mountain, is located in the west of Lingyan Mountain in Suzhou Tianping Mountain is a popular attraction in Suzhou.
This mountain is of a height of 201 meters and covers about 100 hectares. It is a mountain with a charming natural beauty. In the mountain, spectacular rocks which look like parrots, dragons, camels or other animals stand everywhere. From the peak of this mountain, visitors would have a panoramic view of the fields, woods, nearby mountains and even the Taihu Lake in Suzhou.

Just 130 kilometers west of shanghai, Wuxi is located on one of the most fertile pieces of land between the Yangtze River and the Taihu Lake. Known in ancient times as a Town of Fish and Rice, Wuxi boasts abundant aquatic and agricultural resources and is dubbed Minor Shanghai for its affluent lifestyles. With outstanding natural beauty and a history of 3,000 years, Wuxi is one of the top ten tourism cities in China, attracting millions of visitors from home and abroad each year.

One of its most popular attractions, the Lihu Lake, is where the city’s biggest ecological park is located. The lake got its name after the ancient scholar Fan Li, who lived some 2,500 years ago, and his girlfriend, Xishi, known as one of the top four beauties in Chinese history.

The park features dozens of scenic spots, both natural and manmade, that are open to tourists free of charge.

With European architecture, the restaurants on the street provide a rich variety of different styles of foods and stacks from China and around the world. In addition to the most famous cuisines of China, customers can also find barbecue, hot pot, and ethnic minority Tujia cuisine, to name just a few. With good quality and low prices, the food here attracts visitors from home and abroad. It’s also the choice of local people who dine here when they don’t like to cook at home.

Another food street is Beitang, located right on the Grand Canal, an ancient man-made waterway linking the northern and southern parts of the country.

Characterized by local Wuxi specialties, the 700-meter-long street features 120 food stalls providing bean curd jelly, hot and sour soup and Brazilian barbecue, among others. Customers can come to eat anytime between 7 in the morning and 2 at night while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Grand Canal, one of the wonders of ancient China.

If you would like to go shopping, you may go downtown to Zhongshan Street, one of the busiest shopping areas. The stores are open till midnight every day and customers can find all the world-famous chain stores and brands.

You can also go to Taihu Square, also known to locals as People’s Square. Decorated with neon lights, the square looks especially charming at night when filled with people of different ages roller-skating, chatting, singing and dancing in the cool breeze.

Other places you can go at night include a couple of ancient temples and the bar street, a favorite place for locals and Westerners.

Supported by the local government, the tourism department of Wuxi is striving to develop its cultural tourism and plans to open more tourism programs at night to attract more visitors, especially during the 2010 Shanghai Expo which starts in May.

With European architecture, the restaurants on the street provide a rich variety of different styles of foods and stacks from China and around the world. In addition to the most famous cuisines of China, customers can also find barbecue, hot pot, and ethnic minority Tujia cuisine, to name just a few. With good quality and low prices, the food here attracts visitors from home and abroad. It’s also the choice of local people who dine here when they don’t like to cook at home.

Another food street is Beitang, located right on the Grand Canal, an ancient man-made waterway linking the northern and southern parts of the country.

Characterized by local Wuxi specialties, the 700-meter-long street features 120 food stalls providing bean curd jelly, hot and sour soup and Brazilian barbecue, among others. Customers can come to eat anytime between 7 in the morning and 2 at night while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Grand Canal, one of the wonders of ancient China.

If you would like to go shopping, you may go downtown to Zhongshan Street, one of the busiest shopping areas. The stores are open till midnight every day and customers can find all the world-famous chain stores and brands.

You can also go to Taihu Square, also known to locals as People’s Square. Decorated with neon lights, the square looks especially charming at night when filled with people of different ages roller-skating, chatting, singing and dancing in the cool breeze.

Other places you can go at night include a couple of ancient temples and the bar street, a favorite place for locals and Westerners.

Supported by the local government, the tourism department of Wuxi is striving to develop its cultural tourism and plans to open more tourism programs at night to attract more visitors, especially during the 2010 Shanghai Expo which starts in May.

There are lots of fun things to do in Xian with kids. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

Your teenagers will love biking around the city walls-especially on a tandem bike! Your children will enjoy seeing the famous terracotta warriors! Your babies and toddlers will have a great time seeing the water fountain light up and dance to the music.

Shopping – It’s fun to visit a terra cotta warriors factory to watch artisans making replicas (large and small). Also, check out the silk embroidery factories – try the Phoenix Embroidery Factory on Dong Er Road, Silk Embroidery Factory on Dongxing St., or ask at your hotel.

Xian Qinling Zoological Park–Qinling Zoological Park is the first park of its kind to be established in the northwest region in China. It is 28 kilometers south of the downtown area of Xian City, Shaanxi Province.
The zoological park has more than 300 species of animal, with many different types of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Strolling into the park, the first thing that catches your eyes is a group of wooden sculptures facing the gate. The animals’ exhibition area is divided into two parts: the walking area and car-riding area.

As the weather cools and the padded jackets are dusted down for the incoming winter winds, there’s only one thing on our minds: hairy crabs. More precisely, hairy crabs in vending machines. Famous for their oil and roe, everyone is looking for a taste of these rich flavours and it appears that Nanjing is pushing the boundaries of tradition by setting up their own hairy crab vending machines.

The crabs, available in varying sizes, are kept at a temperature of 5-10 degrees Celsius, just cold enough to keep the crabs in a state of hibernation. From 10-50 yuan, you too can celebrate hairy crab season with great convenience. The idea was developed by a company from Gaochun County that believes without the fees needed for staff, crab prices can be made more affordable.Not enough flavour? Never fear, vinegar is here (and located in small bottles at the bottom of the vending machine).

If you’re feeling lucky, try out the machine and see if you can get a dead crab, meaning you’ll get another three for free! That’s way better than just going to one of the city’s many wet markets and only getting guaranteed live ones, right? Right?

Yangzhou Tourism:
The ancestors of people in Yangzhou created a splendid culture and left behind them a large number of historical relics and sites, making it a well?known tourist city in China. Among the many scenic and historic attractions for visitors to Yangzhou, perhaps the most notable are the local section of the Grand Canal, the many lovely gardens, and the buildings associated with the monk Jian Zhen.

Shopping:
A wide selection of Yangzhou’s famed handicrafts can be found at the Friendship Store on Yanfu Road and at the People’s Market on Dong-fanghong Road. Reproductions of ancient Chinese classics, such as The Romance of the West Chamber and The Peach Blossom Fan, printed and handsewn in the traditional method, are available from the Yangzhou Guangling Ancient Books Block Printing Cooperative.

Cuisine:
This is the home of Yangzhou Fried Rice, which can be ordered in almost any Chinese restaurant around the world. Another local specialty is 1000-layer Oily Cake.

Yangzhou Culture:
During a period of prosperity and Imperial favour, the arts of storytelling and painting flourished in Yangzhou. A group of painters from that time, who came to be called the Eight Eccentrics, are still famous in China.
Folklore
There is a commonly reported legend that Yangzhou produces the most beautiful women in China, and that emperors would seek their brides from Yangzhou (but the same legend is often told about Hangzhou, Zhejiang province).

Yangzhou Attractive points:
Fajing Temple (Fajing Si)
Located on Shugang Hill, in the city’s northwest, is Fajing Temple, formerly known as Daming Temple. The original temple was built by jian Zhen some 1,500 years ago. In the latter years of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127?1279), a nine?storey pagoda, the Qilingta, was built on the temple grounds. A recent addition to the tempie complex is the jian Zhen Memorial Hall, built according to Tang Dynasty methods and financed with contributions raised by Buddhist groups in japan.
When Qing,.qmperor Qian Long visited Yangzhou in 1765, he was troubled by The temple’s name?Daming (which literally means “Great Ming’% fearing that it might revive nostalgia for the Ming Dynasty, which was overthrown by his Manchu predecessors. He had it renamed Fajing Temple.
The temple was seriously damaged during the Taiping Rebellion at the beginning of the 20th century. The present structure is a reconstruc-tion dating from the 1930s.
Flat Hills (Ping Shan) Hall
Built by the Song Dynasty writer Ouyang Xiu when he served as prefect of the city, this hall stands just west of Faji,g Temple. Looking out from this hall, the mountains to the south of the Yangtsc River appear as a line at the viewer’s eye level?hence the riame Fiat Hills Hall. When Ouyang Xiu’s student Su Dongpo moved to Yangzhou, he too served as prefect of the city. He had a hall built directly behind the one erected by his master, and called it Guling Hall.
Pavilion of Flourishing Culture (Wenchangge)
This round, three?ticred pavilion in Yangzhou’s castern sector was built in 1585 and celebrates the city’s rich cultural traditions.
Stone Pagoda (Shita)
Standing west of the Pavilion of Flourishing Culture is a five?storey Tang Dynasty pagoda. Built in 837 AD, it is the oldest pagoda still standing in Yangzhou.
Siender West Lake (Shouxi Hu)
Named after Hangzhou’s famous West Lake, this long, narrow stretch of water which meanders through Yangzhou’s western limits is a well?known scenic spot. A long dyke planted with weeping willows spans the lake; at its midpoint stands a square terrace with pavilions at each of the corners and one in the center. Around the lake is a park in which are found several attractions: Lotus Flower Pagoda (Lianhua SO, a white structure reminiscent of the White Pagoda (Baita) in Beijing’s Beihai Park; Small Gold Mountain (Xiao Jin Shan); and the Fishing Platform (Diaoyutai), a favorite retreat of the Qing emperor Qian Long. The emperor was so gratified by his luck in fishing at this spot that he ordered additional stipends for the town. As it turns out, his success had been augmented by local swimners who lurked in the recds busily attaching fish to his hook.
Tomb of Bulhading
The tomb is in the eastern sector of the city and is adiacent to a mosque which houses a collection of valuable materials documenting China’s relations with Muslim countries.
Ge Garden (Ge Yuan)
The entrance to this typical southern?style garden with its luxuriant bamboo groves, ponds, and rock grottoes is on
Dongguan St. in the city’s northeast section. Designed by the great Qing Dynasty landscape painter Shi Tao for Wang Yingtai, an officer of the Qing
imperial court, this garden takes its name from the shape of bamboo leaves which resemble the Chinese character ge, meaning “each” or “every.”
He Garden (He Yuan)
Built by He Zhidiao, a 19th?century Chinese envoy to France, this garden is famous for a 430?m. (1,377?ft.) two?storcyed winding corridor, the walls of which are lined with stone tablets carved with lines of ciassical poetry, In the garden is also an open?air theater set on an isiand in the middle of a fish pond.
Yechun Garden (Yechun Yuan)
In this garden, which lies on the banks of the Xiading River at the city’s northern limits, the Qing Dynasty poet Wang Yuyang and a circle of friends used to gather to recite their works. The thatched roofs of the pavilions in this garden give it a quaint, rustic air.
Yangzhou Museum
In the same arca is the Yangzhou Museurn, which houses about 100 paintings and calligraphy scrolIs by the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and a research institute for the study of their work.
Jiangdu Water Control Project
Construction of this multiple-purpose water control project?the biggest in China?start¨¨d in 1961 and was completed in 1975. The project includes facilities for irrigation, drainage, navigation, and power generation. It consists of four large modern electric pumping stations, six medium?sized check gates, thrce navigation locks, and two trunk waterways.

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