CITY · JIANGSU
Yangzhou
扬州 · Yángzhōu
Overview
Grand Canal city in central Jiangsu. The Slender West Lake, classical gardens, and Yangzhou's signature breakfast tea-and-dumplings tradition.
Yangzhou was, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the second-largest city in China after Chang'an, on the strength of its Grand Canal position. The Slender West Lake (Shouxihu) is a long Tang-era classical-landscape lake on the city's edge. The city's morning tea (zaocha) tradition pairs delicate steamed buns and three-set dumplings (san ding bao) with green tea and is one of the few surviving regional breakfast cultures with that level of refinement.
What to see
- Slender West Lake
- Daming Temple (Tang-dynasty)
- He Garden
- Ge Garden
- Old Street pedestrian district
What to eat
- Yangzhou-style fried rice (the original)
- Three-set dumplings (san ding bao)
- Lion's head meatballs
Getting there
Yangzhou Taizhou (YTY) airport. Yangzhou HSR: Nanjing 50 min, Shanghai 2h 30m.
Getting around
Walking and bicycle around Slender West Lake.
Where to stay
Around the Slender West Lake or Wenchang Pavilion area.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
March–May, October–November.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥220 |
| Mid-range | ¥500 |
| Comfortable | ¥1200 |
Itineraries visiting Yangzhou
Food of Eastern China
- Beggar's Chicken叫花鸡
A whole chicken stuffed with aromatics, wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then slow-baked until the meat steams in its own juices.
- Beggar's Chicken — Jiaohuaji叫花鸡 (江苏式)
A Jiangsu-province variation of clay-baked chicken with a lotus-leaf wrap and a mushroom and pork stuffing.
- Dragon Well Tea龙井茶
China's most celebrated green tea — pan-fired flat leaves from Hangzhou's West Lake district with a sweet, chestnut flavour.
- Drunken Chicken醉鸡
Chicken steamed and marinated in Shaoxing rice wine, served chilled. A Shanghai banquet starter.
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