Yangzhou

About Yangzhou

Yangzhou is the 'City of Gardens'—a UNESCO World Heritage site where classical Chinese gardens meet Grand Canal history, where Tang-dynasty poetry comes alive in willow-lined streets, and where every meal is a celebration of Huaiyang cuisine. This is where China's cultural elite once gathered: Marco Polo served as governor here, Tang-dynasty poets wrote verses about its beauty, and Qing-dynasty merchants built gardens that rivaled Suzhou's. Founded over 2,500 years ago as a strategic canal city, Yangzhou became the wealthiest city in the world during the Tang dynasty, when it was the eastern terminus of the Maritime Silk Road. Today, it's a city of 4.5 million people who preserve traditions with pride: morning tea ceremonies in historic teahouses, afternoon strolls through gardens that inspired poetry, and evening feasts of the most refined cuisine in China. The rhythm is elegant and unhurried—a city that moves to the pace of traditional culture, where every corner reveals another layer of history, and where the art of living well has been perfected over centuries. Local food is the crown jewel of Huaiyang cuisine—China's most refined regional cooking: delicate steamed dumplings with translucent skins, slow-braised pork belly that melts on the tongue, and clear soups that capture the essence of seasonal ingredients. Yangzhou's charm lies in its perfect balance of grandeur and intimacy—a city where imperial gardens sit beside neighborhood teahouses, where ancient poetry is still recited in modern cafes, and where every visit feels like stepping into a living museum of Chinese culture.