Yangzhou

Understand

The city has a history of over 2,500 years and developed as a major trading center for salt, rice and silk. Marco Polo served as the city's governor (or possibly a Salt Official for the government, or he just stayed there for that period of time) for three years in the late 13th century. Yangzhou has a population exceeding 1,000,000. Built on flat land a few miles north of the Yangtze River, Yangzhou is criss-crossed by a network of canals of all size, from the Grand Canal of China (which, actually, has two routes - the old, next to the city center, and the modern, a few miles to the east) to small neighborhood canals. Several walled cities existed here over the two millennia, but even the last (Ming Dynasty) wall has been demolished long ago. Still, the contours of the Ming city wall are traced by the canals surrounding the two kilometer square in Yangzhou's city center. New neighborhoods have grown for about 5 km or more in all directions outside of the former walled city. Yangzhou is the birthplace of former Chinese politician and CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin, the leader of the third Chinese generation.

Neighborhoods

Most of Yangzhou is built on a rectangular grid street plan. The main east–west artery is Wenchang Rd, divided into the West, Central, and East sections (文昌西路 Wenchang Xi Lu,文昌中路 Wenchang Zhong Lu, 文昌东路 Wenchang Dong Lu). The main north–south street within the old city center in Wenhe Road, with the North and South sections (汶河北路 Wenhe Bei Lu, 汶河南路 Wenhe Nan Lu) divided by Wenchang Road. The Wenchang Pavilion (文昌阁 Wenchang Ge), one of the city's few surviving historic buildings, stands in the traffic circle at the crossing of Wenchang and Wenhe Roads, which is often viewed as the city's symbolic center point. Many of the city's upscale shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues are found within a few blocks of this circle. Several square miles northwest of the city center, with a maze of narrow ("slender") lakes and rivers, is occupied by a number of green areas, with various architectural and historical monuments scattered among them. Some sections of this area (notable, the Slender West Lake Scenic Area) require a fairly steep admission charge; others, such as the Songjiacheng Sports and Recreation Park (宋夹城体育闲公园) are free to enter, but gated (so that opening hours could be observed, entrance with bicycles or dogs can be prohibited, etc.); yet others are open to everyone at all times. The surroundings of this park area have been undergoing extensive "urban renewal"; a brand-new (as of 2017) Rainbow Bridge

Getting there

By plane 1 Yangzhou Taizhou Airport (YTY IATA) (Halfway between Yangzhou and the nearby Taizhou, about 40 km east of Yangzhou's city center (50-min drive or 75-min airport express bus ride)). As of summer 2025, its destinations are mainly domestic within China, with international direct flights to Japan (Osaka Kansai) and South Korea (Seoul Incheon). (updated Feb 2017) The closest major airport is Nanjing Lukou, 60 km southwest of the city, which has express buses to and from the Yangzhou City Terminal in downtown Yangzhou. To reach this airport, passengers may also take a train from Yangzhou (Yangzhoudong Station or Yangzhou Station) to Nanjing (Nanjingnan Station or Nanjing Station) and transfer to Nanjing Metro or airport express buses. You can also fly into Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and take a train from the nearby Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Yangzhoudong Station, which typically takes less than 2 hours. For international arrivals at Pudong Airport, passengers may transfer to the railway at Shanghai Hongqiao Station (near Hongqiao Airport) or Shanghai Station (near the city center) via metro, Airport Link, airport express bus, or rideshare/taxi.

By train Built in 2003, the 2 Yangzhou Railway Station is located at the far west end of the city; 7 km from the city center (Wenchang Pavilion) and 2 km from the west malls and the city museum, serving high-speed (C- and D-Series) and conventional (Z-, T-, and K-Series) trains. As of Summer 2025, it has frequent high-speed service via the Nanjing–Qidong railway to Nanjing, Shanghai, and several other domestic destinations. Conventional train destinations include Beijing, Xi'an, Urumqi, and Kunming. Departures and ticket counters are on the upper level, and arrivals are on the lower level. Inbound buses and taxis board outside of the railway arrival gate or on the ground level of the nearby bus terminal (access through the skywalk). Opened in late 2020, the 3 Yangzhoudong (Yangzhou East) Railway Station offers high-speed train services exclusively and is now the city's main transportation hub. It is located at the far east end of the city; 7 km from the city center (Wenchang Pavilion) and 3 km from the city's Civic Center. As of Summer 2025, it has frequent high-speed service via the Lianyungang-Zhenjiang railway to major cities within Jiangsu and China, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Xuzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Xi'an, and many other destinations. Despite its proximity to the Yangzhoudong Station, Jiangdu District (Yangzhou's eastern suburb) has its own 4 Jiangdu Railway Station, on the same line as

Getting around

City buses are reliable and cheap (typically ¥2 per ride), but the service of many routes ends at around 18:00-19:00, with several key routes operating until around 22:00 or the last train arrivals. Bus stops are well marked; bus schedules (in Chinese), with the list of stops along the route, are posted at bus stops. The key east-west routes Z6, K1, and 88, along the city's central axis, Wenchang Rd, connect the two main railway stations in the city. The key "tourism" routes 游1/2/3 run through major tourist spots in town. Information on all the bus routes is available in major Chinese navigation apps (e.g., Amap and Baidu Maps). Rideshare and taxi services are widely available. Pedicabs are also abundant in the old town (tourist area) for a leisure ride through the narrow alleys. Bicycling around Yangzhou is fairly pleasant, as major streets usually have protected bicycle lanes with usually low traffic outside of the city center. Like in many other Chinese cities, cheap shared bicycles are ubiquitous in the urban area of Yangzhou. However, please be alert to the mopeds that often disregard traffic laws.

See

Daming Temple (大明寺; Dà​míng​sì; Lit. Temple of Abundant Light​). 08:00-16:45. Rebuilt after being destroyed in the Taiping Rebellion, this temple originally dated from the 5th century AD. There is a spring next to the tea house. Hanlinyuan Museum. 08:30-17:00. A magnificent tomb for Liu Xu, ruler of the Guangling Kingdom. It is five stories deep, with different levels housing things like a warehouse, living quarters, and a coffin on wheels. 1 Slender West Lake (瘦西湖 Shouxihu). Very slim lake winding through the park area just northwest of the city center. Several pavilions dot the park around the lake that was designed to mimic the west lake in Hangzhou. ¥120.

2 Tianning Temple (扬州天宁寺; Yáng​zhōu​ Tiānníngsì​), 丰乐上街3号 (facing the canal, just west of Shi Kefa Memorial Hall (between Beimenwai St and Shi Kefa St)). Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. A large Buddhist temple, with multiple buildings (halls) arranged along the south-to-north axis, and landscaped courtyards between them. One of the halls stores a copy of Siku Quanshu, a Qing-era collection of all of China's important literature. Another hall has an exhibit on the history of Buddhism in Yangzhou, with information on other temples that can be visited. Elsewhere in the temple, you can find art or calligraphy exhibits and numerous antique shops. The front courtyard has statues of the "Eight Eccentrics" of Yangzhou, a Qing-era bixi (stele-bearing dragon turtle) who has lost its stele, and a large rusty bell with a pulao dragon on top. The temple is labeled on some maps as 中国扬州佛教文化博物馆 (China Yangzhou Buddhist Culture Museum). Free. (updated Feb 2017) 3 Yangzhou Museum (扬州博物馆; Yáng​zhōu​ Bó​wù​guǎn​). 08:30-11:00, 13:00-17:00. The Yangzhou Museum has splendid displays of things like a boat salvaged from the Grand Canal that crosses through eastern China. The museum used to be housed in Tianning Temple downtown (see above), but now it is on the west side, in a new purpose-built building, known as the "Double Museum" (Shuang Bowuguan). It is "double" because the other tenant in the building is a museum of traditional Chinese book printing. free. 4 Shi Kefa Memorial (史可法纪念馆 Shǐ Kěfǎ Jìniànguǎn), 广储门外街24号. The memorial/temple honors a Ming general who refused to surrender the city to the Qing invaders in 1645. Ge Yuan 个园 A lovely garden with sections representing the four seasons and with pavilions, open 07:30-17:00 daily, discount with student ID. He Yuan 何园 This true scholar's garden is cleverly arranged garden with several tea houses, open grottoes, and pleasant view. One of the best gardens in Jiangsu Province.

Do

Stroll along the Xiaoqinhuaihe Canal (小秦淮河) that crosses the city's historical center, and the narrow lanes of the (few) surviving blocks of the old city nearby. Go for some exercise in Songjiacheng Sports and Recreation Park (entry free; some sports facilities may require fees. Open 17:30-21:30). It's on an island east of the Slender West Lake Scenic Area. The park has an interesting past: farmers' fields and a few small villages were converted to a Wetlands Nature Park in 2005, then to Songjiacheng Archaeological Park around 2009, and finally to a sports park in 2015. Boardwalks through the marshes surrounding the island have been inherited from its Wetlands Park incarnation, while the four gate towers, from the Archaeological Park period. The rest of the landscaping apparently comes from the 2015 remodeling. One can enter the park from the Changchun Rd (via its southern or western gates), or from Shouxihu Rd (via the eastern gate). Bicycles are not allowed in the park, except for those rented in the park itself (at the rental station outside of the western gate); those can be used on the 3,200 m long bicycle trail around the park's perimeter. On a summer day, walk on a boardwalk trail to Baozhang Lake (保障湖) a popular locals' swimming place, about 2 km north of downtown. The trail starts outside of the southern gate of Songjiacheng, and runs east and north outside of the park's borders (within a narrow strip of greenery that's separated from the Songjiacheng park by the lakes' water).

Buy

For goods and necessities, there are 2 RT-Mart(s) (大润发 da run fa) one on Hanjiang Road and the other on Wenchang Middle Road; several bus lines run there from downtown and from the local colleges. As far as Western products go, RT-Mart, Tesco (Hanjiang Rd, north of the old bus station) or Auchan (Jiangyang Rd, east of the old bus station), are good. One major local industry is ceramics and teaware; a few big ceramics factories and showcases can be visited here. Not a shopping mecca, however, there are a number of department stores in the city centre. Here you can find the Golden Eagle Shopping Centre (in the city's main square, facing the Wenchang Pavilion), Times Extra Mall and the Times Square Mall. If you feel the need for a more Western-style shopping experience, the Living Mall, in the new development zone, was completed in 2008 and is easily reached by taxi. Big name foreign and domestic designer brands, western style restaurants, K-TV bars and a cinema can be found here.

Clothes, footwear

A popular area for the locals to shop for clothes and footwear is Ganquan Road (甘泉路), a major east–west street in the southern part of the historic central city. Over a mile of shops of various kind, from bargain-basement to boutique level. The north-south Guoqing Rd, which crosses Ganquan east of the city center, is full of such shops as well.

Books and maps The six-storey Xinhua Bookstore is located in South Wenhe Rd (Wenhe Nan Lu) just a block south of the city's main square, where the Wenchang Pavilion stands. Maps, and local interest books are on the first floor; for the city map, ask at the cash register. The store's usual business hours are 09:00 to 21:00; shorter hours on holidays.

Cell phones, SIM cards, electronics Many cell phone and electronics stores are located in Siwangting Street, within several blocks to the west of the Siwangting Pavilion. Another large center for electronics and computer equipment is found in Wenchang St, about 1.6 km east of the Wenchang Pavilion: the Yinhe Electronics Center (银河电子城 Yinhe Dianzi Cheng) on the south side of the street, and Hongtu Sanbao Lou (宏图三胞楼) opposite to it (on the north side of the street). The 7-story Hongtu Sanbao Lou building also houses repair/service centers for various electronics and computer brands; entry from the back of the building. While small cell phone shops everywhere sell SIM cards, since the late 2017 most shops require a Chinese resident ID card (of a citizen or permanent resident) to buy a SIM card. If you're a foreign visitor, and your only ID is a passport, you need to go

Eat

The big-name local dish is Yangzhou fried rice 扬州炒饭, filled with fried egg, muer mushroom 木耳, ham, shrimp, scallions, peas, and carrots. It's representative of the Huaiyang cuisine. Other famous dishes include the Lion's Head 狮子头, which is a giant meatball made with pork and crab. Also suggested is; semisweet Thousand-layer cake 千层糕, steamed dumpling 蒸饺, amazing tofu noodles often like chicken soup 大煮干丝, delicious soup fill dumplings 小笼汤包, and stinky tofu 臭豆腐. For breakfast you'll be sure to find steamed filled buns (baozi)包子, steamed buns (mantou)馒头, rice porridge (zhou)粥, boiled eggs (zhujidan)煮鸡蛋. If these choices look unappealing to you—or if they look appealing, but you just don't eat that stuff—try Damingsi Vegetarian Restaurant 大明寺素菜馆, 1802 Wenhui Road East. It's affiliated with the temple, and serves vegetable-matter simulacra of the local favorites for very reasonable prices.

Drink & nightlife

The most popular beer is from Shenyang, called Snow 雪花啤酒, and costs around ¥3 for a large bottle. But should you want something with a stronger beer-flavor, the L-Mart at the Living Mall has Kirin Japanese beer, brewed in Taiwan, ¥5 a can. The Living Mall 京华城 also boasts a Starbucks 辛巴克, semi-conveniently placed between the train station and the RT-Mart.

Sleep

Unlike most Chinese cities, Yangzhou has little lodging available in the train station area, although a Hanting Hotel has opened in the new bus station building (next to the train station). Although some hotels are found in major streets all over the city, they are mostly concentrated in two areas: around downtown, and within a few blocks of the old main bus station (Jiangyang Rd and Hanjiang Rd, a few km to the southwest of downtown). The demolition of the old bus station has not affected the hotels too much, since Jiangyang Rd is still the natural route for entering the city by car. As of 2017, room rates start from around ¥100 in both areas. As elsewhere in China, some smaller hotels are closed for a few days around the Chinese New Year, while others raise their price around this and other holidays, when crowds of tourists from all over the country descend on the Slender West Lake area.

Go next

See the nearby city of Nanjing Visit the stunning Huangshan mountain area The city of Suzhou Gaoyou