Yangzhou Slender West Lake and Old Town

Yangzhou is a Grand Canal city in Jiangsu province, China, about 100 km northeast of Nanjing and reachable in roughly 1 to 1.5 hours. Options include a train from Nanjing (CNY 40-70) followed by a 15-minute taxi to the lake, or an intercity coach taking 80 to 100 minutes (CNY 35-55). A car with driver takes about 1.5 hours. The city's centrepiece is the Slender West Lake landscape garden, a long, narrow lake framed by willows, pavilions and bridges. Its signature sights are the Five Pavilion Bridge and the White Pagoda, a small white dagoba that stands out against the water. Entry ranges from CNY 60 to 100 depending on season. Nearby, Ge Garden is known for its bamboo courtyards and rockeries (about CNY 45), and the Dongguan Street old quarter has restored lanes, shops and food stalls. The Grand Canal Museum explains the canal's role in the region's salt-merchant prosperity. A full-day loop starts at Slender West Lake soon after it opens at 7:00AM, when paths are quiet and the light suits photography. Visitors then walk or ride a short distance to Ge Garden before lunch. Yangzhou is famed for morning tea (zaocha) dim sum, with steamed buns and dumplings, and for Yangzhou fried rice and lion's-head meatballs, which suit a lunch stop near the old town. The afternoon fits Dongguan Street, the museum, and a slow canal-side walk, leaving time for an early-evening train back to Nanjing or on to Zhenjiang. Allow six to eight hours in total. The best seasons are March to May, when willows and spring blossoms line the lake, and September to November, when temperatures are mild and skies are clear. Summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold and grey though quieter. Weekends and public holidays fill the lake paths, so weekday visits are calmer. The walking is mostly flat and easy, with paved paths and gentle bridges.