Intro#
"Fireworks in Yangzhou in March"
It's almost March, so let's go to Yangzhou and take a look. The landlady said we came too early. The most beautiful time in Yangzhou is when the cherry blossoms bloom on March 18th.
China Grand Canal Museum#
The first stop is the China Grand Canal Museum.
We just finished celebrating the New Year, and it's still a workday, so there aren't too many people. We were able to make an appointment on the same day.
We rented an audio guide for 20 yuan, which is not too expensive, but the experience was not great. The automatic location-based audio guide often didn't work properly, so I recommend manually inputting the codes to listen to the explanations.
We only had an hour and a half for the tour, so we didn't listen to the explanations for the parts we weren't interested in. We managed to visit the main exhibition halls before the museum closed.
The Grand Canal runs through multiple cities and provinces, and the museum is located in Yangzhou. If you come to Yangzhou, it's worth a visit.
Pishi Street & Dongguan Street#
We stayed near Heyuan, and due to road construction on the way to Pishi Street, we had to take a detour.
Maybe because of the temperature drop and light rain, there weren't too many people on the streets. These two streets are not far from each other and are both commercial streets. Pishi Street is slightly wider, while Dongguan Street has a more ancient feel.
There are also streets nearby like Caiyi Street that have a strong local atmosphere. It's suitable for taking a stroll, buying some snacks, and experiencing the leisurely lifestyle of the people of Yangzhou.
Heyuan Garden#
The next morning, our first stop was Heyuan Garden.
I've been to Lion Grove in Suzhou before, but the experience can only be described as terrible. It was overcrowded, and the scenery was not as exquisite and delicate. So I was a bit worried about Heyuan Garden.
But after arriving, all my doubts were dispelled. With a suitable number of visitors, the experience of visiting the garden was very good. The scenery was exquisite and suitable for taking photos. I recommend visiting the garden during the off-peak season because once it gets crowded, the experience is not enjoyable.
Wenchang Pavilion & Siwang Pavilion#
Due to time constraints, we decided to skip visiting another garden and went to Wenchang Pavilion and Siwang Pavilion instead.
These are two pavilions located next to the street, and they don't offer much in terms of tourist experience.
Daming Temple#
Next, we took a taxi to Daming Temple. It started raining heavily as soon as we arrived, and the rain made the experience less enjoyable. As a result, we had to cancel our plan to visit Slender West Lake.
Yangzhou Rubbing Massage Center#
We heard that rubbing massage in Yangzhou is an intangible cultural heritage, so we went to the well-known Yangzhou Rubbing Massage Center. We chose the 70-minute 198 yuan package on Meituan.
At the Yangzhou Rubbing Massage Center, each person has their own pool, so there's no need to worry about hygiene issues. The entire process takes place in a small room with only two people. Before the massage, we soaked in a bath. Since I rarely take baths, I couldn't handle the heat of the bath and felt numb after a while. The experience of being massaged was quite unique, with a sense of rhythm and sound. However, perhaps due to not being accustomed to it or having high expectations, the experience was not as impressive as I had hoped.
While getting massaged, I chatted with the masseur. For a 198 yuan package, the masseur only receives around 50 to 60 yuan. Even though it's a well-known rubbing massage center in Yangzhou, the masseurs for the 198 yuan package are not master-level (maybe you need to pay more for that).
Surprisingly, after the two-hour massage, it was drizzling when we entered the center, but when we came out, it was snowing heavily. The ground was covered with a thick layer of snow.
Eating and Drinking#
Yangzhou Lion's Roar Restaurant#
Originally, we planned to go to 7 Chi 8 Ba Sunshine Restaurant to try authentic Yangzhou cuisine and Yangzhou fried rice. But then we discovered a restaurant called Yangzhou Lion's Roar next to our hotel, so we decided to try it first.
Yangzhou cuisine is light, and I didn't taste any spiciness or excessive saltiness.
The signature dish, Lion's Head Meatballs, priced at 98 yuan, was different from what I had tried elsewhere. First, the taste was lighter, second, the texture was softer, and third, it had a whole egg yolk inside. Personally, I think 98 yuan is a bit expensive for this dish.
The Wensi Tofu Soup is more about its visual appeal and novelty, and it didn't add much to the taste.
The Yangzhou Fried Rice lived up to its reputation. Although the overall taste was not significantly different from what I had elsewhere, it was fragrant, and the ingredients were plentiful (considering the price).
The Stir-Fried Pork Kidneys had a typical soy flavor commonly found in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai regions. The pork kidneys were cut into large pieces, and the portion and quality were reasonable considering the price, but if you're used to the flavor of pork kidneys in Sichuan and Chongqing, you might find it a bit heavy.
The Braised Shredded Pork with Vermicelli is also well-known. The tofu products inside were different from what I had imagined, and the taste was lighter.
The average cost per person was around 140 yuan, and the portions were quite generous compared to Shanghai. If you haven't tried it before, you can give it a try. If you have tried it, then it's not necessary.
Copper Pot Chicken#
After trying Yangzhou cuisine, we didn't plan to try it again. We just went into any restaurant we saw on the roadside. Copper Pot Chicken is not expensive, and the 88 yuan set meal for two was more than enough for us.
Simple Meals#
Simple Meals is also highly recommended. I went to the one on Dongguan Street. The restaurant is not big, but it offers great value for money. I recommend it to anyone visiting Dongguan Street.
Snacks#
In addition to the meals, we also tried Yangzhou yogurt, stinky tofu, and plum blossom cake.
Yangzhou yogurt is just regular yogurt, and I didn't find anything special about it.
The stinky tofu on Dongguan Street is quite unique and different from the more common stinky tofu in Changsha. The black and white stinky tofu have different prices.
I've tried plum blossom cake in Suzhou before, and the taste is similar.
!
Stinky tofu on Dongguan Street
Outro#
The cost of traveling in Yangzhou is not high, and there are many places to visit. Even if you just find a place to sit in Pishi Street, it feels very pleasant.
If you have the opportunity, come to Yangzhou in March and see it for yourself.
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