●Things to See & Do好玩的
Suzhou classical gardens 苏州园林
The finest gardens in China — rockeries, pavilions, and water views designed to feel endless. The Humble Administrator's Garden is the masterpiece.
Nanjing 南京
Six dynasties of history in one city: the city wall, Confucius Temple at night, and the Memorial Hall for the fallen of 1937. Deep, layered, and rarely rushed.
Slender West Lake 瘦西湖
Yangzhou's elegant lake park — willow banks, arched bridges, and gardens that inspired the emperors. Spring is the classic season.
Water towns 江南水乡
Zhouzhuang and Tongli are canal towns of white walls and stone bridges, best seen after the day-trippers leave and the lanterns go on.
●Food & Drink好吃的
Salted duck 盐水鸭
Nanjing's classic: duck cured with salt and star anise, sliced cold and served with a splash of vinegar — clean, delicate, and deeply local.
Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish 松鼠桂鱼
A whole fish scored, fried into a golden 'squirrel tail', and dressed in sweet-and-sour sauce — the banquet showpiece of Suzhou cuisine.
Hairy crabs 大闸蟹
In autumn, the lakes around Suzhou produce the country's most prized crabs. The ritual of cracking, dipping in ginger vinegar, and sucking the roe is half the pleasure.
●Folk Customs Few Have Heard Of民间习俗
01
Kunqu & pingtan 昆曲与评弹
Kunqu is the oldest surviving opera form in China; Suzhou pingtan is storytelling to pipa and three-stringed lute over a pot of tea. Both still draw packed teahouses.
02
Jinling lantern fair 金陵灯会
Every Spring Festival, Nanjing's Confucius Temple is strung with thousands of handcrafted lanterns reflected in the Qinhuai River — a scene unchanged for six centuries.
03
The three knives 扬州三把刀
Yangzhou's cooks, barbers, and pedicure masters were once the finest in the empire. Their 'three knives' — kitchen, scissors, and foot knife — still define the city's pampering culture.