My mother and I spent a few days in Yangzhou, to attend my brother's wedding there. It is an awesome city. Don't let the second-tier status fool you, it is exceptionally clean and orderly. It has a charm all of its own, without the roughness of larger cities like Shanghai.
This 1350-year-old temple has a structure made of interlocking wood instead of nails. And the mural of the 18 courts of hell makes Haw Par Villa look like a theme park.
By reader request, here is a photo of Yangzhou fried rice. The giant meatball is a personal favourite of mine, called 狮子头 or Lion's Head.
Dong Guan Jie (东关街) in Yangzhou is a charming "ancient street" with many quaint little stalls. By day or by night, the walk is fun and never feels touristy.
Slender West Lake (瘦西湖) is another popular Yangzhou attraction. We took a ferry ride through the lake with a guide. Be warned, your entry fee doesn't cover the extras. They will upsize you at every turn, making you pay for one thing after another. That's the only annoying thing.
Then we hit the road and headed for Nanjing. The suspension bridge that took us past the Yangtze River was an impressive sight to behold, as was the river itself.
I think these geese also enjoyed their ride.
