Nanjing

Known as the Capital City of Six or Ten Dynasties in China's history, Nanjing has a brilliant cultural heritage.

Nanjing, called Jinling in ancient China, is the capital of Jiangsu Province. It is situated on the vast plain of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, belonging to the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone where the four seasons are clearly demarcated.

History has left the place numerous historical sites and heritage relics. The Mausoleum of Dr. Sun-Yat-Sen, Mingxiaoling Mausoleum, Qinhuai River, the Memorial Hall to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre, Confucius Temple, Linggu Temple, Mochou Lake, and Mount Qixia are some of the best places to visit.

Nanjing is only 3 hours from Shanghai by Bullet Train.

Yangzhou

Yangzhou, on the other bank of Yangtze River, emerged during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) when Fu Chai, king of the Wu State, built his defense system. Eventually it grew into a large, population city.

The city itself is a museum of Chinese culture and a beautiful Chinese garden. Small and quite as it is, you have an easy access to all latest modern convenience here, too, while enjoying traditional heritage. Through all the ages, scholars and poets have lavishly praised Yangzhou in prose and poetry, pouring their love and yearning for this city in the most beautiful language.

For westerners, an interesting footnote to Yangzhou's history is that Marco Polo served there under the Mongol emperor Kubilai Khan, in the period around 1282-1287.

Shaoxing

Situated in the south of Yangtze River Delta, Shaoxin is 230 kilometers from Shanghai.

It is a renowned city of water and bridge and thus gets the name of "Oriental Venice". The crystal water, which is sparkling in the sun, flows under the stone bridges with green plants on both banks of the river.

Shaoxing Old Wine, whose history can be dated back to the Spring and Autumn Period, is a must for visitors to Shaoxing. With unique traditional skills and water of Jianhu Lake, Shaoxing Old Wine is regarded to be the king of Chinese rice wine. It is widely used as a kind of drink, medicine and seasoning.

As a city of long and rich history, Shaoxing has some antique markets that are really worth visiting. There are old-timey stone archways, long flagstone streets by the river as well as delicate small stores. In the stores, the simple but classical antiques, age-old calligraphies and paintings are waiting to be taken by the one who appreciates them. In addition, there are some markets where special stamps, coins and cards are sold.

Visit more Chinese cities through Cityguide at China.org.cn.

(China.org.cn)