I just came back from an amazing seven days, six cities tour of Jiangsu province in eastern China. We enjoyed so much kindness from people, history, culture, and great food, that it will take me a few months to write up everything in this blog.
For now, here is a brief summary and itinerary of those wonderful, whirlwind seven days. Follow me for detailed articles on Jiangsu food and places in the future.
We started in Nanjing, Jingsu's capital and went counter clockwise to Zhenjiang, Taizhou, Yancheng, Suqian, Huaian, then back to Nanjing. (This was the planned itinerary but we shifted things here and there as we went - travel, and actually, life is like that lah.)
All are fascinating cities with history going back 2 - 4,000 years, heritage places, great natural beauty, and delicious cuisine richly spiced with stories and legends.
DAY 1 第一天
After arriving in 南京 Nanjing Lukou International Airport, we were whisked off to our first stop, the ancient city of Zhenjiang nearly two hours on the highway, 80km away. (Fifteen minutes if we went by High Speed Rail.)
We didn't get to see Nanjing again until 6 days later 😁
First thing on the agenda - food! at Zhenjiang 镇江 Restaurant for dinner 😋 At Zhenjiang Restaurant we got re-acquainted with the wonderful flavours, aromas and feel of Huaiyang cuisine which was also a feast for the eyes.
Zhenjiang is a very old city. It began as the capital of fledgling, proto-kingdoms going back as far as 700 BC i.e. nearly 3,000 years ago.
After dinner, we attempted to walk off the calories with a stroll along the 1,000 metres of Xijindu Ancient Street 西津渡. We travelled back 2,000 years in time as Xijindu is a historic crossing point between the north and south bank of the Yangtze River which flows 6,300km from the Himalayas to the East China Sea at Shanghai city.
Checked in at the luxurious Argyle Boutique Hotel on our first night in Jiangsu.
DAY 2 第二天
After breakfast at Argyle Boutique Hotel, our first stop was China National Museum of Vinegar and Culture 中国醋文化博物馆 in Zhenjiang.
At the vinegar museum, we learned about the history, production process, stories, and got to taste and buy premium vinegar at competitive prices.
Visiting the museum gave me a better understanding of vinegar and I now add a dash of good vinegar to my food as it makes everything tastes better 😁😋
The vinegar here in Zhenjiang is tangy sweetish, aromatic, has no tannic taste / feeling and does not numb the tongue.
From the vinegar museum, we proceeded to Jinshan Temple. The 1,600 year old temple is considered one of the four most important Buddhist temples in China. According to legend, Jinshan Temple founder monk Fahai broke the marriage of Lady White Snake here.
Time for lunch!
Yue Jiang Chun Restaurant 悦江春 was conveniently located at Jinshan Temple and their Huaiyang cuisine was exemplary. Looks delicious and tastes beautiful.
Here at Yue Jiang Chun Restaurant, I tasted a good example of 镇江锅盖面 wok cover noodle, the icon of Zhenjiang cuisine. It's a traditional noodle dish with handmade noodles, robustly spiced and sauced pork / chicken soup, many aromatic garnishes, toppings and sides including trotter terrine.
From Zhenjiang, we drove to Huaian 淮安.
We passed Hongze Lake 洪澤湖 in time to catch a beautiful orange and red sunset. Hongze Lake is an important node of the ancient Grand Canal of China which runs from the Yellow River in the north, past the Yangtze River to the Pearl River in the south, unifying China with a North-South super highway / waterway since around 200 BC.
Dinner at 文明楼 in Huaian featured fish, shellfish and crustaceans from the Yangtze River and lakes of Jiangsu. Crayfish in different sauce preparations is a dish we will meet very often during this trip.
On a side note, actually, the whole of China is crayfish crazy, even much further west along the Yangtze River in Wuchan City.
After dinner we took a walk by the Huaian city canal. Lots of well patronised hipster shops and eateries in the conserved heritage buildings. It's an ancient place but lively, buzzing with youthful energy.
Day 3 第三天
After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop was 淮扬菜博物馆 Huaiyang Cuisine Museum.
Huaiyang cuisine is often seen as the numero uno of China's Eight Great Cuisines. Huaiyang cuisine often takes centre stage at China's State banquets since China hosted US President Nixon in 1972.
The museum has many artefacts, food models, documents, murals, etc., to tell the story of food in China, with emphasis on Huaiyang cuisine.
Next stop, 淮安府署 Huaian Governor's Office.
The Governor or Prefect served also as the magistrate.
And, executioner with power over life and death. The Governor's office even has a public execution square and a guillotine 😮
We then visited the birthplace and childhood home of Premier Zhou En Lai 周恩来故居. Premier Zhou held the appointment from 1954 to 1976.
This is the kitchen of the old house.
吴承恩故居 The home of 吴承恩 the authour of 西游记 Journey to the West.
This was the study where 吴承恩 wrote his influential novel.
Lunch was at 文楼 Restaurant at 河下古镇 old town.
Love 文楼. Tried many Huaiyang dishes and got acquainted with cha shan 茶馓 which is crispy brown fried noodles wrapped in wheat crepe with aromatic fillings. Interesting contrast of crispy, tender, chewy textures with a stack of savoury and umami flavours. I miss this delicious dish.
There are many dishes at every meal and there will always be a marvellous fish dish. Stewed in an umami savoury brown sauce is a common preparation in Jiangsu.
Cha san 茶馓 vendors making the dish at the old street 河下古镇.
After lunch, we drove 120km to 宿迁 Suqian city. Our first stop here was 项王故里 Hometown of Emperor Xiang Yu.
Suqian's roots go back to the Xia Dynasty around 2,000 BC but is most famous for being the birthplace of warrior Emperor Xiang Yu.
Artefacts, statues, posters, performances, and guides retell the story of Emperor Xiang Yu who was the warrior king of the Western Chu kingdom. In the epic struggle between Western Chu and Han, the defeat and death of Emperor Xiang Yu in 202 BC led to the founding of the Han Dynasty which went on to rule China for 422 years (202 BC to 220 AD).
Dinner in Suqian city was at 梦园 Dream Garden Restaurant.
Dream Garden served many delicious dishes. I had a lot of puffer fish during this dinner as the rest were more careful about the puffer's deadly poisonous reputation 🤭
I am still here lah... 😬
The meat was soft and sweet, and dressed in a savoury brown sauce. This is a common, popular preparation in Jiangsu. The soft smooth skin can only be swallowed as it was covered with tiny spines. Chew on the skin and it will feel like a mouthful of sand because it is covered with spines.
After dinner we took a walk at the Suqian Night Market.
This place was bursting with life and energy with many people enjoying a good time here.
We called it a night at 禅院水居, an idyllic resort style accommodation.
DAY 4 第四天
We are still in Suqian. First stop today was 皂河古镇 Zaohe Ancient Town.
It was a blistering hot day at the Grand Canal and I wish I could take a dip in the vast water theme park here.
Next, 三台山森林公园 a lush, well manicured, colourful garden with mist sprays which gave the garden a dreamy atmosphere and kept temperatures down.
When we exited the garden, there were large colourful swathes of different colour flowers making a fantastic pattern in the field. We can get a panoramic view of the sea of colours from the viewing platform / bridge.
So much walking this morning, it's time for lunch! This time at 海棠湾餐厅.
Lots of delicious dishes again, and my favourite river fishes of Jiangsu. Always tender, moist and sweet. Delicious.
Hello cha san, nice to see you again. The taste and feel of cha san makes me think of "no duck Peking duck" 🤭
After lunch, we drove 220km to 盐城 Yancheng, in time for early dinner at 盐城八大碗 Restaurant.
Yancheng 盐城 literally means Salt City. It was established around 119 BC during the Han Dynasty and became the centre for mining, trading and distribution of salt harvested from the region around it.
Fish, fish, fish, this time it was a steamed large yellow croaker.
The signature of Yancheng city is 盐城八大碗 Yancheng Eight Big Bowl dishes including these pork balls which I shall cover in detail in a separate post.
After dinner entertainment - awesome theatrical performances with beautiful backdrops at 盐城大纵湖东晋水城 Yancheng Watertown.
You have to watch this wonderful colourful beautifully choreographed outdoor show based on the history of Yancheng.
Our luxurious crib for the night has the bathtub right in the bedroom 🤭 At Yancheng NICE Hotel.
DAY 5 第五天
After breakfast at NICE Hotel, we went to 丹顶鹤自然保护区 to witness the grand launch of the red-crown crane sanctuary's tourism festival.
I wasn't as fast as I wished I could be in catching this elegant but fast bird in flight. The Chinese see red-crown cranes as symbols of longevity, elegance and happiness. Deities are often depicted riding on the backs of flying red-crown cranes.
The sanctuary research, breed and protect these rare iconic birds. The red-crown crane is an endangered species.
Next, a 180km drive from Yancheng to Taizhou. The weather was great, if a little warm during our trip. The highways were smooth, I didn't see any potholes and highway driving etiquette was well observed. It was a pleasant and safe drive, thank you 🙏
When we reached Taizhou city, our first stop was 梅兰芳纪念馆 Mei Lan Fang Memorial Museum dedicated to the legendary opera maestro.
Our guide took us through the museum filled with memorabilia, documents, artefacts of Mei Lan Fang. We also saw and heard the Mei Lan Fang fan club performing for club members here.
After 梅兰芳纪念馆, we went to beautiful 乔园, a conserved heritage residence with many beautiful garden features.
Checked in and put down our luggages at Taizhou Hotel. Next item on the agenda 夜游凤城河, a night cruise!
Taizhou's roots go back to the Spring and Autumn Era (770 - 481 BC) when it was known as 海陽 Haiyang.
We took a boat ride to view Taizhou city from the 城河 city river (actually the city's defensive moat).
We had dinner on the moored boat. The usual sumptuous Huaiyang style feast. You will see this eel dish (stewed in savoury sauce) often when you come to Jiangsu. The small eels are soft, all bones stripped away, mainly savoury in flavour from infusion of the savoury salty sauces.
DAY 6 第六天
First thing in the morning, 泰州早茶 Taizhou Morning Tea. Wow... It is a breakfast experience you must not miss.
When in Jiangsu, you will keep hearing locals raving about Taizhou morning tea.
Oh my.. The combination of steamed buns, fried buns, noodles, tofu "noodles", sweet desserts and tea was just incredible. It is worth coming to Taizhou just for breakfast, yet the ancient city have so much more to offer the visitor.
After our hearty breakfast, we visited 溱湖湿地公园 Qinhu Lake Wetland Park. Actually, I've been here before nearly 10 years ago, but still miss this beautiful place. Glad to be back!
The majestic Medicine Buddha at Qinhu Lake. Standing at 81 metres, this is the world's tallest Medicine Buddha built over water.
Elk at the Qinhu sanctuary. This picture was taken at 10x zoom from the elevated viewing platform.
Beautiful black swans at Qinhu Lake. I counted more than a dozen of these graceful birds, big and small.
From 泰州 Taizhou we drove 200km back to 南京 Nanjing. Nanjing was the capital city of the Eastern Wu kingdom (229 - 280) during the Three Kingdoms Era of Chinese history. It was also the capital of the Ming Dynasty before it was moved to Beijing in 1421.
(On a side note, Peking duck originated in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty, and it moved north together with the palace.)
First stop at Nanjing was the obligatory 夫子庙 Confucius Temple Pedestrianised Street.
History, heritage, shopping, partying, and great food, the Confucius Temple area is a magnet for tourists and locals alike.
Everywhere you turn in Confucius Temple are shops offering Nanjing salted duck (Nanjing's answer to Beijing roast duck).
Dinner was at Nanjing Impressions Restaurant, perhaps the most famous and popular restaurant brand specialising in Jiangsu / Huaiyang cuisine.
Always love the Nanjing Impressions vibes and experience in Nanjing and also in Singapore. They managed to bring the outdoor atmosphere from the streets of Confucius Temple into the restaurant seamlessly.
Can never get tired of 夫子庙.
But the night was still young in Nanjing, so we went to the stunningly beautiful 金陵小镇 Jin Ling Town.
金陵小镇 is a retail and dining hub with architecture inspired by the style from the Six Dynasties era (300 - 600 AD).
Can you see the purplish dome glowing in the background? That's another amazing Buddhist Temple known as 牛首山 Niushoushan which is also a must visit when you are in Nanjing. (It wasn't in the itinerary for this trip, but I have a post from my previous visit.)
DAY 7 第七天
After breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Nanjing City wall and gate 南京城墙 built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). 中華門 Zhonghua Gate, the South Gate is four layers thick and impenetrable during its time.
From the top of the ancient city wall, we can get a panoramic view of sprawling Nanjing city. We can see the city moat and the famous Ming Dynasty era porcelain tower of Bao'en Temple (which I visited during my previous visit).
We chilled around 老门东 Old East Gate shops which has lots of retail, fashion, snack bars, cafes, and restaurants.
Lunch at Xiao Chu Niang Restaurant before we proceeded to the airport on a full, satisfied tummy.
Oh I love the Huaiyang dishes here!
Delicious, good memories of our very exciting 7 Days 6 Cities trip in Jiangsu as we enjoyed the dishes and reminisced our great times together.
Good bye Jiangsu, for now.
We travelled 1,000 kilometres around Jiangsu, experienced more than 2,000 years of history from the world of chariots, and grand canals to High Speed Rail.
Saw old cities renewed into modern high tech intelligent metropolises, inspired architecture, and delicious cuisine from street to exclusive restaurants. Huaiyang cuisine not only tastes good, it has many stories that give it even more unique flavour.
This article is just a summary / itinerary. Follow me for additional, detailed articles on the individual food and places of Jiangsu from this memorable trip.
I will be back.
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