In March, follow the footsteps of Marco Polo and travel to Jiangsu

Who was Marco Polo?

He is a famous Italian traveler. More than 700 years ago, he followed his father and uncle on a long journey to the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (Beijing), and embarked on a 17-year journey in China.

"The Travels of Marco Polo" records what Marco Polo saw and heard in China. It was later widely circulated in Europe and became the enlightenment book for many Westerners about the mysterious ancient Eastern country. The whole book is divided into four volumes, the second of which records Marco Polo's travels starting from Dadu and traveling south to Jiangsu.

The places mentioned in the book include Pizhou, Huaian City, Haizhou City, Baoying, Gaoyou, Taizhou City, Zhenzhou (now Yizheng), Yangzhou City, Nanjing, Guazhou, and Jinshan , Zhenjiang Fucheng, Changzhou City, and Suzhou City.

After more than 700 years, we now follow Marco Polo’s footsteps and travel to Jiangsu. Let’s experience the beautiful scenery, authentic customs and culture of Jiangsu today.

Scenery at Mount Ai in Xuzhou

Marco Polo once visited Pizhou, and Mount Ai (also known as Jiulong Mountain), located in Tiefu Town, Pizhou City, is the local Scenic area. It is said that the mountain got its name from the fact that mugwort grew everywhere in ancient times and the god mugwort grows every 60 years.

Aishan Scenic Area has white marble relief Ruyi Avenue, Liudu Gate, Buddha footprints, prayer wheels, Kowloon Pagoda and other religious landscapes as well as natural ecological landscapes. Aishan is pleasant all year round. You can visit the green scenery in spring, hear the birds singing in summer, go up to the mountain to worship Buddha in autumn, and enjoy the silver-clad scenery in winter.

Suqian is full of wine by the river

The Dragon King Temple Palace, also known as the Qianlong Palace, is adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and Luoma Lake. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Jiangnan six times and stayed here five times. This ancient building located in Zaohe Town, Hubin New District, Suqian City, is a northern official-style building complex with four courtyards and three enclosed courtyards.

Suqian is the capital of liquor in China, and a visit to the winery is a planned itinerary. Visiting Yanghe Distillery not only allows you to learn about the brewing process, but also has the opportunity to drink puree ~

Visiting the Former Residences of Celebrities in Huai'an

Huai'an has produced numerous celebrities since ancient times. In addition to former Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, " Wu Chengen, the author of "Journey to the West", Liu E, the author of "Lao Can's Journey", and the famous strategist Han Xin are also from Huai'an. The former residence of Zhou Enlai, located in the center of Huaicheng Town, Huaian District, is the place where he was born. This place was restored after Zhou Enlai's death and opened to the public in 1979.

Wu Chengen’s former residence is located in Hexia Ancient Town. In addition to the former residence itself, it also houses the Xuanzang Memorial Hall, the Monkey King Family Art Museum and Liu Xiaolingtong Studio.

Yangzhou has charming waters and tempting delicious food

During Marco Polo’s trip to Jiangsu, Yangzhou was the place where he stopped the most. Baoying, Gaoyou, Yizheng, Yangzhou City, and Guazhou all left written descriptions in his travel notes. Baoying Lake National Wetland Park, adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the east and Baoying Lake in the west, is home to many unique aquatic and terrestrial vegetation and wild animals. In addition to wetland restoration and protection, the park also has many sightseeing and experience areas for tourists to visit. Gaoyou is an important area of ??Jianghuai civilization and postal culture. Ancient Yucheng Station and Shuishui Zhenguo Temple are popular local attractions.

Since you have followed Marco Polo’s footsteps to this point, of course you cannot miss his memorial hall. In addition, you can also visit the China Engraving and Printing Museum to learn about China, an ancient civilization, from a cultural perspective. Yangzhou is famous for its beautiful water. Taking a cruise on the ancient canal, boating on Slender West Lake, and exploring the past glory of Guazhou Ancient Ferry are all must-dos.

Huaiyang cuisine has always focused on knife skills and light taste. It is the representative of Jiangsu cuisine. Whether it's braised lion's head, Pingqiao tofu or crab roe soup dumplings, they are all delicacies not to be missed. Also, don’t forget to try the Yangzhou morning tea that even Emperor Qianlong never forgot.

Climb the Nanjing City Wall and Buy Yun Brocade

The Nanjing Ming City Wall is the best-preserved Ming Dynasty city wall and the largest ancient building in Nanjing. It was built in the 26th year of the Yuan Dynasty ( 1366), which took 28 years to complete. In addition to visiting the city gate, you can also climb the city wall to overlook the scenery of Nanjing. After climbing the tower, you can go to Xuanwu Lake to enjoy the scenery in the afternoon.

Xuanwu Lake was once the largest royal garden lake in China. There were five islands on the lake, each with different attractions. Nanjing Yunjin is a traditional Chinese silk handicraft. You can see the Yunjin production process in person at the Yunjin Research Institute.

Taizhou Shi Naian’s hometown

The ancient city of Taizhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is the hometown of celebrities such as Shi Naian and Zheng Banqiao, the authors of "Water Margin". Visiting the Shi Naian Memorial Hall, in addition to mourning the deceased, you can also learn a lot about Mr. Shi Naian's creation process of "Water Margin".

Zhenjiang Vinegar Fragrance Spreads Thousands of Miles

Zhenjiang is famous for its vinegar. Visiting the Vinegar Culture Museum not only explains the vinegar culture, but also gives you the opportunity to taste mature vinegar. The museum is divided into three main exhibition halls: the old workshop, the vinegar history hall, and the exhibition hall, and also has an experience hall. After visiting the museum, be sure to taste the "Three Weirds of Zhenjiang" - balsamic vinegar, pork meat and pot noodles.

In addition to being famous for vinegar, Zhenjiang is also home to the Jinshan Temple in the legendary "White Snake". It is a pleasure to stand on this thousand-year-old temple tower and overlook the river.

Changzhou Magnificent Bamboo Sea

Located in Liyang, the Nanshan Bamboo Sea has 35,000 acres of green bamboo, boundless and majestic. This can be called a holy place for leisure and health. In addition to green bamboos, there are also towering thousand-year-old pines. There is a "quiet lake" in the bamboo sea, and tourists can ride on bamboo rafts to swim up the lake. If you don’t want to take a bamboo raft, you can also take a small train in the scenic area. After appreciating the natural scenery, you can also go shopping in the ancient streets and enjoy health-preserving food, so that you can get the best supplies for your body, mind and soul.

Suzhou Paradise on Earth

The Humble Administrator's Garden, built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, is the representative of Suzhou gardens. The whole garden is centered on water and has the characteristics of a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. The main attractions are the Garden Museum and the three gardens in the east, west and middle. Marco Polo's travel notes mentioned that Suzhou was rich in raw silk and made into silk satin. Of course, you can't miss the silk culture here. Wujiang is rich in silk, and there are many silk shops. You can buy souvenirs to give home to relatives and friends.

Tongli Ancient Town, also located in Wujiang and connected by 49 ancient bridges, was built in the Song Dynasty and is an excellent portrayal of "small bridges, flowing water, and people".

Text | Hong Huiling

Editor | Sunnie

Part of the content is excerpted from the January 2021 issue of "Changxiang". Please do not reprint without authorization< /p>

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