Yangzhou is in central Jiangsu, on the north bank of the Yangtze River and along the Grand Canal. The September heat has eased a bit, but it's still muggy in the afternoon. The recent local highlights are quite practical: in September, there are several rounds of limited-time free admission to state-owned scenic spots. Daming Temple is free on Sept 5/6, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum on Sept 19/20, and Wang's Garden on Sept 26/27. The Expo Park and Baoying Lake also have free admission days. Secondary consumption like the Qiling Pagoda is extra.
🏞️ [Must-visit]
Slender West Lake (Trip.com material day ticket is about 100 yuan, painted pleasure boat is around 60, electric boat package is around 150). Enter from the South Gate. Stroll slowly through Wuting Bridge, White Pagoda, and Twenty-Four Bridge. Sculling boats are extra, great for stress-free photos. Ge Garden ticket is about 44 yuan, featuring the Four Seasons Rockery + bamboo forest. A human guide is about 100 yuan; if you're too lazy to look at rocks, you'll really be confused. He Garden is about 45 yuan, with covered corridors and the Shuixin Pavilion, which are very photogenic. Night tickets are separate. Daming Temple is 45 yuan; the Jianzhen Memorial Hall + climbing Qiling Pagoda are extra. Dongguan Street, Pishi Street, the China Grand Canal Museum, and the Grand Canal Sanwan are all free. The Grand Canal Museum requires advance booking, and in-museum guides are extra. Yangzhou Baguai Memorial Hall is 12 yuan, and Wang's Garden is 23 yuan—the small garden is quiet and won't tire your legs.
How to play for three days: Day 1: Enter Slender West Lake from the South Gate in the morning; the breeze at Changdi Chunliu will wake you up. For lunch, eat braised dried tofu shreds and clear-stewed lion's head outside the scenic area—the soup is so fresh you'll want to lick the bowl. In the evening, Dongguan Street is fully lit with lanterns; buy sesame candy and lotus root starch dumplings while wandering around. Day 2: In the morning, see the Four Seasons Rockery at Ge Garden. For lunch, eat dumpling noodles and potstickers at old shops like Jiangjiaqiao on Dongguan Street—the skin is thin and the juice is hot. In the afternoon, walk the covered corridors at He Garden. In the evening, take a walk by the Ancient Canal; night cruises are optional and not mandatory. Day 3: In the morning, zone out at Pingshan Hall in Daming Temple. For lunch, eat soft-stewed gluten noodles at a nearby Huaiyang restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Grand Canal Museum or Sanwan. In the evening, return to the hotel and lounge around to recap your social media posts.
🏨 For accommodation, I chose Huazhu · Yangzhou Geyuan Inn, located in Geyuan Huajuli on Yanfu East Road. It's over 100 meters from Ge Garden and 200 meters from Dongguan Street. In the old alleys, you open the door to the hustle and bustle of life. Being woken up by the scent of morning tea is more effective than an alarm clock. If you want to save money, choose Junting Hotel at Slender West Lake; it's close to both Dongguan Street and Slender West Lake. If budget isn't an issue, choose Yangzhou State Guest House or Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort. The State Guest House has a strong garden vibe, and the hot spring resort is great for soaking away fatigue. Booking on Trip.com for real-time prices is the most reliable.
🚌 Transport: Yangzhou has no subway. From Yangzhou East High-speed Railway Station, take Tourist Bus 1/Tourist Bus 2 to the Slender West Lake and Dongguan Street area. From Wuting Bridge Station, take Tourist Bus 1/Tourist Bus 3 or the sightseeing bus to Ge Garden. From Ge Garden Station, take Ancient City Micro-bus 1 or the sightseeing bus to He Garden. For Daming Temple, take tourist lines like Tourist Bus 1/Tourist Bus 2/Tourist Bus 3. For the Grand Canal Museum, check bus 56, etc. Get a ride code on Alipay. Riding a shared electric scooter in the ancient city is more fun; driving in the old alleys will make you doubt your life.
Personal feelings: First, the good stuff. There are few people at Slender West Lake after 7 AM. The reflection of Wuting Bridge is truly amazing; I was asked on social media if it was a filter. Dongguan Street has a great vibe at night, and foodies will be happy to the point of bursting. I also have to mention two painful things: it's muggy and sweaty in the afternoon in September; you'll get aesthetic fatigue after seeing three garden rockeries; and if your shoes aren't soft, your feet will cry. On holidays, the crowds at He Garden's covered corridors are packed; you have to wait for an empty spot to take photos, which will make introverts collapse.
💡 Tips: I recommend this for people who love slow living, Huaiyang food, and taking photos of ancient architecture. You can save a lot with the September free admission days. I don't recommend this for people who only want thrilling rides, are afraid of walking, or can't stand sweet green rice balls and queuing for morning tea—you'll easily end up complaining. I must praise the food: bite into a crab roe soup dumpling and suck the soup first—it's so fresh your eyebrows will dance. The braised dried tofu shreds are as thin as thread, wrapped in chicken soup and bean aroma. The lotus root starch dumplings are chewy with a sweet osmanthus flavor; I wanted to pack three more boxes after eating.
I spent my money on food for three days like this: Morning tea for two days at places like Quyuan/Yechun cost anywhere from dozens to over a hundred per person; one day at a small shop for dumpling noodles and potstickers was over 20. Lunch for two days of proper Huaiyang meals was 80–120 per person; one day of snacks on Dongguan Street was 50. Evening snacks on Dongguan Street + Ancient Canal plus occasional proper meals cost 60–100 per person. Three days of eating cost about 400 to 600—not luxurious but not stingy. I feel the money was better spent than buying clothes; at least my stomach wasn't wronged. Overall, if you buy all tickets for Slender West Lake + Ge Garden + He Garden + Daming Temple plus boat rides, it's around 1,000 for two people. If you only hit the free streets and museums, you can basically play like a local with zero ticket costs.
Some people complain that Yangzhou "only has morning tea for old folks," but I think it's classy for young people to slow down. Others curse the commercialization of Dongguan Street, but aren't the snacks delicious? What do you think? Let's argue in the comments. If you think this guide is useful, give it a like so I can keep writing. Checking tickets and booking hotels on Trip.com is smarter than waiting around on-site.