Trip Features:
The Grand Canal is the earliest and largest canal in the world. It was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 2014. The Grand Canal has the longest course in Jiangsu Province. In terms of the number of cities through which it flows, Jiangsu has the most. Jiangsu Province possesses the richest canal heritage and the largest number of sections listed as World Heritage sites. This tour will take you into the canal cities of Jiangsu. Through cruising the canal, viewing the night scenery of the canal, visiting thematic museums and historical sites, and strolling through the ancient canal towns, we take you on an in-depth tour of Jiangsu’s profound canal culture and feel the canal-nourished Jiangsu civilization.
D1 Arriving in Shanghai
Checking in at the hotel and self-arrangement for the rest of the day.
D2 Suzhou:
Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou Silk Museum, Cruising on the Ancient Canal of Suzhou, and Pan Gate.
We will start from Suzhou, the only city along the Grand Canal that applied for inclusion on the World Heritage List with the concept of the ancient town, to explore the canal culture of Jiangsu. In the Humble Administrator’s Garden, one of the four renowned gardens in Suzhou, we can view the wonderful use of water features. At the Suzhou Silk Museum, we can appreciate the ancient silk-weaving civilization nurtured by the canal. You can also take a cruise on the ancient canal and enjoy the scenery on both sides of the canal. You will pass through the Pan Gate, the only remaining water and land city gate in the world.
D3 Nanjing:
Jiangning Imperial Silk Manufacturing Museum, Grand Bao’en Temple Heritage Park, Confucius Temple, and Night Tour of Qinhuai River.
At the Jiangning Imperial Silk Manufacturing Museum, you can get an in-depth experience of the weaving skills of Nanjing Cloud Brocade. At the Grand Baoen Temple Heritage Park, the largest and best-preserved temple site in China, you can explore the legend of the 1,000-year-old underground palace. You can also roam the Confucius Temple and take a night tour of the Qinhuai River to experience the fantasy and charm of old-time Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River).
D4 Yangzhou:
Take a boat trip on the Slender West Lake, Dongguan Street.
The Slender West Lake is known as “the most beautiful garden in the world”. You can take a boat ride along the waterway to enjoy the scenery of the Slender West Lake and visit the Five Pavilion Bridge, Twenty-four Bridges and other attractions. Walking down Dongguan Street, you will get a unique feeling of the comfort and leisure of the life of the people in Yangzhou.
D5 Huai’an:
Mansion of the Water Transport Governor, China Water Transport Museum, Hexia Ancient Town, and Hongze Lake.
At the Mansion of the Water Transport Governor, you will be impressed by the grand scale of this official building complex. At the China Water Transport Museum, the magnificent history and splendid culture of Chinese water transport are fully displayed here. In Hexia Ancient Town, there are stories throughout history. In Hongze Lake, you can admire the dynamic scenery of a fertile “land of fish and rice”.
D6 Suqian:
Zaohe Ancient Town and Zaohe Old Canal Lock
Zaohe Ancient Town is an important port of the north-south route of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The ancient town is dotted with a large number of cultural relics, sites, relics and legends, highlighting the profound cultural marks made by the canal. The Zaohe Old Canal Lock located on the Grand Canal serves to regulate the water level. Every day, many cargo ships are lining up to pass through the lock. Here, you can catch a glimpse of a busy water transport scene.
D7 Back to Shanghai
