Travel time: 2021/1/1-2021/1-3
At the beginning of the new year, Durian and I embarked on a long-planned short trip to a small town in the south of the Yangtze River not far from us - Yangzhou. (The epidemic situation is not very serious on New Year’s Day. I hope everyone will reduce travel during the Spring Festival.)
"Fireworks descend on Yangzhou in March" is a poem that everyone is familiar with. Although this poem is not about which season is more suitable for traveling to Yangzhou, I believe that Yangzhou in spring is probably more suitable for travel than in winter. Going out in winter really requires a lot of courage for people who are afraid of the cold. When I got home and saw the photos Durian took of me, I shrank my head orz the whole time.
Since both of us are very lazy and can't force ourselves to get up early, our itinerary is very loosely arranged. Basically, we start where we want to go when we leave the house, and then we look at the distance. If it's not far away, we make a decision as soon as we hit our head. On the first day, we honestly took the bus to travel. After discovering that splitting the taxi fare was really cost-effective, we quickly abandoned public transportation.
What follows is a very unprofessional guide to sightseeing (zeng) and eating (fei) in Yangzhou, warning for too many pictures!
First stop - hot pot
What other reason do you need to eat hot pot in winter?
It is a local hotpot chain store in Yangzhou recommended by a friend: Ziqi Hotpot, specializing in duck feet. The dishes are all very common dishes, and the overall pattern is a bit imitating Haidilao.
There were a lot of people on New Year's Day. Durian and I waited tenaciously for more than 40 minutes, so we got a plate of fat beef for nothing!
It was the first time for me to eat duck feet and durian. The taste was similar to that of chicken feet. To be honest, I still prefer chicken feet.
There is nothing special to recommend about other dishes, they are all ordinary, but I suggest you avoid the thunder belly, the taste is not very good.
The duck feet are not cheap, and she ordered too much durian, which she thought was delicious. If I hadn't persuaded her, she would have even ordered half an extra portion of beef. She also threatened that she could eat one and a half portions by herself, but in fact It's a scumbag, and in the end it's 100 yuan per person.
The price-performance ratio is not too high, recommendation index: ★★★☆
Second stop - Dongguan Street
An ancient street that Durian and I both like very much, a must-visit place when visiting Yangzhou - Dongguan Street.
It was close to where we lived, so it became our first stop. Compared with other snack streets and ancient streets we have been to, Dongguan Street has a very strong cultural atmosphere, the food and drink are reasonably priced and taste good, and there are several famous attractions - such as a garden and Wang's courtyard is located on this street. It is located adjacent to Pishi Street and Caiyi Street. If you have good walking skills, you can visit them all in one go.
The scenery of Dongguan Street during the day and at night has different flavors. Although there are a lot of people, for me, who has been to crowded tourist attractions like Xi'an Muslim Street several times during the holidays, this situation is still a piece of cake.
After lunch, we walked along an alley and entered Dongguan Street. About in the middle of the street, two greedy people, although they were exhausted, first bought a must-have candied haws in winter.
The durian, mung bean and chestnut filling look exactly the same... I tasted the durian flavor which I love the most but I never eat, and there is no one selling strawberries! This must be given a bad review.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
The third stop - Geyuan
Geyuan is actually on the main road of Dongguan Street. Considering that it is really unique and worth spending more time, it is still considered a separate stop.
Aerial view of snow scenery in Geyuan
A corner of the courtyard with strange rocks
A garden that reminds people of a wealthy family. The adult ticket price is only 28.6, which is definitely not a loss!
What impressed me most was the semi-circular tables and large tracts of green bamboo that could be seen everywhere in the room. The garden has passed through more than one owner, and in the end it was still very well preserved.
Lobby
Green Bamboo Path
Before I went in, I thought I could come out in ten minutes. In fact, I walked around and took pictures until it was about to close. The garden is very big, and the snow has not yet melted, so you can see the real winter scenery of the garden, which is a bonus. There is a large group of rockeries in the center of the garden, which are connected with pavilions and ponds. You can climb and enjoy the scenery. (Pay attention to safety!) It makes people imagine the scene of children from wealthy families playing hide and seek in the yard, which is very suitable for taking pictures.
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
The fourth stop - Dongguan Street → Caiyi Street
Caiyi Street
After leaving the garden, we returned to Dongguan Street. The cook was hungry again, but it was still too early to eat.
Durian and I chose right and left and entered a pedicure shop to experience one of the famous Yangzhou three knives - the pedicure knife.
Huai Yida Yangzhou Foot Skills
The store (store name: Huai Yidao Yangzhou Foot Art ) is in a small alley, and you can see it by walking straight ahead along the road.
The store is not big but the business is booming. Durian and I were already as cold as two big popsicles walking upright, so we just lined up in the store to warm ourselves up, and we were in line in about 20 minutes.
I chose the 100￥ package recommended by two clerks, which included six options: foot soak, back relaxation, pedicure, leg tapping, ear picking, and massage, which lasted one hour. The store clerk is very nice. She is always responsive to every request and even recommends health tips. I enjoyed it very much. If I have to say that there is one drawback, it is that time passes too fast. However, Durian reminds friends who are ticklish or have very sensitive ears that they may want to skip the ear picking.
Recommendation index: ★★★★
When we returned to Dongguan Street, it was completely dark, but the number of tourists did not decrease. Let’s start looking for food!
Zhao's stacked glutinous rice balls
Guangling Tofu Fang
The braised Guangling Tofu Fang you can choose from on the roadside and the Zhao’s stacked glutinous rice balls found according to the guide.
The braised food smells really good when passing by, but it tastes very average.
Recommendation index: ★★★
For the glutinous rice balls, I ordered the signature Sixi Tangyuan, which are two sweet and two salty, namely fresh meat, green vegetables, bean paste and sesame. I don’t like glutinous rice balls, but the bean paste and sesame seeds taste very fragrant. As for the salty glutinous rice balls, I suggest that those who have only eaten sweet glutinous rice balls since childhood should not try it easily...the taste and texture are very surprising.
Recommendation index: ★★★
If you walk west along the main road of Dongguan Street, you will arrive at Caiyi Street . It is a long snack street. It is highly recommended to visit if you have leisure time.
The fifth stop - Yechun
When you arrive in Yangzhou, Yangzhou morning tea is definitely an experience not to be missed. There is a wide range of morning tea shops to choose from. Since Yechun is very close to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area and is our next stop, Durian and I chose it.
I got up a little late in the morning. There were so many people and I had to queue for more than half an hour. When ordering, I miscalculated the portion of Jiangnan Morning Tea, so I ordered at least enough for four people.
Note: The portions are really huge!
I originally thought it was a portion of Cantonese-style morning tea, so I ordered it happily, but ended up packing more than half of it...
Durian Recommendation: Crab Meat Lion Head
Strawberry’s favorite in this issue: Yangzhou fried rice (not to be missed for carb lovers)
In addition, the oil cake and dried silk are also excellent, but there are too many, really too many.
The price is not cheap, but the price-performance ratio is acceptable in terms of quantity. Recommended index: ★★★★
bill for two pigs
The sixth stop - Slender West Lake
Slender West Lake is the most famous scenic spot in Yangzhou, but it is the place where Durian and I feel most offended.
There was construction going on inside, so the entire lake was surrounded, and there was basically no drop of water in the first half. We didn't see the lake until we got to the middle part, but construction was also going on on both sides, which greatly affected the perception, but there was no reminder when buying the ticket.
The overall journey was relatively long, and Durian and I always felt that we couldn’t enjoy it fully, so we turned back and left when we reached the middle part.
bonsai garden
White Tower
Slender West Lake winter scene
two tourists
I hope to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Slender West Lake again in a good spring season when flowers are blooming.
The seventh stop - Pishi Street
Since we had breakfast late and were very full, Durian and I made a tacit agreement not to mention lunch, after all, we still had the packed morning tea in our hands. We came to Pishi Street , which is across the street from Dongguan Street. This street is not too long, and there are some relatively young and stylish shops and restaurants on both sides.
Zhu Ziqing's former residence and He Garden are both near Pishi Street. Young people who like to order a cup of coffee, read a book, or have afternoon tea and take a leisurely stroll will definitely have a richer experience in Pishi Street.
Recommendation index: ★★★☆
The eighth stop - He Garden
I did not participate in this part due to physical discomfort. It was a personal tour for Durian. Next, I asked Durian to introduce us to the He Garden trip that she praised highly.
Durian: Hello everyone Finally it’s my turn to appear.
After taking a taxi to take the fragile strawberry back to the hotel, Ben Lian went straight to the famous He Garden.
Not long after entering the door, a huge painted boat-style building grabbed Ben Lian's attention. Ben Lian retreated to the corner and tried to take a panoramic photo of him, but failed. The commentator's voice drifted over the edge: The salt merchant loved boats. Not only did he build a boat hall at home, but even the masonry on the ground was treated to look like water ripples. (Be particular!)
Boat hall
water rippled masonry
Compared with Ge Garden, He Garden is much smaller in area, but the designers put a lot of thought and sophistication into it. The interior decoration of the building is mostly Western-style, but the overall courtyard layout is more Chinese-style. Look at this large and spacious room. It is transparent from north to south and has good lighting. You can't hear people talking from one end of the room to the other.
Behind the house is a water-centered pavilion, where the troupe hired by the He family performs, and the sound can be diffused through the surrounding water. During the performance, the male family members sat around the corridor, and the female family members opened the windows in their rooms to listen. The corridor surrounding the pavilion is said to be the prototype of an overpass in China. It extends in all directions and changes in loops. Only by experiencing it in person can you understand its beauty.
Overlooking Ho Garden
After taking a look around, Benlian was most impressed by the various doors and windows. Please enjoy the various non-repeating geometric figures below.
Doors of different shapes
various windows
Exploring He Garden is like a treasure hunt. If you stop and observe carefully, you will see details everywhere you look. It is indeed the first garden in the late Qing Dynasty. At this time, Ben, who was writing a travel diary in a rental house, shed tears of jealousy. (End of He Yuan chapter)
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
Final stop - Jiangjiaqiao Dumpling Noodle Shop
Let me eat them all! Best of the match! here is the image! It was originally the last meal before leaving. It was so delicious that I exclaimed "It's amazing" every time I took a bite of the durian.
Pot stickers with bamboo shoots and meat
Shrimp Roe Dumpling Noodles
Shrimp Roe Wontons
The price is low and the portions are big, don’t miss it!
Recommendation index: ★★★★★
This trip to Yangzhou was the first time Durian and I took a trip together after many years. It was also when we could finally breathe a sigh of relief due to the epidemic. The two of us ate, drank, had fun, and arranged our time very loosely. We were really happy. .
Yangzhou is not a prosperous metropolis, but it is a very warm city. When taking the bus and walking between the houses and streets, the sun shines wantonly on every leisurely Yangzhou person. Walking non-stop through every small shop on Dongguan Street, you will not I can’t feel the fireworks of Yangzhou people who love life. The pedicure masters are gentle and kind, they are constantly moving their hands and talking about common things; the exquisite garden scenes in Ge Garden and He Garden can show the Yangzhou people's aesthetics and pursuit of life.
In general, Yangzhou is a very suitable place for short trips, and the experience of eating, drinking and seeing is very good.
I can’t help but look forward to my next trip. I hope that next time the durian faces my camera, she won’t act like a girl with a fake smile. I also hope that when I face the durian camera, my movements won’t be so stiff. Of course, what I hope most is that Xiao Putao can have time together next time.