World Country Guide

The Eastern Provinces

This is one of the world’s largest cities and one of China’s most famous - more like New York or Paris than Beijing. Lying on the estuary of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River, it is the centre of China’s trade and industry. European-style architecture, traditional Chinese buildings and sleek modern developments all co-exist in this cosmopolitan metropolis. The Yuyuan Gardens date back over 400 years: although relatively small, they are impressive thanks to their intricate design, with pavilions, rockeries, ponds and a complete traditional theatre woven together in an ornate maze. The gardens are reached via the Town God Temple Bazaar, a touristy but impressive warren of lanes and stalls. The French Concession area has quiet, characterful colonial parks and neighbourhoods, while the Bund along the Huangpu River has the celebrated strip of Art Deco towers. From here, the dynamic new Pudong Development Area and the Oriental Pearl Tower can be viewed across the water.
Situated about 190km (120 miles) south of Shanghai, Hangzhou is one of China’s seven ancient capital cities. Known as ‘Paradise on Earth’, Hangzhou was also described by Marco Polo as ‘the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world’. Today’s city is a beauty spot still visited by Chinese and foreign tourists in great numbers. By far the most attractive excursion, however, is to the West Lake area, dotted with weeping willows and peach trees, stone bridges, rockeries and painted pavilions. Here can be found the Pagoda of Six Harmonies, various tombs and sacred hills, monasteries and temples, not least the Linyin Temple.
Another former capital of China, Nanjing (meaning ‘southern capital’) is now capital of Jiangsu Province. The city lies on the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River at the foot of Zijinshan (Purple Mountain). It abounds with temples, tombs, parks and lakes, museums, and monuments - foremost amongst them being the Tomb of the Ming Emperor, where lies the body of Zhu Yuanzhang, founding father of the Ming Dynasty and the only Ming emperor to be buried outside Beijing. The mausoleum of China’s first president, Dr Sun Yat-sen, is also here. Other places of interest are the ruins of the Ming Palace, the Ming city wall, the Yangtze River Bridge with its observation deck, the Purple and Gold Mountains Observatory and the Tombs of the Southern Tang Dynasty, known as the ‘Underground Palace’.
This is one of China’s oldest cities, dating back some 2500 years. An old proverb says that ‘in Heaven there is Paradise; on earth, Suzhou’. Its riverside streets are reminiscent of Venice and there are many famous water gardens. There are over 400 historical sites and relics under the protection of the Government, such as the Blue-Waves Pavilion Garden on the outskirts, the Lion-Grove Garden which has rockeries resembling lions, the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Garden of the Master of the Nets. The Grand Canal and Tiger Hill are also worth a visit. There are numerous silk mills producing exquisite fabrics, and the local embroidery is an unparalleled art form.
This industrial and resort city on the north bank of Lake Tai, some 125km (75 miles) west of Shanghai, has some celebrated lakeside parks and gardens. Yangzhou to the west, supposedly once governed by Marco Polo, has a fine poetic tradition of gardens such as the Xu Garden and others along the Narrow West Lake, and old merchant houses. To the southwest, on Huangshan Mountain in the southern Anhui Province, trees cling to breathtaking rocky precipices amongst seas of cloud and clear natural springs and lakes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural beauty and wildlife, the mountain has a cablecar linking the summit and base.
Wuhan spans the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River. As the capital of Hubei Province, it is an industrial centre. There are also Buddhist temples, lakes and parks, as well as the Yellow Crane Tower and the Provincial Museum, home to the famous Chime Bells, manufactured over 2400 years ago. Nearby in Danjiangou City, Wudang or Taihe Mountain houses an ancient building complex with temples, nunneries, palaces and pavilions.