Heading North to Jiangnan in Late Spring at Seventy – A Leisurely Tour of Three Jiangsu Cities

Heading North to Jiangnan in Late Spring at Seventy

— Notes on a Leisurely Trip from Xiamen to Wuxi, Yangzhou and Nanjing

There’s a famous saying: “Down to Yangzhou in the misty bloom of March.”

As the pandemic fades, everyone around me has switched to travel mode. Though it was already May, the lunar calendar had an intercalary second month this year, so it was still the third lunar month until May 19. The cherry blossoms had already fallen at our destination, but we weren’t aiming to see flowers anyway, so we set off with an easy mind. Some old classmates from the TV university decided to get together and take a trip: “Heading North to Yangzhou in Late Spring at Seventy”—a leisurely visit to Wuxi, Yangzhou and Nanjing.

I’m a long-time Ctrip member and have used their services many times. So I placed an order for a “customized tour.” Three travel designers picked up the request and quickly sent proposals. We looked at a few plans, all quite similar. You could tell they had been pieced together from existing itineraries. Among the three cities, Wuxi’s sights are far from the city centre, so we hoped to have a driver-guide to lead us. We were told that driver-guides are not available in Wuxi; only a chartered car plus a separate guide was possible. The itineraries they offered were only suitable for younger people, not for folks in their seventies.

So we gave up on a customized tour and decided to travel independently. Through friends we contacted local travel agencies in the three cities separately, settled on an itinerary and worked out the details. We also booked all our train tickets and flights through Ctrip.

On 6 May we took a high-speed train from Xiamen, arrived in Wuxi in the evening and checked into our hotel. First we strolled along the night market street, had dinner and then rested.

Early on 7 May, as agreed, our Wuxi guide picked us up at the hotel by car. We reached the Lingshan Grand Buddha scenic area around 10:10 am. We spent over two hours there. Around 1 pm we left the scenic area and headed for Li Garden. We grabbed a simple lunch on the way. At about 2:30 pm we arrived at Li Garden. After exploring the garden, it was nearly 4 pm. The guide drove us back to the hotel.

On 8 May after breakfast we checked out and left our luggage at the front desk. The guide picked us up and we arrived at the Three Kingdoms City by 9:30 am. We spent over two hours there and then had lunch. By around 12:40 pm we reached the entrance of Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle). After more than two hours of sightseeing, we got back to the hotel to collect our luggage before 4 pm. The guide then took us to Wuxi Railway Station. We left Wuxi on a train at 6:21 pm and arrived at Yangzhou East Station at 7:32 pm. We took a taxi to Dongguan Street, checked into our hotel, strolled along the streets and had dinner.

On the morning of 9 May, our Yangzhou guide met us as arranged at the entrance of Slender West Lake and led us on a tour. After lunch we went back to the hotel for a short rest. Around 2 pm the guide came to take us to the China Grand Canal Museum. Entry tickets had to be booked in advance; since we are all over 70, admission was free. The guide had already made the reservations for us.

At 9 am on 10 May we met our guide at Daming Temple. We toured Daming Temple for two hours. At 11 am we visited He Garden. The visit ended at noon, and we had lunch. We went back to the hotel for a midday rest. At 2 pm the guide led us along Dongguan Street. At 2:40 pm we entered Ge Garden. We finished sightseeing after 4 pm and returned to the hotel.

On 11 May we got up early, checked out and took a taxi to Yangzhou West Station. We left Yangzhou on a train at 7:58 am and arrived at Nanjing Station at 8:47 am. We checked into our hotel, where our Nanjing guide was already waiting. The guide immediately led us on our tour. We entered the Presidential Palace at 10:30 am and left at 12:30 pm. We had lunch. At nearly 4 pm we entered the Grand Bao’en Temple and left at 5:30 pm. We strolled around Laomendong and Fuzi Miao (Confucius Temple), and had dinner at 6:30 pm. At 7 pm we took a night cruise on the Qinhuai River and left the boat at 8 pm.

On 12 May our guide led us by taxi from 9 am, and we reached the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum at 9:50 am. We toured for an hour. Around 11 am we arrived at Meiling Palace and left at noon. After lunch, we reached the Xuanwu Gate city wall at 1 pm. We climbed the wall and explored. The tour ended at 2 pm and we returned to the hotel.

And so our leisurely tour of three Jiangsu cities was successfully completed.

1. Because all of us on this trip are over 70, some with limited stamina, we still walked over 15,000 steps every day over the six days. For young people that’s nothing, but it was our upper limit. If we had followed the travel designers’ itinerary, we couldn’t have managed it.

2. The three guides in the three cities were all professional and carefully chosen. They arranged sensible sightseeing routes that simplified procedures and saved time. They gave concise introductions at the right moments, ensuring the smooth completion of the trip. All three were warm-hearted and took the initiative to look after the less mobile aunties. Among them, our Yangzhou guide Xiao Xu voluntarily helped an aunt with walking difficulties up and down steps, which deeply moved her.

3. We must praise the Yangzhou guide for flexibly arranging the schedule to accommodate the elderly travellers’ need for a midday nap. Of course, in Wuxi and Nanjing, the circumstances didn’t allow us to return to the hotel for a rest.

4. Shortcomings: When planning the itinerary, we overestimated our own stamina, so that every day we felt “rushed off our feet.” If we had added one more day in each city, the pace would have been much more relaxed (skipping sights was not an option).

This trip was a complete success. The support from the Ctrip platform, the hard work of the travel designers, the efforts of the travel agency staff and the three guides, as well as the care and support of our family members—all were indispensable. Here I would like to express my heartfelt thanks!

Wuxi is full of warmth and water

Do good deeds and cultivate a kind heart in daily life, and when trouble comes you can still grasp the Buddha’s feet for help

Legend says that when Sakyamuni Buddha was born, nine dragons bathed him.

The girl washing silk by the silk-washing stream

CCTV Wuxi Film and TV Base

Re-enacting the charging and fighting of the Three Kingdoms, the three heroes Liu, Guan and Zhang battle Lü Bu

From the Three Kingdoms to the present day, real people and real horses, but no real killing.

Entrance to Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle)

The seven-masted pleasure boat was of the highest standard in its day.

The “yuan” (soft-shelled turtle) is said to be the eighth son of the Dragon King; it does not belong to the tortoise family, though many people mistake it for a tortoise.

Yuantouzhu gets its name because the landform resembles a turtle’s head, and the divine turtle is the guardian spirit of Yuantouzhu.

Looking through the two round windows of the Diaoyutai Pavilion, you see the Five-Pavilion Bridge on the right and the White Pagoda on the left—three key sights of Slender West Lake are in this frame.

China Grand Canal Museum

Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum, with its rich collection, is well worth a careful visit.

The “Fifth Spring” of Daming Temple, claimed to be the fifth finest spring under heaven.

I’m waiting for you on Dongguan Street — a scene from Dongguan Street

Once the Presidential Palace, now a tourist attraction

Where President Sun Yat-sen once chaired meetings

This was once the “Hall of Golden Chimes” of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

Grand Bao’en Temple in Nanjing

Wuyi Lane inside Fuzi Miao