Jiangsu Travel Guide
Jiangsu Province sits over in eastern China on the Yellow Sea and features one of the most delectable coastlines in Asia. Jiangsu is one of China’s most diverse provinces for tourists, with mighty attractions like the Yangtze River, the Grand Canal, and mega cities like Nanjing.
The best part of Jiangsu Province is the 900km-long stretch of Yellow Sea where numerous towns and cities reside, along with ancient villages and walls. Nanjing, in the southwest of the province, is one of China’s six ancient capitals and is the main center in Jiangsu.
It resides on the southern bank of the bottom end of the mighty Yangtze River and comes with more attractions than an average tourist would hope to see in any given time. Major Nanjing landmarks include the impressive Yangtze River Bridge and the Mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-sen. Also noteworthy are the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, one of China’s largest imperial tombs, and Yu Hua Tai.
A couple hundred kilometers southeast of Nanjing - a mere blip in the great scheme of things - is one of the so-called water towns. Suzhou is the most famous with its interconnected rivers and streams and features World Heritage Chinese classical gardens. Getting about is chiefly by boat.
Nearby Wuxi is an economical powerhouse and has an array of shopping malls and markets, while right up in the northwest is the town of Xuzhou known for its terracotta warriors. Closer to Nanjing is the temple-clad town of Zhenjiang.
Spring and autumn are the best times of year to visit Jiangsu to avoid the hot and wet summers and cold winters. Lukou International Airport in Nanjing is the main gateway by air to Jiangsu, with flights from throughout Asia and Europe, as well as from all over China. Flight time from Hong Kong is around 2 hours.
Jiangsu is well connected by rail, with high-speed services from Shanghai and Hangzhou to centers all over Jiangsu, including Nanjing, Wuxi, and Suzhou in the south. Boats come in along the Yangtze and Grand Canal. Jiangsu is also well connected by road although tourists are not permitted to drive in China.