China · Jiangsu
Where to Stay in Yangzhou, Jiangsu
Yangzhou is an old canal city in Jiangsu, eastern China, famed for its classical gardens and the Grand Canal.
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Where to stay in Yangzhou
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
In Yangzhou the choice comes down to the old town. The lanes around the gardens and the old streets keep the Geyuan, the markets, and the canals within a walk, and staying in the centre suits anyone here for the old city. The waterways glow with lanterns at night.
Rooms sit in the old courtyards near the gardens. Out toward Slender West Lake and the newer districts, the city opens into parks and wide roads. A room by the lake trades the old lanes for gardens, willows, and a walk along the scenic water.
The canal runs quiet past the parks. If you want the gardens and the markets, stay in the old town; if you want the lake, take a room by the water. Either way, the old city is close at hand.
About Yangzhou
Yangzhou grew rich on salt and the canal.
What is Yangzhou known for?
For centuries the merchants of this Grand Canal city were among the wealthiest in China, and they laid out exquisite gardens like the Geyuan and the He Garden, and the scenic waters of Slender West Lake. Daming Temple crowns a hill above the town. Water and gardens made its fame.
What are the main landmarks in Yangzhou?
Slender West Lake is Yangzhou's loveliest sight. Its willow-lined waters wind past pavilions and the graceful Five Pavilion Bridge, the pride of the city, north of the old town. Gardens hide behind the walls.
The Geyuan is famed for its rockeries and bamboo, the He Garden for its winding galleries, while Daming Temple crowns a hill with its pagoda and halls.
What is the history of Yangzhou?
Yangzhou stood at the crossroads of China's waters. When the Grand Canal was cut to join the great rivers, the city rose at the meeting of the canal and the Yangtze, and it grew into one of the richest and most cultured cities in the empire. Salt made its fortune.
The merchants who held the salt trade grew fabulously wealthy, and they built exquisite gardens, theatres, and mansions to fill their leisure. Poets and painters flocked to the gardens. Yangzhou became a byword for refinement and pleasure, its scholars and courtesans famous across China, and the emperors themselves came south to admire the beauty of Slender West Lake.
The canal trade faded in time. As railways and steamships drew the traffic away, the city grew quiet, but it kept its lovely gardens and old lanes almost whole. The Geyuan and the He Garden still stand among the streets.
Yangzhou guards its canal-age grace beside the water.
Where is Yangzhou?
Yangzhou lies on the plain north of the Yangtze. The city spreads across the flat, watery land of central Jiangsu, where the Grand Canal meets the great river amid a maze of lakes and channels. Rice fields and canals fill the plain.
The waterways run through the whole city.
What is the climate of Yangzhou?
Yangzhou has a mild, humid climate. Hot, wet summers bring the monsoon rains to the canals, and the winters turn cold and grey on the plain, with rain spread through the year. Mist rises off the water in the cool months.
The gardens stay green much of the year.
How do you get to Yangzhou?
Yangzhou lies on the canal north of the Yangtze. Fast trains and expressways run to the city from Nanjing and Shanghai, and great bridges cross the river nearby, while boats still work the Grand Canal. Buses reach the water towns around.
Most arrive by rail across the delta.
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More cities in Jiangsu
Updated August 2026