Experience the best of Changzhou

Changzhou lies on the Grand Canal in the Yangtze Delta, between Nanjing and Wuxi and close to Taihu Lake. The town prospered as one of the canal's stops after the Sui dynasty built it in the early seventh century. Tianning Temple, one of the largest Zen Buddhist temples in China, stands just east of the centre beside Hongmei Park, and its pagoda, first raised in the Tang dynasty and rebuilt several times since, now rises about 154 metres, among the tallest in the world.

Qingguo Lane keeps traditional houses and shops, and Comb Lane recalls the wooden combs for which Changzhou has long been known, along with its bamboo carving. At Yancheng, a site from the Spring and Autumn period, the remains of three concentric walls and moats can be seen. Tianmu Lake lies among hills in Liyang, to the south.

Southern Jiangsu cooking leans to the sweet side and relies on freshwater fish, shrimp and crab from the lakes and canals, and Changzhou's local snacks include sesame cake, sesame candy and pickled radish. The climate is damp and humid, with spring and autumn the mildest seasons.