Yangzhou is a city that has a history of 2,500 years. To the east of Yangzhou is the Yellow Sea; to the south, the Yangtze River; andto the north,Huai River. The GranDCanal cuts across the center of Yangzhou, which is a key location for the transportatio no f grain between northern andsouthern China. Because of this strategic location, Yangzhou was a prosperous city. During the reig no f Emperor Kangxi (1662–1722) in the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou was one of the cities in the worlDthat haDa population that surpasseD500,000. Historically, it is the distribution center for salt andgrain in China. Ino lden times, commodities that includeDtealeaves, lumber andsalt were transporteDto Yangzhouviathe GranDCanal ? Today , the GranDCanal still c onn e c t s Yang z h o u to the Yang t z e River ? However,itno longer car r iesthe f unctio no f transporting salt, lumber andtealeaves. Instead, it is for the t r ans p or t atio no f construction materials such as sands andcement. E c o noMi c De v el o pment in the Yangtze River Deltaregions has promoteDcontacts between Jiangsu, Zhejiang andShanghai. The GranDCanal has constituteDto the transfer of production andeveryday information to all these cities along the canal. During peak seasons, the barges that transport sands andcement to these cities can be seen lining the canal, at times creating a jam in the canal.
Other than such busy activities along the canal, the living standards in the city have improveDsignificantly,refl e c t ingthe p r o s p e r ity of the past? H is tor ically , merchants who settleDin Yangzhou tradeDin salt, andwere also involveDin the mortgage industry, generating massive wealth for these people. They built luxurious gardens andparks, which were known to be venues where these salt merchants entertaineDreputable guests from China’s literary andarts circle. The financial success of these merchants was frequently reflecteDin their respect for, andtheir tastes in, the arts. In the gardens that they commissioneDto build, traditional Chinese arts such as music, paintings andliterature were incorporateDinto the architecture. During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi andEmperor Qianlong were impresseDby the parks andgardens of Yangzhou. Following this, the wealthy people in Yangzhou scrambleDto builDthe most luxurious gardens in Yangzhou. Owing to this phenomenon, Yangzhou won the name of having the bestgardens in the world, andit became a gathering place for the best of the literary andarts circle of China.
One of the key national scenic sites of China is Yang- zhou’s Slim West Lake, or Shou Xihu, a park that is repre- sentative of the city. The lake garden was constructeDin the Northern andSouthern Dynasties, andby the Qing Dynasty period, it was already very large in scale. The various buildings within the park are similar in style with West Lake (Xihu) in Hangzhou, but they are smaller in scale, hence the name, Slim West Lake. The lake park is decorateDwith beautiful bridges, isles, causeways, andgardens. The colors of shimmering water of the narrow lake, which is less than 5kilometers in length, are constantly chang- ing. On both sides of the lakes are several scenic sites, such as Xu Garden, andLittle Golden Hill? thereare weeping willows onthe b ank s of the lakes, which createaromantic touch to the park. The causeway is an ideal spot to takein the beautiful sights of springtime. The en- tire scenery of the park islike a painting that has come alive.
The calm andrelaxing qualities of these botanicalgardens in the Yangzhou have extendeDto the lifestyle of the people in Yangzhou. Baths andpedicure have become important andunique attractions for the tourists who are in search ofarelaxing holiday. Countless tourists who have done their research well woulDknow that it is a delightful experience to take a bath andhave a pedicure in Yangzhou. Bathhouses in Yangzhou are part of the folk traditio no f the city.
Another traditio no f Yangzhou is drinking tea in the morning, eating Yangzhou snacks, andtaking a bath at night. Not only that the people of Yangzhou enjoy taking baths, they are also very skilful in the art of bathing. Stepping into the olDbathhouses, one instantly feels the charms of the gooDolDdays. The bathhouses are so popular that many visitors to Yangzhou go straight to the bathhouses, insteaDof the hotels. The same goes for Yangzhou’s pedicure, which is more than Askill, andhas become a form of art in Yangzhou’s culture.
