HanPath

常州市

cháng zhōu · Changzhou

A canal city with an amusement park and a very old pagoda

Why this place

Changzhou is a Grand Canal manufacturing city between Nanjing and Shanghai, one of the wealthiest in Jiangsu. It has a small but good old canal quarter and a pair of Tang-dynasty pagodas, plus theme parks that draw people from across the region.

What to see

  • Tianning Temple and its Tang pagoda, the oldest standing structure in the city
  • The Grand Canal and Qingguo Lane, a restored Ming–Qing lane district
  • The Beijing–Hangzhou canal heritage, which runs right through town

What to eat

  • Changzhou dry-braised fish and lake dishes
  • Da ma gao and the local sweet pastry tradition

Best time

April–May and September–October

江苏省 · Jiangsu China Guide