扬州市

Why this place

Yangzhou was one of the wealthiest cities in the world in the eighteenth century because salt merchants lived here, and their gardens and teahouses survived. It is also the home of one of China's most refined cuisines, and of a whole tradition of intricate crafts — jade carving, lacquer and paper-cutting.

What to see

• Slender West Lake (Shouxi Hu) — a linear lake lined with gardens, the city's emblem
• The Geyuan Garden, built around a bamboo grove and four rockeries for the four seasons
• Daming Temple and the Jianzhen memorial hall
• Dongguan Street and the old canal quarter

What to eat

• Yangzhou fried rice — the version the rest of the world knows, done properly here
• Wensi tofu — tofu cut into threads, a test of a chef's knife
• Morning tea (zaocha) — Yangzhou's teahouse breakfast is an institution

Best time

April–May (the city was built to be visited then) and October–November

Practical tips

• Eat breakfast in a teahouse at least once — it is half the reason to come