镇江市

Why this place

Zhenjiang sits where the Grand Canal meets the Yangtze, which made it a strategic crossing for two thousand years. It is famous in China for black vinegar — the same style as Shanxi's, and taken very seriously here.

What to see

• Jinshan Temple, on an island-hill in the river, the setting of a famous legend about a snake spirit
• The Yangtze riverside and the old canal confluence
• Xijindu, the old stone-paved ferry street, which is the most atmospheric part of town

What to eat

• Zhenjiang black vinegar (xiangcu) — buy a bottle
• Yangtze river fish: shad and pufferfish are the local delicacies in season

Best time

April–May for the shad season; October–November for the riverside