Misty March | Experience slow living in a century-old house in Yangzhou

|Experience slow living in a century-old house in Yangzhou. A thousand years ago, the great poet Li Bai composed the timeless verse "Misty March," transforming Yangzhou into an unfading ink painting. It also evokes our boundless imagination for this ancient city.
Our previous trip to Yangzhou coincided with a heavy downpour, and the severe flooding in the old city left us with many regrets.
Now, during the very season of mid-spring that Li Bai celebrated, with the bright moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges awakening amidst the shadows of viburnum flowers, we finally have the leisure to experience the slow life of Yangzhou amidst a sea of blossoms.
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Sharing our itinerary:
Day 1: Wenchang Pavilion—Siwang Pavilion—Red Bridge—Shi Gong Ancestral Hall—Slender West Lake
Day 2: Dongguan Street—Geyuan Garden—Yipu Garden—Pishi Street—He Garden
Day 3: Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum
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This time, we stayed in a century-old house in the old city.
The Bingou Mansion, formerly the residence of Zhang Bingyan, a late Qing Dynasty scholar and guardian of Yangzhou's culture, is also a salt merchant's mansion and private garden. With seven entrances and exits, and nine courtyards, it has been meticulously restored over three years, now residing in the ancient alley of Dongquanmen with a renewed ancient charm.
The black-brick gate opens to half of Yangzhou's history, the mortise and tenon beams and pillars hold the secrets of time, the flower windows capture the moon, the copper locks guard the doors, and lodging here is like stepping into a solidified scroll of time.
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Waking up in the morning, the mist, flowers, and birdsong awaken the eaves of the black-tiled roof. In the evening, leaning against the railing, the lights of the ancient street spill over the century-old brick walls.
Enjoy a cup of Green Yangchun tea at Xi Yan, followed by a morning tea. Step out the door and you're on Dongguan Street and Pishi Street, and Slender West Lake is not far away.
With a gentle breeze and the fragrance of flowers, stroll through the old alleys and ancient streets, along the canals and gardens.
There's no need to rush, the bluestone slabs will lead you to encounters with cats perched on walls, wisteria and viburnum flowers peeking through the leaky windows, or the clanging sounds from lacquerware workshops.
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This is the slow pace of Yangzhou that we cherish.