"Yangzhou 2-Day Slow Living Getaway! Savor morning tea, enjoy back scrubbing, and stroll through gardens with half the crowds of Suzhou and Hangzhou!"

【Yangzhou 2-Day Slow Living Guide】Fewer crowds than Suzhou, more relaxing than Hangzhou! The ultimate experience of morning tea, bathhouse culture, and garden exploration

🚩 Day 1: Classic Yangzhou Flavors – Morning Tea + Gardens + Back Scrubbing
⏰ Morning: "Skin-Wrapped Water" – The ritual of Yangzhou morning tea
📍 Recommendations: Fuchun Teahouse / Quyuan Teahouse
✔ Must-try: Crab roe soup dumplings, San Ding buns, dried tofu shreds in broth, thousand-layer oil cake
❗ Pro tip: Arrive before 7 AM, or expect over an hour in line!

⏰ Afternoon: One of China's Four Great Gardens – Ge Garden
📍 Highlights: Four-season rockeries, serene bamboo groves, salt merchant mansions
📸 Photo spot: The red-leaf window view in front of Baoshan Tower (stunning in autumn)
💡 Alternative: If crowds bother you, visit He Garden (the "No.1 Garden of the Late Qing Dynasty," less crowded and exquisite)

⏰ Evening: Dongguan Street + Caiyi Street – Explore old Yangzhou while snacking
🍡 Snack recommendations:
- Jiangjiaqiao Dumpling Noodle Shop (must-try shrimp roe wontons)
- Simple Tea & Plain Rice (chewy lotus root starch balls)
- Yangzhou braised goose (any street vendor – never disappoints)

⏰ Night: "Water-Wrapped Skin" – Experience Yangzhou’s back-scrubbing culture
🔥 Must-do: Intangible cultural heritage-level back scrubbing + hot towel treatment (~¥100/person, heavenly!)
📍 Recommendation: Yangzhou Scrub Bathhouse (Classic Branch No.1)

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🚩 Day 2: Slender West Lake + Hidden Gems – Escape the crowds
⏰ Morning: Slender West Lake highlights (energy-saving route)
📍 Route: South Gate → Long Dike Spring Willows → Five Pavilion Bridge → White Pagoda → Twenty-Four Bridges → North Gate
🕐 Time-saver: Take a rowboat (¥60/person) and listen to the boatwoman’s folk songs
❗ Avoid: Skip combo tickets – the core area is enough!

⏰ Afternoon: Secret artistic corners
1️⃣ Erfen Mingyue Lou: Free moon-themed garden, ultra-romantic
2️⃣ Xiaopan Valley: A mini Suzhou-style garden hidden in alleys, nearly empty
3️⃣ Renfeng Lane: Yangzhou’s artsy old quarter, with cafés and heritage workshops

⏰ Evening: Take Yangzhou flavors home
🛍 Souvenirs:
- Sanhe Simei pickles (perfect with rice)
- Xie Fuchang cosmetics (century-old duck egg powder)
- Daqilin Pavilion pastries (nostalgic Jingguo powder)

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🏨 Accommodation tips
✔ Best location: Near Dongguan Street (e.g., Changle Inn)
✔ Budget-friendly: Around Slender West Lake (quiet with great views)

🚗 Transportation tips
➊ No subway in Yangzhou; taxi starts at ¥9, most rides between attractions under ¥15
➋ Plenty of shared e-bikes – perfect for leisurely city exploration!

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✨ Yangzhou’s essence isn’t about ticking boxes but embracing slow living –
"Morning skin-wrapped water, evening water-wrapped skin" – this is the true Jiangnan!

(Save this guide to avoid 99% of tourist traps!)