Spring in Yangzhou: A 2-Day Culinary & Cultural Escape

🌿 Spring in Yangzhou: A 2-Day Culinary & Cultural Escape

📅 Itinerary: Lakeside Serenity & Timeless Alleys
**Day 1: Lakeside Zen & Ancient Lanterns**
**Morning**: Must-visit **Slender West Lake** – Glide on a paddleboat (💰100/person) while listening to folk songs, pass the Twenty-Four Bridges, and admire the White Pagoda mirrored in emerald waters with spring snowflake blooms.
*Pro tip*: Frame the Five-Pavilion Bridge through Fishing Platform’s fan-shaped window for a "living ink painting."

**Afternoon**: Ascend **Daming Temple’s** Qiling Pagoda for panoramic views, then explore Jianzhen’s Tang-dynasty pilgrimage murals.

**Evening**: Lantern-lit **Dongguan Street** – Savor Jiangjiaqiao’s noodle dumplings (💰8) and Zhao’s layered pork-stuffed glutinous balls (💰10/4). The lantern corridor transports you centuries back.

**Day 2: Gardens & Sunset by the Canal**
**Morning**: **Geyuan Garden + Heyuan Garden** – Marvel at Geyuan’s "Four Seasons Rockery" bamboo wonders (💰45) and Heyuan’s 1,500-meter double-decker corridors for "flower-in-mirror" photos (💰45).

**Afternoon**: **Grand Canal Museum** – Immerse in 5D canal history! Rooftop sunset views blend sail silhouettes with neon lights (free, booking required).

**Dusk**: Artsy **Pishi Street** – Pose with "Yangzhou Slow" lanterns at Hanson Bear Teahouse, sip Guangling’s cold-brewed Green Poplar tea.

🍜 Culinary Highlights: Huaiyang Delicacies
**Breakfast Big Three** (arrive before 6:30am to skip queues!):
- **Quyuan Teahouse**: Emperor Qianlong’s favorite! Jade-hued chive dumplings and crab roe soup buns (💰80/person).
- **Fuchun Teahouse**: "Three-Province Tea" with savory San Ding buns (💰50/person).
- **Garden Teahouse**: Locals’ pick! Tofu-skin buns with meaty texture, crispy bamboo-filled San Ding buns (💰30/person).

**Late-Night Bites 🌙**:
- **Wangyue Road Stalls**: Garlic butter lobsters + beer, a local midnight feast.
- **Bixiangju**: Pepper-pork noodles & purple rice porridge (💰15 fills you up).

🏨 Stay in the Scenery
- **Couples/Photographers**: **Mercure Dongguan Street** loft rooms with canal views (💰339↑).
- **Families**: **Slender West Lake Hot Spring Resort** private villas + kids’ zone (💰458↑).
- **Budget-Friendly**: **Hampton by Hilton Wenchang Road** – 10 mins to Geyuan, family rooms with bathtubs (💰348↑).

🚩 Local Secrets
- **Transport**: E-bikes + walking for old town; night cruises from Bianyimen Pier (💰60/person).
- **Tips**: Caishi Street snacks are affordable (crab roe buns under 💰30); choose paddleboats over motorboats at Slender West Lake.
- **Hidden Gems**: Free! Songjia Forest biking, Straw Stack Bookstore cloud-watching, Phoenix Island wetland bird songs.