Yangzhou　china--good68‘sblog

Yangzhou china

[ 2008-1-9 9:48:00 | By: good68 ]


Culture
Dinning Local Cuisine: Yangzhou is the birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine, one of the four major components of Chinese cuisine combining the three styles of Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and Huaian food. It is widely known for its unique history and characteristics. This cuisine is enriched by seafood and also its vegetarian dishes make good use of the ample fruits and vegetables of the region. Yangzhou cuisine stands out from the other three major components of Chinese cuisine for its meticulous selection of ingredients, consummate skill, exquisite shaping and rich cultural connotation. It is special in its own feature in cutting, different ways of cooking for different material and beautiful color. Rich in variety and prepared with meticulous care, Yangzhou food is probably the most popular Chinese food. Yangzhou Style Fried Rice: Rice is the main ingredient in this dish. It is first pounded and then stir-fried with shrimp, ham, egg, peas and seasonal vegetables. Because a variety of seasonal vegetables are used, you taste a variety of wonderful flavors and textures! "Lion-Head" Meatball with Crab Roe: This dish is the symbol of Huaiyang cuisine and it requires very complicated procedure. First mix the ground pork, egg white, crabmeat, rice wine, salt, scallions and ginger into a rather stiff mixture. Then divide it into 4 portions and roll each portion into a meatball. Add cabbage, chicken broth together with meatballs into casserole and place on low heat and simmer for long time until its done. It has the fragrance of the pork and crab and the color of the dish is as bright as orange. It tastes rich but not greasy. Shopping Gan Quan Road: For super cheap buys head to the clothing and trinket store lined Guoqing and Ganquan roads. Don't be afraid to bargain here as well. Anything you find in the touristy areas can be found on these streets for half the price. This is the old part of Yangzhou and its tree lined narrow streets have a very different, time warped feel than other parts of the city. The historic center of Yangzhou is where these two streets meet, still without a stop light. Riding a pedicab through this area is an interesting way to get around. Tian Ning Antique Market: This is one of the best places in Yangzhou to score a rare found gift. Chinese art and antique stores line courtyard's outer edge and are open seven days a week. On the weekends the place gets especially busy when the courtyard fills with vendors selling anything from old coins and jade bracelets to ear pickers and carved wooden dragons. Don't forget to bargain hard!

City introduction

Yangzhou, the City Lost in Time
Awash in monuments of its former glory, Yangzhou is a great place to escape the urban grind and lose yourself in the relics of its cosmopolitan past. For a small Chinese city, the abundance of historic sites substantiates Yangzhou's former reputation as one of southern China's economic and culture centers.

Lying just north of the Yangtze River and a major trade center on the Grand Canal, Yangzhou is only an hour bus ride from Nanjing, and three hours from Shanghai. Emperors used to visit Yangzhou by boat to enjoy its distinct architecture and famously beautiful women, among other things. Yangzhou reached its heyday over a thousand years ago as a salt distribution center during the Tang Dynasty. Because of this the city accumulated wealth allowing for a flourishing arts and literary scene that continues to this day. Numerous museums, galleries, and art stores display extraordinary traditional works by local artists, and another famous Yangzhou product, ornate lacquer ware, can be purchased at shops throughout the city.
Today, there are an unbelievable amount of tourist activities in this small relaxed city. The willow tree lined Slender West Lake is a huge, must see park, and both He and Ge Gardens make for pleasant visits as well. One can just as easily spend a day exploring the ancient alleys and quiet canal side paths while at night eating some of China's more interesting cuisine and relaxing at the city's over abundance of bath houses.