5 Days in Changzhou

The temple quarter dates to the Tang 630s with the 153.79-metre Tianning Pagoda finished in 2007; Hongmei Park keeps the 48-metre Wenbi Pagoda of the 480s, and canal-side Qingguo Lane is where Zhou Youguang, born here in 1906, grew up.

1. changzhou tianning temple
2. changzhou hongmei park
3. changzhou qingguo lane

The park opened in 2000 around a dinosaur museum; hit the headliners before 11am, dip into the fossil hall at midday, and leave room for the water rides in the afternoon.

1. changzhou dinosaur park

An 80-km run south (1.5 hours by car) to the lake backed by hills; a boat loop, the lakeshore walk and a casserole fish-head lunch fill the day, and overnight in Liyang town puts you at the bamboo sea gate in the morning.

1. changzhou tianmu lake

Roughly 23 square kilometres of bamboo climb the Nanshan valley — ride the ground cable car up, walk the valley boardwalks, then soak at the adjacent hot spring as the valley cools.

1. changzhou nanshan bamboo sea
2. changzhou yushui hot spring

Back in the city, the Yancheng earthworks south of town preserve a triple-walled, triple-moated city of about 2,700 years ago; the city museum's pottery and lacquer finds from the site set the scene before an evening train.

1. changzhou yancheng ruins
2. changzhou museum