7 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

Su Dongpo chose Changzhou for his last months and died here in 1101 — Dongpo Park marks the riverside spot where his boat moored, and the restored houses of Qianhou Bei'an sit a short walk north.

1. changzhou dongpo park
2. changzhou qianhou beian

The park opened in 2000 around a dinosaur museum; ride the headliners before 11am, read the fossil hall at midday, and keep the water rides for the warmest hours.

1. changzhou dinosaur park

South of town, Yancheng preserves a triple-walled, triple-moated city of about 2,700 years ago; the adjacent theme park stages the Spring-Autumn era, and the city museum holds the site's dugout canoe finds.

1. changzhou yancheng ruins
2. changzhou yancheng spring autumn park
3. changzhou museum

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 — overnight in Liyang town.

1. changzhou tianmu lake

Roughly 23 square kilometres of bamboo climb the Nanshan valley — the ground cable car saves the climb, and the adjacent hot spring suits the cool valley evening.

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

West into Jintan district, where the Maoshan ridge carries hilltop temples and long views; the adjacent Oriental Salt Lake resort (opened 2016) reworks local salt-boiling history into a village of pools and shows, and the evening HSR back takes under an hour.

1. changzhou maoshan
2. changzhou dongfang yanhu city