Things to do in Gaoyou

No. 10 of Family-friendly Attractions in Jiangsu

China Grand Canal Museum

China Grand Canal Museum, referred to as "Yunbo" and "Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum" in full, is located on Kaifa East Road, Guangling District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province (about 150 meters northwest of Sanwan Wetland Park), covering an area of 200 mu, with a total construction area About 80,000 square meters, affiliated to the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, is a local modern comprehensive museum integrating cultural relics protection, scientific research exhibition, and leisure experience. It is a landmark project for the construction of the Grand Canal National Cultural Park. Nanjing Museum is responsible for the exhibition and operations.

No. 11 of Family-friendly Attractions in Shanghai

TASTE OF CHINA Immersive Chinese Restaurant

Nestled within Shanghai's century-old landmark, the Old Municipal Government Building, "Taste of China" is an immersive dining experience created by Trip.com Group as a panoramic cultural destination space. Through multi-sensory interactive technology, witness the roaring Yellow River waterfalls beside you and the misty Li River landscapes unfolding on your table—each bite captures China's majestic beauty. Chef Panda "Bao Bao" guides you through seven signature Chinese dishes, unlocking a millennia-spanning journey from ancient to modern China. Deconstructing travel views through digital art and bridging cultural gaps with culinary philosophy, global diners here don't just savor premium Chinese cuisine—they embark on a profound "from palate to soul" odyssey: tasting China, understanding China, and ultimately falling in love with China.

No. 3 of Activities in Jiangsu

Garden Tours in Yangzhou

No. 3 of Global Traveller-Picked Attractions in Yangzhou

Dongguan Street

Dongguan Street is located in the center of Yangzhou. The main street is made from slates which had been paved piece by piece. Walking along the street, you can often catch glimpses of the salt merchants' courtyards made from blue bricks and gray tiles. The areas where local food and specialties are concentrated add to the fascination for visitors. It is truly worthy of its reputation as a representative historical old street of Yangzhou City. Dongguan Street extends in the east to the Ancient Canal and in the west to Guoqing Road. It is 1,122 meters long in total. The Dongguan Ancient Pier on its eastern end was a bustling terminal of Yangzhou in the Tang Dynasty. The presence of the pier had enabled the development of the trade-intensive downtown Dongguan Street. The current Dongguan Street still maintains its appearance during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

No. 11 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Jiangsu

Lizhong Water Forest Scenic Spot

Lizhong Water Forest Park is a man-made ecological forest where various trees adapted to living in water, such as the pond cypress and dawn redwood, are planted. Economic products like taro and rapeseed are grown among the trees. The more than 10,000 pond cypresses, dawn redwoods, and other trees planted here have already matured into a dense, vigorous, garden on the water. Hop a wooden raft to shuttle through the waterways and view the many trees growing up out of the water. It is an eyeful of green, this natural oxygen bar, and a great place for city dwellers to get back to nature.

No. 8 of Best Things to Do in Yangzhou

Museum of Han Guangling King

Yangzhou Museum of Han Guangling King, also known as the Museum of Han Guangling King, opened in May 1992 and is now a national 4A-level tourist attraction. TheMuseum of Han Guangling Kingis located onShugang and is a cultural site that integrates Han dynasty artifacts with Han-style architecture, reflecting the historical and cultural landscape of Han dynasty Yangzhou. Here, you will see the tomb exhibition of Liu Xu, the first King of Guangling of the Western Han dynasty, and his queen. These 2 imperial-level "huangchang ticou" wooden-chamber tombs are highly renowned both domestically and internationally. The museum mainly features: Guangling King Underground Palace, Queen's Palace, Guangling Tidal Surge, Museum of Han Guangling King - Special Exhibition Hall, Xijun Visiting Relatives Cultural Park, Cultural and Archaeological Experience Hall, and more.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in West Lake

Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area

Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area is located west of West Lake Scenic Area, including Lingyin Temple andFeilai peakTwo main views.Feilai peakNot large or tall, yet it gathers hundreds of statues of bodhisattvas and eminent monks from different dynasties, creating a beauty of fusion. The Lingyin Temple in the mountains is a famous ancient temple in Hangzhou, bustling with incense offerings. Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area itself is not very large, and you can explore it on foot. After entering the main gate, turn left, and you'll see it in no time.Feilai peak, following the forest trail for less than 5 minutes, you'll see the entrance to Qinglin Cave. It's said that the stone slab in front of the cave was once the sleeping bed of Ji Gong, and lying on it is believed to free one from worldly troubles, attracting many travelers to take a rest here. Heading north, the Yuru Cave houses exquisite statues of the Eighteen Arhats from the Northern Song Dynasty, with additional finely crafted statues of the Six Patriarchs of Zen Buddhism on both sides of the cave's eastern entrance. The Longhong cave ahead is commonly known asGuanyin caveInside, there is a rock crevice known as "a thread of sky." Not everyone can see the light passing through the crevice, so you often see people craning their necks to look up. The cliff outside the cave is covered with stone carvings of Buddha statues. At the lower part, you can see the Song Dynasty carving of "the white horse carrying scriptures." The Ligong Pagoda at the entrance of Longhong Cave is the only remaining Ming Dynasty pagoda in Hangzhou. Following the Cold Spring Stream from here, you can also see the big-bellied Maitreya. Opposite the stone carvings stands the famous Lingyin Temple, which is open to the public free of charge but requires real-name reservation in advance, and is still well worth a visit. The statue of Skanda in the heavenly king hall is a relic from the Southern Song dynasty, carved from a single piece of camphor wood, making it extremely precious. The newly renovated Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou is located next to Lingyin Temple. Follow the signs uphill to reach it. Besides the serene ancient architecture, the temple grounds also feature a tea plantation and many ancient trees, offering quite a scenic view. Visitors must return the same way from Yongfu Temple. For those who wish to hike, there is a fork in the path halfway back to Lingyin Temple, leading to Taoguang Temple's exit and onward to Beigao Peak. This route is quiet with few people, making for a pleasant walk. Beigao Peak can be reached by hiking or taking a cable car. At the summit, the Temple of the First Wealth God under Heaven is one of Hangzhou's famous ancient temples.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Humble Administrator's Garden

The Humble Administrator's Garden is a famous garden in Suzhou, with water as its central feature, surrounded by artfully arranged rockeries and exquisite courtyard buildings, all flourishing with plants. This exemplary Jiangnan garden, along with Beijing's Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort, and Suzhou's Lingering Garden, is collectively known as the "four great gardens of China" and has been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list. The garden's design is exquisitely crafted, offering "a unique view with every step" as you explore, with every corner embodying the charm of Jiangnan water towns. Its winding paths lead through layered archways and stone walls with intricate cutouts, where no two pavilions or windows are alike—each perfectly complemented by surrounding flora to create picturesque scenes. You could easily spend hours photographing here. The garden is divided into eastern, central, and western sections, each with distinct features. The central garden largely preserves the simple and natural style of Ming Dynasty gardens, representing the essence of the entire complex and warranting thorough exploration. The eastern garden offers more open spaces, while the western garden features exquisite architecture. At the southern end of the Humble Administrator's Garden lies Suzhou Garden Museum, China's specialized museum dedicated to garden art. Humble Administrator's Garden features major views including Lanxue hall, Hanqing pavilion, Yuanxiang hall, Xiangzhou boat, Thirty-six mandarin ducks hall, and bonsai garden. Two particularly interesting sights stand out: first is the "borrowed view of Beisi pagoda"—when looking westward from the east garden, the pagoda 1 km away appears within the garden, creating a popular photo opportunity for travelers, with this borrowed scenery technique visible throughout the grounds during exploration. Second is the "small flying rainbow bridge" in the central garden, where vermilion railings reflected in water resemble a rainbow, forming an exceptionally beautiful view centered on this bridge. The garden's floral displays change with the seasons: azalea exhibition in spring, lotus exhibition in summer, chrysanthemum exhibition in fall, and fruit bonsai exhibition around the Spring Festival.

No. 19 of Night Attractions in Jiangsu

Canal Sanwan Scenic Area

Yangzhou Canal Sanwan Scenic Area is one of the five core parks in the construction of Yangzhou park system and one of the top ten ecological centers in Yangzhou. It is located in the central area of southern Yangzhou. The scenic spot is a city park with Sanwan Park as the core, the ancient canal as the axis, and the two ancient cultural temples (Gaomin Temple and Wenfeng Temple) as the endpoints.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Zhejiang

Lingyin Temple

Lingyin Temple, also known as "Yunlin Temple," is located at the foot of Lingyin Mountain on the west side of West Lake. With its serene environment, it is the oldest renowned temple in Hangzhou, preserving numerous exquisite cultural relics from various dynasties. This is the place where Jigong became a monk, and it is said that prayers made here are very efficacious, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers every day. Seventeen hundred years of trials have made Lingyin Temple a treasure trove of history and culture: the plaque inscribed "Yunlin Chan Temple" hanging in the heavenly king hall was written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty; the stone pagoda in front of the main hall and the stone sutra pillar in front of the heavenly king hall are relics from the Wuyue period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms; the temple houses precious Buddhist artifacts such as ancient palm-leaf scriptures, a gilded statue from the Eastern Wei dynasty, a handwritten copy of the "Diamond Sutra" by Dong Qichang of the Ming dynasty, and the wooden dragon sutra from the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty. Lingyin Temple is also where the monk "Jigong" (Daoji) was ordained. In the Daoji Chan Master Hall of Lingyin Temple, a statue of Jigong is enshrined, holding a broken fan in his right hand, prayer beads in his left, and resting his right foot on a wine jar. Lingyin Temple is nestled against the Northern Peak and faces Feilai Peak. Though Feilai Peak is not tall, it features numerous fantastically shaped caves and over 340 Buddhist rock carvings dating back to the Five Dynasties period, making it a rare gem of ancient grotto art in southern China. The temple enjoys year-round bustling incense offerings, especially on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or major Buddhist festivals, when devotees flock from all directions, creating massive crowds.