Yangzhou, Museums More Worth Visiting Than the Grand Canal Museum...

Among Yangzhou's museums, the Grand Canal Museum is currently the most popular. However, based on personal experience, aside from the Grand Canal Museum, the Yangzhou Museum, Emperor Yang of Sui Mausoleum Museum, and the Han Guangling King Tomb Museum offer far better experiences. The Grand Canal Museum is too large and lacks significant artifacts, though it excels in digital exhibits, making it more suitable for families with children. 🌟Among Yangzhou's museums, my top recommendation is the Yangzhou Museum. In addition to its two permanent national treasures prohibited from leaving China: the "Yuan Dynasty Blue-Glazed White Dragon Plum Blossom Vase" and the "Tang Dynasty Changsha Kiln Green-Glazed Brown-Green Dot-Patterned Cloud-Lotus Twin-Handled Jar," it also features special exhibitions like "Splendor of Clouds and Water" showcasing Jiangnan gold and silverware, "Shared Brilliance" with calligraphy and paintings by Bada Shanren and the Yangzhou Eccentrics, and "Radiant Splendor" displaying exquisite Ming and Qing porcelain from the collection. It’s worth spending half a day here. 🏨Due to the hot weather, I stayed at the Yangzhou Shangri-La opposite the Yangzhou Museum for convenient access—just a short walk across the street. The room, decorated in a modern Chinese style, overlooks Mingyue Lake. The lobby bar’s outdoor space connects to a serene Chinese garden, perfect for photos in the cooler evening hours. 🍴For dinner, I finally got to try the long-awaited Shang Palace, which was awarded one of the three highest Michelin one-star ratings in Jiangsu in the first edition of the Jiangsu Michelin Guide (Jiangsu has no two-star restaurants). In my opinion, even without the Michelin accolade, Shang Palace still ranks among the top three Huaiyang cuisine restaurants in Jiangsu. For me, skipping Slender West Lake in Yangzhou is fine, but missing Shang Palace is not an option. 🥢The freshly released "Must-Try Yangzhou Dim Sum List" at the end of June includes Liuyuan Chun Tea House, a solid contender. Locals say, "In the morning, skin wraps water; in the evening, water wraps skin." For us out-of-towners, the proper way to experience Yangzhou is "morning at Chun Tea House, evening at Shang Palace" haha... 🎫During the Jiangsu Super Travel period, visitors with a Jiangsu ID card can enjoy free admission to all attractions in Yangzhou! A single ticket to Slender West Lake usually costs 100 yuan, but now it’s completely free. Compared to Nanjing and Suzhou, Yangzhou is clearly more generous—haha!