At this moment, under the warm autumn sun, the autumn scenery of Jiangnan slowly spreads among the mountains and waters. On November 23rd, I took the T152 train to Yangzhou to search for the long-awaited beauty of Jiangnan's autumn scenery. This trip to the south of the Yangtze River, returning from Yangzhou - Nanjing - Wuxi - Shanghai - Suzhou - Huzhou - Hangzhou, decided to abandon Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, Xitang... which have been complained about by the public for a long time, and walk through the small number of ancient towns, old streets, and villages.

Yangzhou

Yangzhou not only has the scenery of "Ten Miles of Yangzhou Road in Spring Breeze", but also the romance of "Yangzhou in March with Fireworks". Even morning tea has become a local specialty, with the saying 'skin wrapped in water in the morning, skin wrapped in water at night'. This means that the daily routine of Yangzhou people going to tea houses in the morning and taking baths in the bathroom at night fully embodies their pursuit of quality of life. Upon arrival in Yangzhou, first go to the century old shop "Yechun Tea House" to taste authentic Yangzhou cuisine such as lion's head, crab powder soup dumplings, and four-color pancakes; Revisit the Daming Temple, known as the "number one scenic spot" in Yangzhou, and the "landmark building" Wenchang Pavilion in Yangzhou.

The next morning, I went to the "Fuchun Tea House", a century old restaurant, to taste the "Kui Long Zhu" tea. I felt that Yangzhou morning tea had only snacks and soup bags of Huaiyang cuisine, and there were not many varieties. I liked Cantonese morning tea to be more "casual". After morning tea, take a trip to the ancient city of Yangzhou: Nanhexia Street is a place to experience the ancient city of Yangzhou, which is known as the "alley city"; Along the ancient canal, there are places of worship for the world's four major religions, including Qionghua Temple, Gaomin Temple, Puhading Cemetery, and Catholic Church; Dongguan Street is bustling, with many time-honored brands, old shops, and old houses. The most noteworthy thing is that it is a food resort that you don't want to leave when you come here, with a variety of special snacks of Huaiyang cuisine; The most worthwhile place to visit is the "He Garden", known as the "first garden of the late Qing Dynasty". The main attractions include the winding corridors and horse riding towers. Another wonder is that there is a bright moon reflected in the water of the houses and pools in Pianshi Mountain during the day, and it varies in brightness with the viewer's perspective.

On the third day, Yangzhou finally cleared up and I rushed to "Shouxi Lake" early in the morning. It is very beautiful, the beauty lies in the slender and winding lake surface, adorned with famous scenic spots such as Diaoyutai, Wuting Bridge, White Pagoda, and Twenty Four Bridges, and further enhanced by the autumn scenery. Next, we went to visit the two 200 year old ginkgo trees in the Shigong Temple. At this moment, the ground was covered in golden armor, with a golden hue.

Nanjing

The purpose of going to Nanjing is to appreciate autumn. Perhaps the autumn in Nanjing is not as splendid as Kanas or as magnificent as Inner Mongolia, but there is a kind of lingering love that cannot be found anywhere. It rained all day when I arrived in Nanjing. I braved the rain and headed to the Red Maple Hill in the botanical garden. Walking on the hill, I looked around and saw that the maple leaves were bright red, and the forest was stained with colors, interpreting the romance of "frost leaves are like flowers that don't wait for spring"! Continuing to Zhonghua Gate, I had planned to climb the city wall for a stroll but was stopped by the rain, so I had to take a walk around the Confucius Temple.

The next day, the sky cleared up and Qixia Mountain, known as one of the "Four Great Maple Viewing Spots in China", was reached. Entering the scenic area, climb up along the main road at the foot of the mountain. Maple trees on both sides are neatly arranged, including maple trees, black trees, cypress trees, and occasionally a few green miscellaneous trees, making it even more colorful. On Qixia Mountain, there is not only a beautiful scenery of red maple trees, but also two century old ginkgo trees in the Qixia Ancient Temple. The red walls of the temple are adorned with golden ginkgo trees, reflecting the colorful maple leaves around the temple. It is truly a fascinating place. However, I feel that the variety of maple trees in Qixia Mountain is not as many as in Hongfenggang of the botanical garden.

Wuxi

Known as the "Pearl of the Taihu Lake Lake" and comparable to "Little Shanghai", Wuxi has been built since the Shang Dynasty and is one of the four rice markets in history. I want to see its long-standing charm, as well as the gentle and lively human touch that Jiangnan cities are accustomed to. When arriving in Wuxi on a rainy day, first visit the "Yuantouzhu" peninsula lying on the northwest bank of the Taihu Lake Lake, and then go to the famous garden "Liyuan" in the south of the Yangtze River. Because of the influence of the cloudy day, the scenery is very ordinary.

The next day, you will visit the Nan Chang Gu Street and Nan Chang Tang Gu Street in Wuxi. There are still a few Ming and Qing Dynasty residences, which have strong characteristics of Jiangnan households along the canal. The two streets face each other across an ancient canal, and the "Qingming Bridge" on both sides of the Feijia Canal is one of the important landmarks in the old block. This is a typical Jiangnan water town by the Grand Canal, known as the "Jiangnan water lane and the unique land of the canal". Finally, it turns to the Millennium Ancient Temple Nanchan Temple. It is said that the main building in the temple, the the Shakya ManiHall, is the original object of the Tang Dynasty, and the other side halls were rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Shanghai

Shanghai has a very dazzling collection of buildings from various countries - the Bund, but my favorite is still the ancient town of Zhujiajiao in its outskirts. When we arrived at Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, we could not see her most beautiful side on a rainy day. We found a platform near the river and sat down to drink afternoon tea, slowly enjoying the tranquility originally belonging to the people of the ancient town.

The next morning, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town was particularly peaceful, possibly due to Monday. Jiutiao Old Street in the ancient town is built by the river, with over a thousand residential buildings along the river. Among them, North Street, also known as "Yixian Street", is the most well preserved first street of Ming and Qing architecture in the suburbs of Shanghai. Its 300 meter stretch from Fangsheng Bridge in the east to Meizhou Lane in the west is a typical Jiangnan old street. In the small streets and alleys, it seems like only the two of us are wandering around. Today, we look forward to seeing the beautiful ancient town on a sunny day. In the afternoon, leave the ancient town and check in at the Bund in Shanghai, strolling along the Huangpu River.

Suzhou

Suzhou has always been renowned for its elegant gardens, earning the nickname "Jiangnan Gardens are the best in the world, Suzhou Gardens are the best in Jiangnan". It is also known as the "Oriental Water City" due to its unique water town features of small bridges, flowing water, and homes. There are attractions such as Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove, Canglang Pavilion, Lingering Garden, Zhouzhuang, Tiger Hill, etc., which have all been abandoned in the past. After arriving in Suzhou, take a bus to Xishan Island, the largest island in the Taihu Lake Lake, and then charter a bus around the island. At this moment, golden ginkgo leaves adorn every corner of the village on the island; There is a legend in Dongcun that there is a place called "Jingxiu Hall" in the golden house of Emperor Qianlong, where delicate brick and wood carvings are the most appreciated; Mingyue Bay Ancient Village is walking on a moss covered stone road, with a winding small river and a camphor tree over 1200 years old next to it. There is also an ancient dock that extends long into the lake.

The next day: It is said that there is a saying that goes' if you don't go to Hanshan Temple, you are not a Suzhou guest. 'Today, I chose to visit Hanshan Temple, which, like Suzhou gardens, is a symbol of Suzhou. I particularly like the' Maple Bridge 'in front of the temple. Continuing on to Youshantang Street, this place is more commercialized and crowded than what we saw a few years ago. After a quick stroll, we left.

On the third day, visit the ancient town of Luzhi, which is known as the "Bridge Capital" of Jiangnan due to its abundant water, bridges, alleys, ancient houses, and famous people. The most rare thing is that this is still a place where locals live, unlike the famous Zhouzhuang and Wuzhen where outsiders are doing business. Especially when strolling here in the morning and evening, you can enjoy the authentic ancient town, which is a very worthwhile place to visit.

Huzhou

Huzhou is a city around the Taihu Lake Lake named after the lake. The scenic spots near the city include Nanxun Ancient Town, Mogan Mountain, Lotus Village, Feiying Tower, the Taihu Lake Lake, etc. I am not interested in these scenic spots. I arrived in Huzhou City and took a walk on the ancient clothing street. It is said that various pawnshops and banks centered around Jiuqu Lane formed the most important financial district in Huzhou at that time. Currently, there are preserved river ports, docks, streets and alleys, as well as a large number of buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. Actually, like Enning Road and Yongqing Lane in Guangzhou, there's nothing to look at. I just passed by in a hurry so I can let it go.

The next day, I visited the old town of Xinshi that I was interested in. It is a niche ancient town with a strong urban flavor, without much decoration. The alleys, stone roads, small bridges, flowing water, white walls and black tiles are all preserved in the most primitive state, and everything is engraved with the imprint of old time. The small town is full of the rich charm of a water town and ancient town, and people live a leisurely life, just guarding their own tranquility and enjoying themselves. There are no dazzling shops here, let alone the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. The ancient town is not big, and it can be fully explored in one or two hours, or one can spend a whole day savoring its beauty.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is just the return destination I chose on this journey, and it's not yet time to take the bus back in the morning to go for a morning run at West Lake. I never expected the autumn scenery of West Lake to be so beautiful. No wonder Su Dongpo once praised West Lake, saying, 'If you go to West Lake once, you will be like a fairy with ordinary bones.'.