Huai'an

Birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine and the Capital of the Grand Canal: Zhou Enlai’s hometown, Hexia Ancient Town and Qingjiangpu, plus Xuyi crayfish, famous across China.

Huai’an lies in north-central Jiangsu, where the Huai River meets the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. In the Ming and Qing dynasties it was the seat of the Director-General of Grain Transport and the Director-General of the Yellow River and Grand Canal, earning it the title “Capital of the Canal.” It is also one of the birthplaces of Huaiyang cuisine (named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2021) and the hometown of Zhou Enlai. There are three main areas to explore: the old town in Huai’an District has Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence and Memorial Hall, Hexia Ancient Town, Wu Cheng’en’s Former Residence, the Huai’an Prefectural Office, Zhenhuai Tower and the China Grain Transport Museum; Qingjiangpu District is today’s city center, where the Inner Canal Cultural Corridor, Qingyan Garden, Ciyun Temple and canal night cruises are the most popular; Xuyi County in the southwest has Diyi Mountain, the Ming Ancestral Mausoleum, Tieshan Temple Forest Park and the nationally famous Xuyi crayfish, while the Hongze Lake Embankment and Fantawild Oriental Dawn are in Hongze District.

The four seasons are distinct; spring and autumn (Apr–May, Sep–Oct) are best. May–Aug is crayfish season, Xuyi holds its Crayfish Festival in June, and in summer you can see lotus blooms in Jinhu. Huai’an East Station has high-speed trains, and Huai’an Lianshui Airport has flights; a taxi between the old town and Qingjiangpu takes about 20 minutes. Plan 2–3 days: one for the old town in Huai’an District, one for the canal in Qingjiangpu, and one for Xuyi or Hongze. Must-eats include stir-fried eel strips, cattail shoots with dried shrimp, Wenlou soup dumplings, Pingqiao tofu and fried dough twists. Most memorial halls require advance booking with ID and close on Mondays; check official sources for ticket prices.

Top sights

Former Residence of Zhou Enlai – The Qing dynasty courtyard with gray brick walls where Zhou Enlai was born and lived for 12 years. It preserves his bedroom, study, and wel…
Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall – On a peach-blossom peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, the main hall, a replica of Xihua Hall, and a bronze statue of Zhou Enlai…
Hexia Ancient Town – A canal town where Ming and Qing salt merchants lived, packed with stone-paved streets, time-honored shops, and former residences of famous…
Qingjiangpu & Li Canal Cultural Corridor – Along the Qingjiangpu Canal, built during the Ming dynasty, the Qingjiang Great Sluice, Qingjiangpu Tower, Flower Street, and the Imperial…
Former Residence of Wu Cheng'en – The former home of Wu Cheng'en, author of *Journey to the West*, with a reconstructed Ming-style courtyard and exhibits on the novel. It is…
China Grain Transport Museum – A themed museum built beside the site of the Grain Transport Governor's Office, telling the story of Ming and Qing grain shipments to the n…
Huai'an Prefecture Office – The Ming and Qing Huai'an Prefecture Office, a large ancient prefectural government complex whose main hall, second hall, and watchtower ri…
Zhenhuai Tower – A Song-dynasty drum tower at the center of Huai'an's old town. Its imposing stone-based gate tower is the city's emblem.
Wentong Pagoda & Shaohu Lake – A seven-story Tang-dynasty brick pagoda beside Shaohu Lake, set off by the water, an old temple, and the garden, making it the most elegant…
Qingyan Garden – The rear garden of the Qing-dynasty Office of the Jiangnan River Works, with lakeside rocks, a lotus pond, and academy buildings. It is a r…
Ciyun Temple (Huai'an) – A Qing-dynasty temple on the south bank of the Li Canal, the largest Buddhist monastery in urban Huai'an and a busy place of worship.
Zhou Enlai's Childhood Study Site – The old house in Qingjiangpu where Zhou Enlai lived with his family and studied as a boy. Its private-school study and ancient well are pre…
Matou Town & Qingkou Hydraulic Hub – A World Heritage Grand Canal site where the Yellow, Huai, and Grand Canal rivers meet, with Piaomu Shrine, Han Xin's hometown, and many oth…
Huai'an Journey to the West Theme Park – A large theme park based on *Journey to the West*, with roller coasters, water attractions, and Journey to the West performances, suitable…
Fantawild Oriental Dawn Huai'an – A Fantawild park themed on modern Chinese history, combining large indoor attractions and immersive shows, located on the shore of Hongze L…
Hongze Lake Dike – A thousand-year-old embankment begun in the Eastern Han dynasty. Its stone walls stretch for tens of kilometers and form an important part…
Diyishan Mountain (Xuyi) – A famous hill on the south bank of the Huai River, named after Mi Fu's inscription “First Mountain.” It combines stone inscriptions, old te…
Ming Ancestors Mausoleum – The mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestors, with stone statues lining the sacred way on the shore of Hongze Lake. It was submerged for near…
Tieshansi National Forest Park – Extensive forests and lakes in the hills of southern Xuyi, with an old temple, rafting, and wildlife viewing. It is a summer retreat for th…
Xuyi Crayfish Museum & Street – A food landmark known as “China's Crayfish Capital,” with a museum on the crayfish industry and a Crayfish Street lined with restaurants se…
Jinhu Lotus Marsh – A lotus marsh of tens of thousands of mu surrounded by water on three sides. During the summer lotus festival, you can row a boat through t…

Where to eat

Wenlou (Beimen Street Branch) – A century-old landmark at the entrance to Hexia Old Town, famed for crab-roe soup dumplings, which are named a 'China F…
Lao Huaian · Huaian Cuisine (Chuxiangge Branch) – An established restaurant on Dongmen Street that locals consider the top choice for Huai'an food, where soft-tail eel…
Fengyun Noodle House (Zhuhai Road Branch) – A popular city noodle shop serving eel noodles with freshly stir-fried toppings and meaty eel, busy with locals from mo…
Lao Huaicheng Eel Noodles (Zhenhuai Tower Branch) – An old noodle house tracing its roots to the Guangsheng Garden founded in 1907, serving soft-tail eel noodles in pole-s…
Huaian Yan · Huaiyang Cuisine (Qinghe Road Branch) – A Huaiyang restaurant in the city center, quiet despite its location, with soft-tail eel, Pingqiao tofu and pucai meatb…

Itineraries

Jiangsu Grand Canal: Suzhou to Xuzhou – Follow the Grand Canal high-speed rail north from Suzhou to Xuzhou, connecting the water engineering heritage and local…