Suqian

Hometown of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, with Xiang Yu's Hometown, the Qianlong Palace at Zaohe and the wetlands of Luoma and Hongze lakes, plus the Yanghe and Shuanggou distilleries anchoring China's "baijiu capital".

Suqian lies in northern Jiangsu Province, with the Grand Canal and the old course of the Yellow River running through the city, Luoma Lake to the north and Hongze Lake to the south. It is the hometown of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and thanks to its two famous liquors, Yanghe and Shuanggou, it is known as the "Baijiu Capital of China". It administers Sucheng and Suyu districts and the counties of Shuyang, Siyang and Sihong.

In the city center you can visit Xiang Yu's Hometown and the Suqian Museum, Xuefeng Park, and the scenic belts along the old Yellow River and the Grand Canal. In the northern suburbs, Luoma Lake's lakeside park has a beach and sunsets, while on the east shore the Natian flower fields of Santai Mountain National Forest Park and the Crystal World glass art museum can fill a whole day. Northwest at Zaohe Town are the Qianlong Palace (Dragon King Temple), a Grand Canal World Heritage component, and Longyun City. The Yanghe Distillery in Yanghe Town is about 40 minutes away by car; in Sihong County to the south, the 5A-rated Hongze Lake Wetland and the Shuanggou liquor culture tourism area are about 90 km from the city and worth a separate day.

The best seasons are Apr–May and Sep–Oct, with flower fields in spring and reed blossoms and birdwatching in autumn; Jul–Aug is hot and humid. Getting there: Suqian Station has high-speed rail, and Xuzhou Guanyin Airport and Huai'an Lianshui Airport are each about 1 hour away by car; city buses serve the main sights. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Xiang Yu's Hometown – The birthplace of Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu. It features a Han-style architectural complex, the pagoda tree Xiang Yu planted by…
• Santaishan National Forest Park – A national forest park on the southeastern shore of Lake Luoma, famous for its Natian flower fields, Tianhe Tower and Rainbow Bridge. It is…
• Luoma Lake (Lakeside Park) – Jiangsu's fourth-largest lake. The lakeside park has an artificial beach, a Ferris wheel and a lakeside greenway, earning it the nickname “…
• Crystal World Glass Art Museum – A large glass art museum beside Santai Mountain. Visitors can watch hot-glass blowing demonstrations and make glass crafts, and there is a…
• Qianlong Palace at Zaohe (Dragon King Temple) – A Qing-dynasty imperial complex on the Grand Canal. Emperor Qianlong stayed here during five southern inspection tours. It is a national ke…
• Zaohe Longyuncheng – A Grand Canal culture district next to Longwang Temple Palace, with traditional-style lantern festivals, Liuqin opera and folk performances.
• Yanghe Distillery Cultural Area – The production base of the famous Chinese liquor Yanghe. Visitors can tour the brewing workshops and underground cellars and taste the liqu…
• Shuanggou Liquor Culture Area – A historic liquor-producing area in Shuanggou Town, Sihong, where you can see ancient fermentation pits, distilling workshops and liquor cu…
• Hongze Lake Wetland – A national 5A-rated wetland scenic area in Sihong, with reed mazes, dawn redwood forests and migratory birds, a prime spot for birdwatching…
• Xuefeng Park – A city park named after New Fourth Army commander Peng Xuefeng, with a broad lake and a blend of revolutionary memorial and urban leisure.
• Old Yellow River Scenic Belt – A waterfront landscape belt along the old course of the Yellow River, running through the city and connecting water parks, walkways and a c…
• Grand Canal Scenic Belt (Suqian) – The UNESCO-listed Grand Canal flows through urban Suqian, with bridges, greenways and night views forming a canal scenic belt.
• Suqian Museum – A municipal comprehensive museum next to Xiang Yu's Hometown, covering the Xiacaowan people, Chu-Han history, the canal and liquor culture.

Where to eat

• Huanggou Pork Head (Yunhe Road Branch) – Said to date back to the Qianlong era, Suqian's top time-honored brand; its old-broth braised pork head is rich but not…
• Honglou Restaurant (Xingfu South Road Branch) – A Suqian time-honored restaurant opened in 1985; its signature Honglou lion's head is steamed fresh and served hot.

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…