Zhenjiang

Zhenjiang, the "city of hills and forests," pairs Jinshan Temple, Beigu Hill and the Xijindu old street with pot-lid noodles and crystal pork — a popular half-day high-speed rail trip between Nanjing and Shanghai.

Zhenjiang lies in south-central Jiangsu, where the Yangtze River crosses the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal. It borders Changzhou to the east and Nanjing to the west, and faces Yangzhou across the Yangtze to the north. Known in ancient times as Jingkou and Runzhou, it has over 3,000 years of urban history and is a National Famous Historical and Cultural City. Along the river stand the "Three Hills of Jingkou" — Jinshan, Jiaoshan and Beigu Hill — and hills and woods are interspersed throughout the city, earning it the name "city of hills and forests." Famous stories set here include the flooding of Jinshan in the Legend of the White Snake, Liu Bei's marriage proposal at Ganlu Temple, and Xin Qiji's poem "Recalling the Past at Beigu Pavilion in Jingkou." A visit falls into three parts: first, the three riverside hills and the Xijindu historic quarter, clustered in the northwest of the city and linkable in half a day to a day; second, the Nanshan Scenic Area south of the city (Zhaoyin Temple, Zhulin Temple, Wenyuan and Crown Prince Zhaoming's Reading Terrace), good for hiking; third, Mount Mao in Jurong (ancestral seat of the Shangqing school of Taoism, with the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall) and Mount Baohua (Longchang Temple, the foremost mountain of the Vinaya school), each needing half a day to a day. The climate is northern subtropical monsoon; Mar–May and Sep–Nov are best, with lush blossoms on Beigu Hill and Nanshan in spring and autumn views over the river from the heights; summers are hot and winters damp and cold. Getting there: Zhenjiang Station and Zhenjiang South Station are on the Shanghai–Nanjing intercity line and the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway — about 20 minutes to Nanjing and 1 hour to Shanghai; Yangzhou is reachable via the Wufengshan Bridge or by ferry; Jurong is linked to Nanjing by the Nanjing–Jurong intercity line; city buses serve the three hills and Xijindu. Allow 2 days: day one Jinshan – Xijindu (evening stroll) – Beigu Hill; day two Jiaoshan or Mount Mao/Mount Baohua. Admission: Jinshan and Jiaoshan about ¥45 each, Beigu Hill about ¥36, three-hill combo ticket about ¥150 (check official sources); Jiaoshan requires a ferry (about ¥10 round trip); Mount Mao about ¥100 in peak season and ¥80 in low season; the Xijindu quarter is free. Don't miss Zhenjiang's "Three Oddities": pot-lid noodles (cooked with a lid floating in the pot), crystal pork (yao rou, eaten as a snack rather than a dish) and black vinegar (which never spoils); try a dim sum breakfast at Yanchun Restaurant or around Xijindu, along with crab-roe soup dumplings and the "three delicacies" of the Yangtze. Tips: Jinshan Temple and Jiaoshan are Buddhist sites, so dress modestly; Mount Mao is a sacred Taoist site busy with worshippers, and its shuttle bus is ticketed separately; the three hills get crowded on holidays, so arrive early.

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