Jiangsu

Jiangsu is defined by water. The region is crossed by one of the world's great rivers, the mystical Yangtze. Here you'll find an ancient feat of engineering, the Grand Canal. This massive waterway allowed merchants to ship the province's plentiful rice, vegetables, and tea to the north. Within the cities, daily life was historically tied to the water. Many old neighborhoods are still crisscrossed by countless small canals.

As a result of its trading position, Jiansu has long been an economic and political center of China. The founder of the Ming Dynasty brought the capital to Nanjing before his son moved it back north to Beijing, but Nanjing and Jiangsu retained their nationwide importance. After the 1911 revolution, the province once again hosted the nation's capital, in Nanjing.

Planning a trip in the province is remarkably easy. The cities are quite close together, and connected by many buses and trains. Autumn tends to be warm and dry, with ideal walking temperatures. Spring can be rainy and windy, but the hills burst with blooms. Summers are infamously oppressive, hot, and humid. The winter is mild, but January and February are often rainy.