The spring in Xinghua city in East China's Jiangsu province is a grand and splendid time for all and here is a great guide for you to tour the city within a day.
Entering a time-honored zaocha, or early breakfast tea restaurant at 8 am to start a day in Xinghua, you immediately feel the tranquility and comfort of the morning. Dried bean curd threads in consomme, crab roe buns and various Chinese dim sum treats all offer visitors a pleasant gastronomic time.
At 9 am, it's an excellent idea to view the vibrantly colored cole flowers that grow amid a network of rivers and lakes in the Qianduo Cole Flower Scenic Area. Large fields of the golden flowers are set to bloom in March and April, creating magnificent scenery.
Cole flowers are set to bloom and enchant visitors to the Qianduo Cole Flower Scenic Area. [Photo/WeChat account: xhlvyou]
It's recommended that during lunchtime, visitors go to the countryside near the Qianduo Cole Flower Scenic Area and choose a local farmhouse where they can eat some great food. For example, they can taste local farmhouse dishes in Dongluo village, which is one of the key villages for rural tourism in the country.
At 2 pm, visitors can appreciate the tall and dense metasequoia trees in the Lizhong Water Forest Scenic Spot. The forest there is peaceful and tranquil, with abundant water systems and crossing rivers.
In the early evening, Jindongmen old street exudes the very essence of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Visitors can experience the enchanting ambience and buy traditional handicrafts.
At 7 pm, visitors can indulge in a banquet based on the dishes depicted in the literary works of Zheng Banqiao, a famous calligrapher and painter of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who was born in Xinghua. The dishes also use Xinghua's local specialty agricultural produce.
A sublime local banquet tempts foodies. [Photo/WeChat account: xhlvyou]