Current Time in Yangzhou, China

Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city located in central Jiangsu Province, eastern China, situated on the northern bank of the Yangtze River and on the Grand Canal. With a population of approximately 4.6 million people, Yangzhou is one of China's most historically and culturally distinguished cities. For over two thousand years, Yangzhou has been celebrated for its gardens, waterways, cuisine, arts, and intellectual culture, earning a reputation as one of the most refined and prosperous cities in Chinese history.

Yangzhou's history spans over 2,500 years. The city was founded as Hancheng by King Fuchai of Wu in 486 BCE and served as the southern terminus of the earliest section of the Grand Canal system. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Yangzhou emerged as the most prosperous city in China and one of the wealthiest in the world, serving as the primary entrepôt for goods flowing between northern China and the Yangtze Delta. The Arab, Persian, and South Asian merchants who settled here left lasting cultural influences. Marco Polo reportedly served as an official in Yangzhou during the Yuan Dynasty. The city also holds deep associations with the Qing Dynasty Kangxi and Qianlong emperors, who visited multiple times on their southern inspection tours.

Yangzhou is renowned for its classical gardens, which rank among the finest in China. The Ge Garden, named for the bamboo that resembles the character ge, and the He Garden, also known as the Jixiao Villa, are masterpieces of Qing Dynasty landscape design. The Slender West Lake scenic area, a long, narrow lake lined with pavilions, bridges, and flowering trees, is considered one of the most beautiful waterscapes in China and a rival to Hangzhou's famous West Lake. The Daming Temple, founded in the fifth century, is a significant Buddhist pilgrimage site with an ancient pagoda. The Shita Temple is closely associated with Jianzhen, the Tang Dynasty monk who carried Chinese Buddhism to Japan.

Yangzhou has an extraordinarily rich cultural heritage. The city is known for its Yangzhou-style lacquerware, jade carving, paper cutting, and embroidery, all recognized as national intangible cultural heritage. Yangzhou yangge dance and local folk music are important cultural traditions. Yangzhou cuisine is one of the eight great regional cuisines of China, characterized by delicate flavors, refined presentation, and techniques including the famous knife skills used in preparing Yangzhou fried rice, one of China's most universally recognized dishes.

Transportation in Yangzhou includes expressways and high-speed railway connections linking it to Nanjing and Shanghai. Yangzhou Taizhou Airport serves the region, and waterway connections via the Grand Canal remain historically significant.

Yangzhou is home to Yangzhou University, a comprehensive institution with strong programs in agriculture, engineering, and liberal arts.

The economy of Yangzhou is driven by tourism, manufacturing, trade, and services, with significant industries in chemicals, construction materials, and food processing. Yangzhou's extraordinary cultural depth, classical beauty, and culinary fame make it one of China's most treasured and distinctive cities.