Yangzhou Dongguan Street

The basics

Visitors to Yangzhou Dongguan Street either arrive solo or go with a tour group or private guide. If you’re coming from Nanjing, it’s often worth it to hire either a driver and guide, or at least a driver so you can have some flexibility with your timing. Combine a tour of Dongguan Street with a wander around Slender West Lake and lunch, and you have a pretty solid day trip from Nanjing.

Things to know before you go

• Arrive early in the morning at the end that meets Slender West Lake to see the older generation out doing their morning exercise, and join in.

• Make sure your cameras are charged, since you’ll have loads of photo opportunities.

• If it’s raining or sunny, plenty of people will be using umbrellas. Make sure not to get poked in the eye when the street gets crowded.

How to get there

Several public buses go to Dongguan Street. Yangzhou also has sightseeing buses during certain months of the year, so try to take advantage of those in order not to miss any of the city’s top attractions. Make sure to wear comfy shoes for walking around Dongguan Street once you’re there.

When to get there

Try to get there early in the day when the shops open, in order to avoid midday crowds. Weekdays see less visitors than on the weekends, so keep that in mind. Spring and fall have the most comfortable, warm, temperatures, but remember that the first weeks of May and October are national holidays, when the rest of the country is on vacation and things get super crowded.

Market bargaining

You probably won’t leave without finding a few things you want to purchase on Dongguan Street, so make sure you have cash on hand and brush up on your Chinese numbers. It’s normal to bargain when buying goods at the markets in China, and it’s almost like a game. Start with offering about half the price listed, then work with the vendor to come to a price you’re both happy with.