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 Now, people may go to the city either in flowering spring or golden autumn. You may, like Emperor Qianlong, board the dragon boat from the Royal Dock and ride to Shouxi Lake, on the way appreciating the 24 scenes built by
the big Qing salt merchants to please the emperor. lt's like the poem says,
"Willow trees line the river while pavilions and towers stretch to the
foothills."
The gardens on the lakeside all have their unique features. Geyuan
Garden features rock formations symbolic of the four seasons of the year and the Heyuan Garden encompasses the quintessence of Chinese and Western architectural style. And there are other gardens such as Xiaopangu, Pianshisanfang, Quanshitongtian, Yanchunyuan, Shuihuige, Xiangyinglang,
Chanying Villa and Wenyuesanfang. At the end of the Shouxi Lake on Shugang Hill stands the Daming Temple where Monk Jianzhan of the Tang Dynasty started his journey eastward to Japan. E'yang Xiu, a great scholar of the Song Dynasty, built the Pingshan Pavilion when he was the mayor of the city. The royal gardens of Emperor Kantqxi and Emperor Qianlong are now well stocked with a wealth of cultural relics. The Museum of Han Tombs north of the Shugang hill now displays the most perfect tomb system of the day. With its long history, the city offers much to the visitor including unique handicraft and cuisine. In the great treasure house of Chinese culture. Yangzhou, now and then, is indeed a city for you to explore forever.
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