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Yangzhou,
a city in Jiangsu province, is located on the lower reaches of the Yangti
River and the Huaihe River. It
was a major ancient economic and cultural center in eastern China. The
city’s history dates
back to 486 BC, when a long ditch called the Han Ditch was dug. This
project later led to the construction of the Grand Canal that stretched
over 1,000 miles to link the fertile south with Beijing.
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The famous monk,
Jianzhen, sailed from here
to take Buddhist doctrine to Japan during the Tang Dynasty. Puhaddin, a
16th-generation descendant of the prophet, Mohammed, came to Yangzhou on
a religious mission in the 13th century, and was buried on his own wish
in the city. Marco Polo served as the city's governor general for three
years.
Yangzhou has many
historical sites. Among them are the 1,500-years-old Daming Temple, the
Fajin Temple built partly to commemorate the monk, Jianzhen, and ruins of
temporary palaces used by several emperors for some 3,000 years.
The most interesting
scenic spot in the city is
perhaps Shou Xihu, or Slim West Lake, which is so named because
it resembles the West Lake in Hangzhou in terms of natural beauty, but
is narrower and more twisted.
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