Atlas of China
Jiangsu 江苏Jiāngsū
Canal towns, scholar gardens and the old southern capital of Nanjing
- Type
- Province
- Capital
- Nanjing
- Featured places
- 6
- Cities and prefectures
- 13
- Listed sites
- 35921 rated 5A · 223 rated 4A · 178 national heritage
About Jiangsu
Jiangsu is lowland water country, laced with canals, lakes and the lower Yangtze, and its towns have been among China's richest for a thousand years. Suzhou's walled scholar gardens and the canal-side lanes of Zhouzhuang and Tongli show the region at its most refined. Nanjing, capital to several dynasties, offers Ming city walls, the hillside mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen and long avenues shaded by plane trees.
Jiangsu at a glance
- Area
- 98,285 km²
- Population
- 84.7 million 2020
- Highest point
- Mounts Yuntai 云台山625 m
Area, population and highest point from Wikidata; the population is the latest census or official estimate there.
What to eat in Jiangsu
- Nanjing salted duck (盐水鸭)
- Lion's head meatballs (狮子头)
- Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish (松鼠鳜鱼)
Places to visit in Jiangsu
-
Classical Gardens of Suzhou 苏州园林
Whole landscapes of rock, water and pavilion folded into a city block
-
Purple Mountain & Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum 南京钟山风景区
A forested mountain on Nanjing's edge, crowned by a blue-roofed hilltop tomb
-
Slender West Lake 瘦西湖
A ribbon of willow-fringed water lined with the pavilions of Qing salt merchants
-
Zhouzhuang 周庄古镇
Jiangnan's most famous water town, famed for its Twin Bridges and merchant halls
-
City Wall of Nanjing 南京城墙
The Ming capital's brick ramparts, anchored by the vast fortress of Zhonghua Gate
-
Fuzimiao and the Qinhuai River 夫子庙—秦淮风光带
Nanjing's lantern-lit Confucius Temple quarter, beside painted boats on the Qinhuai
Listed sites in Jiangsu
359 sites in Jiangsu are on the official lists, 21 of them rated 5A and 178 protected as national heritage. They are listed by city, with what each is and how to get there.
All 359 listed sites in JiangsuCities and prefectures of Jiangsu
- Changzhou 常州 City
Dinosaur rides, a 153-metre pagoda and the moats of a Spring and Autumn town - Huai'an 淮安 City
Where the Grand Canal crossed the Huai, and Huaiyang cooking took shape - Lianyungang 连云港 City
The Monkey King's mountain, Han cliff carvings and Jiangsu's largest island - Nanjing 南京 City
Ming walls, Purple Mountain tombs and lantern-lit evenings on the Qinhuai - Nantong 南通 City
A river-mouth city shaped by one late-Qing industrialist - Suqian 宿迁 City
Xiang Yu's hometown, Hongze Lake wetlands and the baijiu towns of Yanghe - Suzhou 苏州 City
Scholar gardens, canal lanes and the water towns around Lake Tai - Taizhou 泰州 City
Island fields in the marshes, a boat festival and crab-roe soup dumplings - Wuxi 无锡 City
Cherry blossom on Lake Tai, a bronze Buddha and Yixing's purple-clay teapots - Xuzhou 徐州 City
Han dynasty kings' tombs and ranks of painted clay soldiers - Yancheng 盐城 City
Sea-salt history, tidal flats and the milu deer of the Yellow Sea coast - Yangzhou 扬州 City
Salt merchants' gardens, Slender West Lake and morning tea by the canal - Zhenjiang 镇江 City
Three river hills, a Taoist mountain and the home of black vinegar
Before you go
- Visas and visa-free entry Can I visit China without a visa?
- Paying for things How do I pay for things in China without a Chinese bank account?
- Internet and apps Will Google and my other apps work in China?
- Trains and 12306 How do I book train tickets in China with a foreign passport?
- Book popular sights early Which sights in China need booking in advance, and how?
- When to go When is the best time to visit China?
On the map
Open Jiangsu on the illustrated map to see where its places sit, how far apart they are, and to add them to a trip.
Open Jiangsu on the map