Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty used to make a stopover in
Yangzhou on each of his six southern tours.
Since the local authorities and salt dealing natives understood that the Emperor's interest usually focused on the landscapes of mountains and rivers, they spared no expense to go in for large-scale constructions by inviting experienced artifices to dig rivers and pile up mountains and hills for the Emperor's entertainment.
As a result, exquisite gardens were erected one after another on the two banks of the Slender West Lake. Today, the route of Emperor Qianlong's tour on water in Yangzhou is unique.
Starting from the Tianning Temple at the foot of Meihua Hill, where Emperor Qianlong once stayed, also known as the former place of the Imperial Garden, the itinerary includes Yechun Garden, Hongyuan Garden, the Curved Stones in the Heaven of Caves, City Silhouette Under Green Poplars, Potted-Landscape Garden, Rainbow Bridge, Spring willow Along the Bank, Xuyuan Garden, the 4-Bridge Scenery Under the Misty Rain, Moon-Appreciating Tower, Small Golden Hill, Blowing-and-Beating Platform, Fuzhuang Village, five-Pavilion Bridge, Clear Cloud over the White Pagoda, Exquisite Flower World, Discovering-Spring Tower, Xichun Tower, 24-Bridge Scenery, Running Water Flowing From Stone Cliffs up to the Daming Temple with a history of over a thousand years.
