East China

Overview

East China is the most densely connected travel region in the country. The Yangtze River delta — encompassing Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, and a ring of ancient water towns — is served by the world's most intensive high-speed rail network. A traveller based in Shanghai can reach Hangzhou in 55 minutes, Suzhou in 25 minutes, and Nanjing in 70 minutes. This density makes East China ideal for visitors who want variety: a day of contemporary art in Shanghai, an afternoon on West Lake in Hangzhou, a morning inside a Ming Dynasty walled garden in Suzhou.

The region spans the full range of Chinese travel experiences. Shanghai is cosmopolitan, international, and relentlessly modern; the waterside towns of the Yangtze delta — Zhujiajiao, Tongli, Wuzhen — preserve a slower, pre-industrial way of life within whitewashed stone-gate houses along willow-lined canals. Hangzhou and Suzhou occupy the middle ground: cities of considerable size and modern infrastructure built around cores of extraordinary historical beauty.

Best season: Spring (April–May) for Hangzhou's cherry blossoms and Suzhou's gardens at their greenest; autumn (October–November) for clear skies and comfortable temperatures throughout the region. Summer (June–August) is hot and humid but not unpleasant if you plan outdoor activities for early morning. Winter is mild by northern China standards.

Key Cities

Shanghai is the region's hub and most international city — the entry point for most visitors flying in from Europe, North America, or Southeast Asia. The Bund waterfront, the Pudong skyline, and the Former French Concession are three distinct faces of a city that has reinvented itself several times in 200 years.

Hangzhou is centred on West Lake — a UNESCO-listed landscape of causeways, pagodas, and tea plantations that has attracted Chinese poets and emperors for a thousand years. The Longjing tea district on the lake's western shore is one of the finest half-days in Chinese travel.

Suzhou contains more UNESCO World Heritage gardens per square kilometre than any city in China. The Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, and Master of Nets Garden are all within walking distance of each other in the compact old city. The I.M. Pei-designed Suzhou Museum is free to enter.

Suggested Duration

Minimum: 3 days (Shanghai only, core highlights)

Ideal: 7–10 days (Shanghai 3 days + Hangzhou 2 days + Suzhou 2 days + one water town day trip)

7-Day Itinerary

1. 1
   Day 1: Arrive Shanghai

   Check in to a hotel in the Former French Concession or near the Bund. Evening walk along the Bund for the Pudong skyline at dusk; dinner in the French Concession.

2. 2
   Day 2: Shanghai Highlights

   Morning at the Bund and Yu Garden. Afternoon at the Shanghai Museum (free) on People's Square. Evening on Nanjing Road pedestrian street and back to the Bund at night for the illuminated skyline.

3. 3
   Day 3: Pudong + French Concession

   Morning: Shanghai Tower observation deck (highest in China) in Pudong. Afternoon: wander the tree-lined streets of the Former French Concession — Xintiandi, Fuxing Park, boutiques on Changle Road. Evening: cocktails and dinner on Ferguson Lane.

4. 4
   Day 4: Day Trip to Suzhou

   High-speed rail to Suzhou (25 minutes). Humble Administrator's Garden in the morning; Suzhou Museum next door (free). Lunch on Guanqian Street. Pingjiang Road canal walk in the afternoon. Return to Shanghai for dinner.

5. 5
   Day 5: Travel to Hangzhou

   High-speed rail to Hangzhou East Station (55 minutes). Check in to a lakeside hotel. Afternoon walk along the Su Causeway and around the north shore of West Lake. Sunset from Leifeng Pagoda.

6. 6
   Day 6: Hangzhou Full Day

   Morning: Lingyin Temple (Buddhist cliff carvings and incense-filled temple complex). Afternoon: Longjing tea village — walk through the terraces, buy fresh tea. Evening: West Lake boat ride and dinner at a lakeside restaurant featuring West Lake vinegar fish.

7. 7
   Day 7: Depart from Hangzhou or return to Shanghai

   Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport has direct international flights; or take the train back to Shanghai Pudong Airport. A morning stroll through Hefang Street before departing.

14-Day Itinerary

1. 1
   Day 1: Arrive Shanghai

   Check in; evening at the Bund.

2. 2
   Day 2: Shanghai Core

   Yu Garden, the Bund, Shanghai Museum.

3. 3
   Day 3: Pudong + Former French Concession

   Shanghai Tower, Xintiandi, Ferguson Lane dinner.

4. 4
   Day 4: Zhujiajiao Water Town

   45-minute bus from Shanghai. Stone arch bridges, gondola rides on narrow canals, tofu pudding and sticky rice from street vendors. One of the best-preserved ancient water towns near Shanghai.

5. 5
   Day 5: Suzhou Gardens

   Humble Administrator's Garden (morning) + Suzhou Museum (free, I.M. Pei). Lingering Garden (afternoon). Pingjiang Road canal walk. Stay overnight in Suzhou.

6. 6
   Day 6: Suzhou — Tiger Hill + Silk Museum

   Tiger Hill leaning pagoda in the morning. China Silk Museum in the afternoon. Return to Shanghai or travel directly to Hangzhou.

7. 7
   Day 7: Arrive Hangzhou

   West Lake north shore walk. Sunset at Leifeng Pagoda. Overnight on the lakeshore.

8. 8
   Day 8: Hangzhou — West Lake + Tea

   Su Causeway walk at dawn. Longjing tea village afternoon. West Lake boat ride at dusk.

9. 9
   Day 9: Hangzhou — Lingyin Temple + Hefang Street

   Lingyin Temple Buddhist complex and the Feilai Feng cliff carvings. Afternoon stroll through Hefang Street for Hangzhou snacks.

10. 10
    Day 10: Wuzhen Water Town

    2 hours by bus from Hangzhou. Wuzhen is the most atmospheric of the Zhejiang water towns — an entire ancient village preserved inside its canal-side walls. Stay overnight inside the walled town (recommended).

11. 11
    Day 11: Wuzhen to Nanjing

    Travel to Nanjing by high-speed rail (approximately 2 hours from nearby Tongxiang). Nanjing has the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, and one of China's best-preserved Ming city walls.

12. 12
    Day 12: Nanjing

    Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain. Nanjing City Wall walk. Qinhuai River boat ride at night through the Confucius Temple district.

13. 13
    Day 13: Return to Shanghai

    High-speed rail to Shanghai Hongqiao (70 minutes). Final afternoon shopping or art at M50 Creative Park (Moganshan Road contemporary art galleries).

14. 14
    Day 14: Depart Shanghai

    Fly from Pudong International (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA).