Xuzhou Travel Guide

Basic information Area code: 0516 Travel complaints: 0516-83709993 Medical treatment Xuzhou Medical College Affiliated Hospital Address: 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou Arrival method: Take the No.1, No.13, No.37, No.56, No.57, No.65, No.76, and No.608 buses. Tel: 0516-85609999 Www.jsxyfy.comDestination overview Destination […]

Basic information

Area code: 0516
Travel complaints: 0516-83709993

Medical treatment

Xuzhou Medical College Affiliated Hospital
Address: 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou
Arrival method: Take the No.1, No.13, No.37, No.56, No.57, No.65, No.76, and No.608 buses.
Tel: 0516-85609999
Www.jsxyfy.comDestination overview

Destination Overview

Destination sketch

Situated in the northwest of Jiangsu, Xuzhou City is one of Chinese most well-known transportation hubs, in which China’s two most important rail lines, Beijing-Shanghai that runs north-south direction, and Lianyungang-Urumqi that goes from east to west, meet here.
With a history of 2,600 years, Xuzhou is a historical city with the critical strategic importance from military views. It is known as a notable battlefield in China’s history, from ancient dynasties to modern republics. There were more than two hundred famous battles once taken place on this land and total forces engaged in both military sides in each battle reached between 10,000 to a million in order to control the area.

Local festival

Fu Yang Festival

In China, Fu means the hottest days of summer and Yang refers to mutton. Every year from July 16th (the beginning of the Fu) to August 16th in Chinese lunar calendar, Xuzhou people gather in restaurants to enjoy delicious mutton, hence the name of the festival. Of course, there are more interesting activities than just eating mutton. All the restaurant owners including those from the nearby counties assemble in the city, competing to show their particular mutton and other local snacks. Also the performances of local operas, dances, martial arts as well as other folk art shows attract thousands of tourists every year.

Yunlong Mountain Temple Fair

Yunlong Mountain is a famous tourist spot boasting not only beautiful scenery but also profound Buddhism culture. Datuyan temple is a Buddhism temple that holds the sculpture of the Goddess of Mercy. Every year on February 19th, when it is said to be the birthday of the Goddess, many people throng there to make offerings to the Goddess and pray for her blessing. This has gradually formed a temple fair and it attracts more and more tourists with additional amusements like dancing and singing, local snacks and folk handicrafts shows, etc.

International Han Dynasty Culture Festival

The first emperor of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220) Gaozu was born in Xuzhou and this helped the city to become the second political and cultural center during his governing. To spread the profound Han culture, Xuzhou people hold this festival every October in the city. At that time, you can appreciate excellent performances in the style of the ancient Han Dynasty music and dances; feast your eyes on various folk handicrafts shows and enrich your knowledge of the Han Dynasty through visiting the culture relics around the city, such as the Han tombs, the Han terracotta warriors and the stone sculptures.

Flowering Cherry Art Festival

In Xuzhou, there is a flowering cherry forest where nearly two thousand Japanese and Chinese flowering cherries are planted. Every year in March, the flowers bloom flourishingly, making the forest the largest cherry blossoms viewing place in the Huaihai economic development zone of China. Thousands of tourists from China, Japan and other countries come here to appreciate the impressively beautiful scenery.

Best Travel season

The city experiences a mild climate with distinct seasons, and its springs and autumns are short while the summers last very long. Precipitation is lower than the average level of its Jiangsu neighbors, only 800-950 mm annually.

Practical information

Qingyunqiao Branch
Address: 63-1, Zhongshan North Road, Gulou District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu
Phone: 0516-85744454

Tongshan Road Branch Bureau
Address: No.226, Tongshan Road, Yunlong District, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China
Tel: 0516-83560454

Intercity traffic

Aircraft

Xuzhou GuanYin International Airport,XUZ
Address: Shuanggou Town, Suining County, Xuzhou
Arrival method: You can take the airport bus to the airport in Xuzhou Zhonghui International Hotel parking lot, the fare is 20 yuan, the specific departure information can be in advance call 0516-83068117; from the Xuzhou District to Guanyin Airport, the cost of taking a taxi is about 120 yuan.
Tel: 0516-9688991
Www.xzairport.com

Train

Xuzhou Station
Address: 235 Fuxing South Road, Yunlong District, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the No. 1 Road, No. 2 Inner Ring, No. 2 Outer Ring, No. 3, No. 3 Road, No. 10, No. 11 Bus and so on.
Tel: 0516-95105175

Xuzhou East Railway Station
Arrival method: Take bus 3, 10, 26, 32, 72, 90, 112 etc.

Long-distance bus

Xuzhou Bus Terminal
Address: No. 3 Youth East Road, Xuzhou (next to Xuzhou train station)
Tel: 0516-83724117, 83724118
Www.xuyunjt.com

Xuzhou Long-distance Bus Station
Inter-provincial and inter-city long-distance shuttles are mostly originated from here.
Address: 1 East Youth Road, Xuzhou City (South side of Xuzhou Railway Station)
Tel: 0516-3724118

Xuzhou West Bus Station
Address: West Third Ring Road, West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the No. 1 bus from the train station and get off at the terminal.
Phone: 0516-5765855

Xuzhou South Bus Station
Address: Yingbin Avenue, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the 14th, 20th, 23rd, 58th, 60th, 60th, 72nd, 602rd, 603rd, etc. buses to reach
Tel: 0516-83362189

Tongshan Bus Station
Address: No. 119, Fuxing South Road, Xuzhou City (South of Xuzhou Long-distance Bus Terminal)

Traffic in the city

Bus

In Xuzhou City, the fares for buses are mostly 1 yuan, for air-conditioned cars is 2 yuan, and the fare for sightseeing and tourism hotlines 1 and 2 is 2 yuan.

Taxis

The starting price of taxis in Xuzhou is 7 yuan/3 kilometers, more than 3 kilometers to less than 6 kilometers, 1.4 yuan per kilometer; double journeys over 6 kilometers, 1.4 yuan per kilometer; more than 6 kilometers, 2.1 yuan per one-kilometer per one-kilometer.

Attractions

Xuzhou Han City

Encompassing an area of about 160,000 square meters (40 acres), Xuzhou Han City is situated in the ancient battlefield on Mt. Jiuli. Close to the Guishan Han Tomb, White Cloud Cave and White Cloud Temple, this special tourist attraction is not only one of CCTV’s television centers but is also the Han Culture Education Center.

Xuzhou Han City has beautiful sceneries with fresh air and an elegant environment. Upon entering, visitors will see a floral picture of ‘two dragons playing a ball’ on the lawn as well as sculptures of twelve divine animals, Zhao Jun (one of the four beauties of ancient China) and Huo Qubing (the famous Han Dynasty general). There is a huge bronze bell that is hung in the Bell Room. It was here at the studios of CCTV, that the TV series Emperor Gao Zu and the documentary film Birth of Passion – the Origin of Soccer were made.

Xuzhou Han City comprises four main scenic areas – the Imperial Palace, the Imperial City, the Marketplace and the Martial Arts Practice Area. The complex reflects the architectural style of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD) and is both simple and imposing. The twenty-three buildings include the Chancellor’s Residence and the Book Collection Pavilion while twenty-eight ingenious sculptures add heir appeal to the very impressive complex.

The Imperial Palace is composed of three palaces, the Weiyang Palace, the Changle Palace and the Jianzhang Palace. In the Weiyang Palace, there is a statue of Liu Bang (256 BC-195 BC), Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. To the left and right of the statue stand his civil and military officials, including Zhang Liang, Xiao He, Fan Kuai and Han Xin, each about 4 meters (13 feet) high. In addition, towering over the front of the Weiyang Palace are four huge statues, each with a height of approximately 4 meters (13 feet). The characters these represent are said to have the power to exorcize evil spirits. A large relief picture, about 128 meters (420 feet) long, is inscribed on the second stair of the Weiyang Palace. This depicts the rise of Liu Bang from his humble origins to become a powerful Emperor. The Changle Palace is where the concubines would have lived and entertained. Performances are staged in the palace so that visitors may enjoy ancient songs and dances. The Jianzhang Palace houses the Han History Exhibition, which provides a vivid insight into the life and times of the Han Dynasty.

‘Four platforms’, ‘one altar’, ‘one formation’ and ‘one tree’ and other entertainment spots are open to tourists in Xuzhou Han City. ‘Four platforms’ refers to the fishing platform, the wine drinking platform, the cockfighting platform and the archery platform. ‘One altar’ is a sacrificial altar where the emperor prayed for the blessings of Heaven, a good harvest and the prosperity of his country. The altar bears a sculpture of Emperor Wu (156 BC-87 BC). ‘One formation’ is the Eight Diagrams Formation which is built with modern technology of sound, light and electricity. Placed in the formation, tourists will find it changeable and magical. ‘One tree’ refers to a special bronze sculpture of a tree. It sheds coins when shaken. Here tourists can play a fortune telling game.

Beneath the hall of the Weiyang Palace, is the Han Culture Entertainment Palace which is dedicated to culture and the arts. Here tourists can learn something about historical events including Su Wu Tending Sheep, the Silk Road and the Reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. Thanks to the use of high technology, they can also ride in artificial chariots to enjoy their trip to the Han Dynasty or experience the excitement of a snow slide and the beasts.

Danielson Amusement Park was opened in 1996. This is a joint Sino-US venture and all the facilities have been introduced from Hollywood. Here visitors can explore the sea world or enjoy a magical journey in space by spacecraft.

A variety of performances are given by the Han City Art Troupe and other famous artists each day, including a Grand Ceremony at the Han Palace, King Mustering Troops and Gao Zu’s Return to His Hometown. In addition, various local festivals and activities, such as Lantern Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Pengcheng Culture Festival, Jiuli Mountain Temple Fair, and the First China Xuzhou Grotesque Stone Exhibition have been held there since its opening.
Address: 300 meters south of Xuzhou City Government
Arrival method: Take the 6th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 606th and 1st buses to reach
Opening hours: 8:00-17:30
Tickets: 20 yuan
Tel: 0516-83827740

Guishan Han Tomb

Guishan Han Tomb, as an embodiment of the culture of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), is situated in the west side of Guishan Mountain which is to the northwest of Xuzhou City. It is the tomb for the sixth King Chu Liu Zhu (who reigned between 128 BC-116 BC) and his wife in Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD). With an area of over 700 square meters (more than 837 square yards), this tomb boasts the grand scale, extraordinary design and delicate work. It is composed of two parallel but communicating parts: the south part is the tomb of Liu Zhu and the north part of his wife. Each part has a path for people to enter the main body of the tomb. The main body of the tomb consists of fifteen halls including bedrooms, parlors, kitchens and even the washing room and stables. The whole tomb even has a complete drainage system. It is just like a majestical underground palace indeed.
Address: Yuwang North Road, Jiuli District, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the 13 and 37 bus to arrive
Opening hours: 8:30-17:00

Xuzhou Museum

Xuzhou Museum contains a four-storey exhibition building, the temporary imperial palace of Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Han Tombs with a total floor area of 12,000 sq meters (14,352 sq yards).
In the exhibition building are displayed a great deal of pottery, bronze and jade articles, stone and bone objects ranging from the Neolithic Age to Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC). Bronzes, celadons, golden and silver vessels, jade articles of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) are also displayed here plus over 140 articles of porcelain and metal wares from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) to Qing Dynasty. What makes the museum more remarkable is the only Han jade exhibition room among all the museums in China. Furthermore, there are hundreds of terracotta figurines as well as Tang tricolor glazed pottery. The museum musters China’s brilliant ancient crafts of thousands of years.
Address: No. 101, Heping Road, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the No.12, No.35, No.38, No.69, No.604, and No.608 buses to Zhongshan South Railway Station and walk to No.101 Heping Road.
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, closed at 16:30 pm, closed every Monday (except legal holidays)
Tel: 0516-83804400

Gallery of Han Stone Sculptures

The stone sculptures of the Han Dynasty belong to a kind of plastic arts, which combine painting, carving and architecture together. Usually they are carved on grave chambers, coffins and ancestral temples. The stone sculpture in Xuzhou is one of the three kinds of ‘Top Craftsmanship in Han Dynasty’. The stone sculptures of the Han Dynasty in Xuzhou, the Stone Carvings of Six Dynasties (386-589) (referring to Northern and Southern Dynasties) in Nanjing and the Classical Garden in Suzhou are together ranked as ‘Three Treasures of Jiangsu Province’.
Address: Hudong Road, Yunlonghu Lake, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take Bus No. 2, 47, 63, and No. 3 bus to get off at Hanshi Stone Hall and get there
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00 (no admission at 16:30)
Tickets: Free (visitors can get their tickets with ID card)
Tel: 0516-85690228
Www.xzhhxs.cn

Yunlong Mountain

The Yunlong Mountain is 142 meters (155 yards) above sea level and about three kilometers (about two miles) long from north to south. From the top of the mountain, the view is incredible with the Yunlong Lake to the west, and the Yellow River to the east. Yunlong Mountain is famous for both its natural scenery and its historical relics, of which Setting Free Cranes Pavilion (Fanghe Ting) and Xinghua Temple are the most well known. Many other historical areas are located throughout the mountainside, including Dongpo (Su Shi) Stone Bed (Dongpo Shichuang), Clothes Trying on Pavilion (Shiyi Ting), Boat Pavilion (Chuan Ting), Zhang Shanren’s (Zhang Tianji) Former Residence as well as the inscriptions carved on cliff surfaces of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties.
Address: Heping Road, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the No. 2 bus, bus No. 2, 11, 35, 38, 69, 603, 604, and 608 bus to arrive
Tel: 0516-83960925
Www.ylhfjq.com

Yunlong Lake

Located southwest from downtown Xuzhou, Yunlong Lake is comparatively speaking the “Sister Lake of West Lake in Hangzhou” on account of its attractive lake scenery. The lake is bound by mountains on three sides. To its east side is the famous Yunlong Mountain. The Yunlong Lake is dissected by a road in the middle which looks like a jade belt, resulting in East Lake and West Lake. Visitors engage in water amusement and sightseeing in the East Lake Zone. The West Lake Zone offers visitors relaxation. The road circling the lake measures 14 kilometers (9 miles). Take a stroll, enjoy red peach blossoms and green willows in spring, pink lotus flowers in summer, colourful leaves in autumn and plum blossoms in winter, along with the rippling water.
Address: Huzhou Island, Yunlong Lake, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the 75 bus to arrive

Xuzhou Folk Custom Museum

Xuzhou Folk Custom Museum stands on the urban area of Xuzhou and occupies an area of 6,000 sq meters (1.5 acres). It opened in April, 2000 and is built on the residential site from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The museum’s theme focuses on folk relics and folk culture. It contains over 160 rooms that show the strong local flavor of old residential houses in Xuzhou.

Occupying an area of 6,000 sq meters (1.5 acres), Xuzhou Folk Custom Museum stands on the urban area of Xuzhou. It was opened in April, 2000 and built on the site of civilian residence in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties with a theme of folk relics and folk culture. It contains over 160 rooms fully showing the strong local flavor of old residential houses in Xuzhou.
Address: No. 2, Cuijia Lane, Hubu Mountain, Xuzhou
Arrival method: Take the 19th, 20th, 39th, 51st, 60th, 62nd, 65th, 1st, 105th, 611th, and 612 buses to the MaMatai station
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00
Tickets: 25 yuan, minors accompanied by guardians to visit free of charge
Tel: 0516-83805809, 0516-83800265
Www.xzmsbwg.com

Quanshan National Forest Park

Quanshan National Forest Park lies at the Quanshan Mountain in south suburb of Xuzhou City. As the main sightseeing area of Xuzhou Around-the-City Forest Park approved in 1992, it covers an area of 3,500 mu (577 acres) consisting of five peaks. Highlighted by its abundant animal and plant resources and beautiful natural scenery, the park is crowned as the ‘Natural Oxygen Bar’ ranking it as the first choice for visitors while traveling Xuzhou.
Address: Quanshan Forest Park, South Third Ring Road, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take Bus No.1, No.82, No.53 and No.609.
Opening hours: 6:00-22:00 in spring and summer, and 7:00-21:00 in autumn and winter
Tickets: Free
Tel: 0516-83796666
Www.qsslgy.com

Huaihai Campaign Memorial Museum

A museum about the Huaihai Campaign, a major military campaign during the Chinese Civil War. The museum is situated inside a large park.
Address: 2 Jiefang South Road, Xuzhou City
Arrival method: Take the 11th, 19th, 60th, 601st, 603rd, 1st, 2nd
Tickets: Free
Tel: 0516-83840397

Itinerary

Chuwang Tomb – Gallery of Han Stone Sculptures

Food

Diguo ji

It is a savoury combination of chicken, chillies and bread. It is exactly chicken cooked à la diguo which was a popular cookery among the fisherfolk of the Weishan Lake. They used a cauldron to boil the fish, and put the squashed doughs around the cauldron inside, thus they could have fish with bread. Now you can order its chicken version in most local restaurants. The half-singed bread is essential in this dish (or it would be common braised chicken). Dip it into the broth, which is the traditional thing to do.

Dog meat tacos

On Heqing Lu, between Pengcheng Lu and Jie Fang Lu. There are two alleys leading off from Heqing Lu and you want the one closest to Pengcheng Lu. Quite easy to find. Look for a collection of skinned dog carcasses hung up on the corner, usually having the last bits of fur cleaned from them with a propane torch. The bread is amazing, cooked in a stone oven, a bit salty, a bit sweet, coated in sesame seeds. The dog meat is tender and flavorful and stringy, torn from a pile of bones in a big metal tray (you can’t dog meat with a knife).

Sha tang

Everyone in Xuzhou knows the cute but fantasic story about the emperor tasting this soup and asking what the name was. The chef thought the emperor was calling it “What? soup,” so he changed the name to that. It’s a thick, mucilaginous soup full of eel, chicken meat (originally pheasant or other game meat), beans, and a ton of black pepper. The best place to cop it is Ma Shi Jie, a joint on Jie Fang Lu that’s the city’s recognized favorite sha tang place (there’s also a branch on Heping Lu, near the church but popular opinion says it’s just not as good). The soup here comes from a massive pot, as tall as the man ladling it out. Outside, you buy your dipping items: fried dumplings, salty fried dough, etc. The clientele is mainly ancient men that have been eating it for breakfast every day for fifty years and come equipped with their own bowls and spoons.

Accommodation

Cheap hotels are everywhere. Most hotels in the city only run about ¥200 but they don’t offer much more than the ¥80 joints near the train station. Remember, ask to look at the room before you agree to stay (just say, “kan kan”, smile and check).

Shopping

Xuzhou has many local specialties. Children’s paintings, peasants’ painting, paper-cuttings and straw-plaited articles are all interesting to buy as souvenirs. You can find these specialties and nearly all the necessities you want in many of the stores or malls, especially on East Huaihai Road and South Zhongshan Road.

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