Taizhou

Taizhou sits in central Jiangsu on the north bank of the Yangtze, a water town threaded with rivers and famous for its refined morning-tea culture. Locals gather at dawn for delicate crab-roe soup dumplings, fish-soup noodles and Huangqiao sesame cakes, a ritual that defines daily life. The moated old town centers on the Fengcheng River and the rebuilt Wanghai Tower, while the city proudly claims Peking-opera master Mei Lanfang as a native son. Historically a salt-trade center, Taizhou today is a base for shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals and biotech in its 'China Medical City' zone. It shares Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport and lies on high-speed rail lines toward Nanjing and Shanghai.