Xuzhou's crop-drying during autumn harvest, Huai'an's golden rice waves, and Lianyungang's fresh seafood — four cities linked by the Huai River and the Yellow Sea paint Jiangsu's most authentic autumn harvest scene. In just three days, you can fully immerse yourself in the rustic warmth of Jianghuai life.
Xuzhou: Autumn Sunning At the Bottom of Yunlong Mountain
At the farmyards by Yunlong Lake, corn and chili peppers hang thick on the fences, gleaming orange, red and gold in the sunlight. You can climb Yunlong Mountain in the morning, where the aroma of freshly roasted green tea wafts from roadside tea stalls. Then, you can order a bowl of spicy soup and a fried bun — the heat will warm you from throat to heart. In the afternoon, head to the ancient villages of Jiawang District to help locals gather dried ginkgo nuts into bamboo baskets. At dusk, you can sit by Pan'an Lake and watch the fishing boats return to shore. The freshly caught silverfish are dipped in batter and fried crisp, the taste of which carries the cool, clear freshness of the lake itself.
Yancheng: Dusk Songs of Fisherman Across the Tidal Flats
The tidal flats along the Yellow Sea are the liveliest in autumn. When the tide recedes, beachcombers carry buckets to dig for clams, their bent silhouettes forming lines across the glistening sand. In the morning, a visit to Jiangsu Yancheng Wetland & Rare Birds National Natural Reserve would be great to watch migratory birds sweep over the reeds. For lunch, you can enjoy steamed swimming crabs at a local fisherman's homestay restaurant — the meat is so rich that it nearly drips with oil. In the afternoon, visit Dafeng Holland Flower Park , where sulfur cosmos bloom in vibrant color. As evening falls, visitors can sit in a small tavern by the flower fields, sip a cup of Yancheng yellow rice wine, and listen to the owner telling stories about the people who raise cranes on the tidal flats.
Lianyungang: Drying the Sea's Bounty Beside Haizhou Bay
The docks at Haizhou Bay are covered with the day's catch — hairtails and pomfrets are spread out on bamboo trays to get dried, and the salty and fresh breeze fills the entire street. In the morning, you can take a walk on the beach at Lian Island to watch the sunrise. At noon, you can enter the seafood market for live mantis shrimp — boiled and dipped in vinegar, they burst with freshness. In the afternoon, a visit to Huaguo Mountain is recommended, where autumn macaques leap about with wild fruits in hands. On your way down, buy a bag of candied hawthorn — the sweet and sour taste clears the palate, capturing the easy joy of an autumn day by the sea.
Autumn Flavors of Jianghuai: Life in Full Bloom
From the bamboo baskets of sun-dried harvests in Xuzhou to the bamboo trays of dried fish in Lianyungang, autumn in Xuzhou, Yancheng and Lianyungang is never a still-life painting. Listening to folk songs at the threshing grounds and smelling the fresh catch at the docks — you’ll find this journey brimming with Jiangsu's most vibrant, down-to-earth spirit.
