Duriig my visit to Nanjing, I made a one-day tour to Yangzhou, an historical city located at the north of Yangzhi River. Needless to say, Shouxihu (Slender West Lake) was the must-see spot to go. The lake, used to be the wider portion of the city moat actually, was built and refurbished throughout many dynasties by local officials to curry favor to emperors, especially to Gian-long Emperor of Ging Dynasty who came to the city seven times. Nevertheless, the lake had been so elegantly decorated that little artificialities were displayed. You can stroll along the lake, a perimeter of 3 km, to enjoy watching weeping willows, pavilions, bridges and a white pagoda. It is said in the spring of efflorescence, peonies, turnips, magnolias, azaleas and other kinds of flowers will blossom everywhere, making the lake a floral exhibition.(No wonder the subject poem recommended visiting the city in March.) Of course, you can watch the scenery from a different angle via boat touring.

Ge Mansion and He Mansion were another two spots I visited. Gazebos, pavilions, rockeries, bamboo-covered garden and numerous rooms made them the luxurious estates in old times. But the thing most impressed me is not the mansion itself; instead, it is the owner of He Mansion at last sold his property in equivalent billions of dollars, and bequeathed all of the monies to his grandson, a PhD from Michigan, to initiate founding a university-持志大學. (Have you ever heard of it? Check Google to find it out.)