East China

It’s rich in history, with some towns going back 6,000 years. Originally, Hangzhou and Nanjing were the great cities of this region; both have been the capital of China. Suzhou was another important city, famous for its gardens, canals and silk. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Wu at a time when China was divided. In the 19th century, after one of the Opium Wars, China was forced to open certain Treaty Ports to foreign trade. The two in this region were Ningbo, which until then had been mainly the port for Hangzhou, and Shanghai, until then an insignificant fishing village strategically positioned near the mouth of the Yangtze. Both developed rapidly after that. From picturesque water towns criss-crossed by canals filled with slow-moving water to spectacular mountain vistas, East China is a delight to all your senses.

Explore East China