Yangzhou, of gardens and gourmets (3)

They come without any other ingredients aside from seasonings - shrimp roe soy sauce, sesame oil, pork fat, white pepper, shallots and boiled water.

But yangchunmian offers just one case study of how, when it comes to noodles, Yangzhou's chefs make simple super.

I was astonished to discover the low-end Jiangjiaqiao Dumpling and Noodle Restaurant's stir-fried noodles, which cost a paltry 3.5 yuan (56 US cents), were among the most delicious I've ever tasted.

After sunset, we head to Yangzhou's ancient Grand Canal, which is illuminated by a dazzling array of lights. The 1,700 km waterway was built about 2,400 years ago as one of the country's major trade routes, stretching from Hangzhou, capital of today's Zhejiang province, to Beijing.

We recommend:
Who is No. 1 belle in Chinese compus?	Top 10 hotel bars around the world	Chinese actress Wang Xiwei in swimsuit
China's most complete ancient gov't office	Actresses that will become famous in 2013	49 unmissable tourism destinations
Shocking shots in Journey to the West	The only existing Xiongnu capital in China	Top 10 legendary ladies in the Republic times