A one-day round trip from Shanghai to Taizhou, Jiangsu

A solo one-day round trip from Shanghai to Taizhou, Jiangsu, to have morning tea in Taizhou, stroll through the old streets, and experience the leisurely life of the romantic water city. Today's high-speed train at 6 o'clock, it takes two hours, and arrives in Taizhou at 8 o'clock. Of course, coming to Taizhou requires a local morning tea to start a beautiful day. From Route 168, go to the morning tea house for breakfast. At 9 o'clock in the morning, the tea house is full of people inside and outside. I ordered the morning tea trio: soup with dried tofu shreds, fish soup, and crab roe bun. The dried tofu shreds are delicate and tender, the crab roe bun is filled with fresh meat, with thin skin and plenty of filling. One bite is fresh, sweet, and bouncy, savory but not greasy. A sip of fish soup is truly satisfying. After eating and drinking, walk about a kilometer to visit Qiaoyuan, a garden with a hundred years of history. Book tickets in advance. The garden includes a mausoleum, large bamboo groves, rock caves, pavilions, small ponds, and the entire garden is small and exquisite yet grand. The visit took about an hour. Leaving Qiaoyuan, next to it is Zhonglou Alley, where there are many clothing stores and coffee shops. Strolling around, you can encounter one romantic spot after another belonging to Taizhou. It's suitable for leisurely walks and photo-taking. Leaving Zhonglou Alley, walk a little over a kilometer to Nanshan Green Temple, an ancient temple located by Fengcheng River. It is quiet and low-key, without commercial atmosphere. The architecture here blends perfectly with the surrounding environment, and you can take photos. Wenfeng Tower is a great spot for photography. Around one o'clock, ride a small electric scooter to Taizhou Old Street to find food. It's a Ming and Qing dynasty alley with blue bricks and black tiles. Wandering through the depths of the courtyards, listening to Pingtan storytelling, leisurely eating and shopping. Bought the special Huangqiao sesame cake and pork bones. The Huangqiao sesame cake is fragrant and crispy, really delicious. There is also a morning tea museum on the old street, where you can have a brief visit to learn about the culture and development of Taizhou morning tea. Leaving the morning tea museum, right across is Taoyuan. Here, the waterside pavilions and corridors are beautiful, facing Wanghailou across the water. Enjoying the lake breeze and sunshine, it feels like being in a tranquil paradise. It's really relaxing. Spent more than an hour wandering here. At 4 pm, walk to the last stop, Meiyuan. This is the former residence of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang. The yard is not large but exquisite, with rockeries, flowing water, pavilions, and a large white marble statue of Mr. Mei playing Yang Taizhen standing above the green water. The melodious opera echoes in the ears, as if being in that time when the streets were empty to watch his performance, witnessing Mr. Mei's glorious moments. Spent an hour taking photos and strolling around. At 5 o'clock, take the bus to the train station and return to Shanghai. Taizhou is not big, but it is incredibly beautiful. If you have nothing to do on the weekend, come here to experience the bustling morning tea and the warmth of the ancient alleys.