Gaoyou

The first record of Gaoyou’s residents resides at the Longqiu archeological site just north of Gaoyou. There, scientists have uncovered a 7,000-year-old village where farmers grew rice near an ancient river. The Chinese Government has recognized the significance of this site and given it national level protection.

Emperor Ying Zheng founded Gaoyou in 221 BC, during the Qin Dynasty, when he had a relay station for the postal courier system built on the site of today’s city. This post gave Gaoyou its name, with Gaoyou meaning “High Post”. In AD 1375, the Ming Dynasty upgraded Gaoyou’s postal services with the building of the Yucheng Post station. Located adjacent to the Grand Canal, the station made it possible for imperial special messengers to not only change horses, but also take boats and ferries, which were always at their disposal.

Gaoyou has two ancient pagodas, the Jingtu and Zhenguosi Pagodas. The 30-meter high Jingtu Pagoda, in central Gaoyou, was constructed in AD 1612 during the Ming Dynasty, and has gone through an extensive renovation. The 25 meter Zhenguosi Pagoda is located on a small island on the western side of the Grand Canal. Although the more than 1,100-year-old Pagoda is in poor repair, the adjoining Buddhist temple has undergone an extensive renovation, and a new bridge now allows access to the island.

In 486 BC, The Grand Canal was constructed through Gaoyou. It finally reached its maximum length in AD 1291 stretching 1794 km from Beijing in the north, to Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province in the south. The canal has gone through many cycles of building, use, disrepair, and rebuilding over the centuries and has been a significant factor in the development of China. Today the canal is still a busy waterway used to transport massive quantities of gravel and other bulk goods for China’s bustling economy.

Gaoyou Lake and the Grand Canal are suspended above the surrounding plains by an extensive system of dikes. Over the centuries, breaks in the dikes have lead to massive floods, including a flood in 1931 that killed as many as 3.7 million people. On the grounds of Wenyou Tai, a historic site on the north side of the city, there is a museum dedicated to remembrance of the 1931 floods featuring aerial photos of a flooded Gaoyou taken by Charles & Anna Lindbergh.

Several notable figures in Chinese culture and history are associated with Gaoyou. Among them are Qin Shaoyou, a well-known poet of the Song Dynasty; Wang Nian Sun and Wang Yin Zhi (father and son), celebrated classics interpreters during the Qing Dynasty; Sun Yunzhu, the modern paleontologist; and Wang Chenqi, the contemporary writer.

The nearest airport is Yangzhou Taizhou Airport in Yangzhou. There are direct buses from the airport to Gaoyou, which run about 5 times a day. The fare is ¥35.

• 🌍 Gaoyou Railway Station (高邮站), Liuyanghe Road (六洋河路) (bus routes 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 29, and 30). The station has train services to many other cities in the region. Trains from Nanjing take about 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach Gaoyou. From Yangzhou, the journey time is usually just 15 minutes. (updated Jan 2021)

• 🌍 Gaoyou Bus Station (高邮汽车客运站), Intersection of Zhuguang Road and Haichao East Road (珠光路与海潮东路交汇处) (local bus routes 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 24 and k21), ☏ +86 514 84615448. Gaoyou's main central bus station. (updated Jan 2021)

Gaoyou is a small city that lends itself well to walking around. This tour starts from the Runyangcun Holiday Hotel on the SW corner of Wenyouzhong Lu and Haichao Lu (street signs in Gaoyou are written in characters and pinyin). Wenyouzhong Lu is the primary north-south arterial through Gaoyou, and Haichao Lu runs through the center of the city from east to west. This makes a great starting point for walks to the north and south.

This 2½-mile loop will take you past both of Gaoyou’s historic pagodas, as well as the old city wall and Old Town. The Yucheng Post is also included, but it is probably best to visit it with a guide to get the most out of the exhibits. Make sure and carry some drinking water. From the hotel, start by walking south on Wenyouzhong Lu. Being a major thoroughfare, the street is often busy with cars, trucks, and bicycles. The sidewalks are wide though, and all the streets are level.

Continue south to the next major cross street, Pipa Lu and turn left (east). Through a couple of alleys on the left, there are views of the 600 year-old Jingtu Pagoda. In November 2006, the pagoda was being readied for visitors but the facilities weren’t complete.

Continue west on Pipa Lu for another block and the Kuixing Pavilion, perched on a remnant of the Gaoyou city wall, will come into view. To view the pavilion closer, circle around through the large plaza to the north east of the Pavilion. The plaza is popular for exercising, and contains a small children’s carnival.

Continuing west along Pipa Lu the street will start a gradual incline and pass over another street. From this overpass, you can look south, through a large arch, down into Old Town Gaoyou. A walk through Old Town is short but rewarding. Tour guides tell visitors that the buildings here are up to 600 years old, but this is hard to verify. This is about the only place in Gaoyou to find “antiques” and other curios. There are only a handful of shops, with limited selection, but you can some treasures, and bargaining is welcome.

At the south end of Old Town there is another arch, through it the Drum Tower of the Yucheng Post is visible. Opening hours for the museum vary, so it would be best for to have a guide arrange your visit. The museum includes a monument commemorating Marco Polo’s visit to Gaoyou. There is a small gift shop at the museum but it has a very limited selection (sorry, no Yucheng Post t-shirts).

As you exit the Museum, return to Old town and climb the stairs to the small pavilion on the dike. The pavilion houses a large tablet commemorating the post Museum with an ancient version of the Gaoyou name on one side.

From this point on the dike, you may look out on a “marina” of houseboats moored in the Grand Canal. Proceeding north on the dike you can leisurely take in all the activity on the Grand Canal, and on the other side of the dike, look down onto the homes of Gaoyou. From the dike, you can easily see how the canal is above the city, and imagine how disastrous past dike failures must have been. You can also see the Zhenguosi Pagoda and Temple on the far side of the canal.

Approximately ½ mile north of Old Town there is a wide set of stairs leading off the dike, through a ornate gate, and down onto a major street, Fuqian Jie. A roughly ¾-mile walk down Fuqian Jie will take you past the Post Riders Sculpture and back to the hotel.

This walk is roughly 2½ to 3 miles in length and, like the first one virtually, flat. It passes through Gaoyou’s shopping districts, outdoor markets, by the Gaoyou CWI and through Renmin Park.

To get started, take a left out the front door of the Runyangcun Holiday Hotel, and walk across the parking lot to Haicho Lu, turn left again and continue west down the broad avenue. If you are out walking in the morning, you may notice a side street where local vendors have set up an impromptu market. It is worth a walk through this market as you may see interesting sights you won’t soon forget.

About ½ mile west of the hotel, on Haichao Lu, is the large roundabout that is the town center, or square. In the island at the center of the roundabout is famous sculpture of two men on horses, along with a third rider-less horse. The monument, a Gaoyou icon, represents the hard riding ancient postal carriers. On the far side of the monument is a grocery store where you can pick up snacks and bottled water.

As you continue west from the roundabout, Haichao Lu becomes Fuqian Jie. Continue along Fuqian Jie for another ½ mile or so, then take a right on Zhongshang Lu. The first street on the left is Gaogongqiao Lu, where you’ll find the Gaoyou CWI about a hundred meters down this street on the north side, and the Gaoyou Gymnasium across the street, a little farther to the west.

Following Gaogongqiao Lu to the end will take you up on the Grand Canal dike for views of the canal. From here, you’ll also see, just to the north, the “Second Bridge over the Grand Canal at Gaoyou”. A short walk over the bridge will give you views along the canal and of Gaoyou Lake just on the other side.

As you head east back across the bridge you will be looking down another major Gaoyou street, Tonghu Lu. Loop under the bridge and proceed east on this street. The first intersection you come across will be Zhongshang Lu again.

If it is still in the morning, and you have time, you can take a left on Zhongshang Lu and walk the short distance to the Beimen Market. The market is empty in the afternoon, but in the morning is full of vendors These farmers’s type markets are a great insight into the lives of Gaoyou residents.

After backtracking to Tonghu Lu, continue east a short distance, watching for the entrance to Renmin Park. A gate, set back from the street a little ways, on the left (south) side, marks the entrance. The park is a nice place to duck for a break from the chaos and noise of the city. If you like jade, check out the jewelry store next to the gate, it has a large selection.

Back on Tonghu Lu, continue on until you see the KFC (the only American place in Gaoyou). This street is Yucheng Lu, a very busy shopping area with lots of small shops selling clothes and shoes. This is a great place to buy shoes for the kids at US$3-5 a pair. There is also a bakery with great baked goods.

Continuing south on Yucheng Lu takes you back to the Post Rider Monument, where you can bear left, and follow Haicho Lu back to the hotel.