Changzhou does not appear on many bucket lists, which is a pity, because it holds a living stretch of the Grand Canal, the longest man-made waterway in the world. The canal here is the Jiangnan section, the southern part that links the Yangtze with Hangzhou, and it runs right through the city, past old lanes, stone bridges and modern towers. UNESCO added the Grand Canal to its list in 2014, and Changzhou's urban section is one of the segments that make up the listing.
What makes it interesting is that it is still in use. Barges loaded with sand and gravel still move slowly along the water, while the banks have been turned into promenades and parks. The waterway has been dug, widened and rerouted many times over the centuries, and what you see is the product of all those efforts. Tianning Pagoda, a modern rebuilding of a temple tower, is among the tallest in China and can be seen from far off. The poet Su Dongpo, one of the great figures of the Song dynasty, spent his last days in Changzhou in 1101, and the city remembers him in street names and a memorial.
Changzhou is a big industrial city of nearly a million people, the sort that makes machines, textiles and, more recently, electric vehicles and batteries. Traffic is dense, with scooters, buses and trucks, and the region is flat and densely populated, so there is little in the way of scenic riding. If you travel by motorbike in China, be aware that foreign licences are not valid and many cities limit motorcycles, so check the situation well ahead and think about hiring a car or taking local transport instead.
Practicalities are simple in a city this size: fuel stations, shops, hotels and restaurants are everywhere. Spring and autumn offer pleasant weather, while summer is hot and sticky, and plum rains in June soak the region. Jiangnan food is delicate and a bit sweet, with canal fish, river shrimp and noodles in broth. Walk the canal path in the evening, when the lights come on along the water and people gather to dance, play cards and fish, and you will see why a working waterway can still feel like the heart of a city.