Jiangyin 江阴市

History

Known in antiquity as Jiyang (暨阳), the area became Jiyang County in 281 under the Western Jin. In 555, under the Liang, the county was replaced by a commandery seated at the foot of Mount Jun (君山), and because it lay south of the Yangtze it was named Jiangyin, the first use of the name. County status returned in 1367; Jiangyin came under Wuxi in 1983 and became a city in 1987.

In the upheaval at the end of the Ming, Jiangyin rose against the Qing order to shave heads and change dress, an episode remembered as the Eighty-One Days of Jiangyin (江阴八十一日). Most of the city speaks a Wu dialect of the Piling (毗陵) group, while some riverside towns use Jianghuai Mandarin.

What to see

The Former Residence of Xu Xiake (徐霞客故居) and the stone inscriptions of the Qingshan Hall (晴山堂石刻) became a national protected site in 2001. Provincial protected sites include the ruins of the Huangshan forts (黄山炮台遗址), the Jiangyin Confucian Temple (江阴文庙), the Xingguo Temple Pagoda (兴国寺塔), the former headquarters of the Nationalist Jiangyin Fortress (国民党江阴要塞司令部旧址) and the Former Residence of the Liu Brothers (刘氏兄弟故居). City parks include Ebizui Park (鹅鼻嘴公园) and Huangshan Lake Park (黄山湖公园), and Mount Jun and Mount Huang (黄山) are among the other sights.

Getting oriented

The city government places Jiangyin at the geometric centre of the Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou "golden triangle" and describes it as a long-standing transport hub between the two banks of the Yangtze and a natural port for transfers between river and sea. The Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge (江阴长江大桥) crosses to the north bank. The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway runs through four of its towns without stopping.

Food and local products

Local specialities include the Yangtze's "three delicacies" (长江三鲜), puffer fish (河豚), Reeves shad (鲥鱼) and the tapertail anchovy (刀鱼), which also goes into anchovy wontons and anchovy noodles. Other named foods include horseshoe pastry (马蹄酥), Shengang tofu sheets (申港百叶), Yunting pig's head meat (云亭猪头肉), Qingyang clear-broth mutton (青阳清水羊肉) and Huashi soy sauce (华士酱油).

Highlights

• Former Residence of Xu Xiake 徐霞客故居: National protected site since 2001, with the Qingshan Hall inscriptions.
• Xingguo Temple Pagoda 兴国寺塔: Provincial protected site, listed in 1995.
• Huangshan forts 黄山炮台遗址: Provincial protected site since 1982.
• Ebizui Park 鹅鼻嘴公园: City park named among Jiangyin's sights.
• Tapertail anchovy 刀鱼: Yangtze fish eaten on its own and in wontons and noodles.