Suzhou

Suzhou is a prefecture-level city in the far north of Anhui, sharing its name with the more famous Jiangsu garden city but written and pronounced differently in Chinese. It sits on the plain of the old Sui-Tang Grand Canal, a section of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Fuli roast chicken, from a township near the city, is one of Anhui's best-known cured dishes. Dangshan County to the north is renowned nationwide for its crisp pears and spring pear-blossom season. Suzhou East station lies on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line, giving fast links in both directions.