Going ashore with Silversea Cruises: Jiangyin, China on the Yangtze River

Jiangyin, China: where a Silversea Cruises guest meets old and new.

Tracing roots back 5000 years, Jiangyin is comprised of 16 towns. Known in Chinese as shade of river, Jiangyin is a remote area along the Yangtze River.

Thanks to complimentary shuttle service provided by Silversea Cruises, I was able to forego the two shore excursion options for Jiangyin, to explore the city on my own.

After a twenty-minute bus ride, I arrived at a busy shopping district, which was adjacent to Zhonghan Park.

Power to the people

Pagoda inside the the People's Park. One of many pagodas inside Zhongshan Park.

Built in 2002, Zhonghan Park, is the park of the people. ?The park boasts many attractions: an amusement park, a Confucian temple, public works of art, and many places for locals to gather to talk, play cards and to listen to live musical performances. Designated as a cultural resort, this government run facility was filled with locals who were not used to seeing foreigners. It was easy to spot fellow passengers in the mix, since we were definitely in the minority.

People's Park — Statues symbolizing the contributions of the people are plentiful in the park.

Visiting the square was exciting because it was an opportunity to be in what I might call the real China. Being a blond among people with black hair caused double-takes from locals who were not accustomed to Westerners. I felt like a rock-star.

Once I mastered the art of not looking directly into the peering eyes of locals, I was impressed by the architecture of the park.

East meets West: Times Square in the Yangtze River delta

Many luxury brands are for sale in this thriving industrial town. — Jiangyin version of Times Square

Outside the park is what I might call the Chinese version of Times Square. Flashing lights, loud music, shopping, restaurants, and traffic were a sharp contrast to life within the confines of Zhongshan Park.

[mappress mapid=”6″]

Cruise Buzz