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Xuzhou -- Historic Battleground
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Xuzhou, called Pengcheng in ancient times, lies at the junction of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui provinces and is on the Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway that runs from China's east coast across much of the country to end up in China's northwest. The site of many great battles in ancient times, it is also where the well-known Huaihai Campaign occurred in modern Chinese history, when the Chinese People's Liberation Army wiped out more than half a million troops of the Chiang Kai-shek regime at the end of 1948 and the beginning of 1949.
Dragon in Clouds Hill (Yunlongshan)
South of Heping Road in the southern suburb of the town, Dragon in Clouds Hill rises like a dancing dragon, often blanketed in mist and cloud, Xinghua Temple was built on the hill during the Ming Dynasty; it houses a ten-meter high statue of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism. On the rocks flanking the statue are hundreds of small stone Buddhas carved during the Tang and Song dynasties.
Yunlong Lake
Yunlong Park and its lake lie at the foot of the hill to the west; at the north foot stands a palace where Emperor Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty once stayed when he made an inspection tour of south China. The palace now serve as a municipal museum which displays many relics unearthed from the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty around Xuzhou, including a jade burial suit sewn with fine silver wire, and more than three hundred stones engraved with scenes depicting fairy tales, legends, and historical events.
Regional Cuisine
Tourists will find many local dishes and refreshments in Xuzhou; Donpo pork and sweet and sour carp are two regional specialties. Toffee watermelon is not to be missed- it is hot on the surface while icy cool inside and goes well with wine in summer.
(china.org.cn)
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