East China

East China is a key area of China historically, politically, and economically. Over a thousand years ago, this area was the main terminus of the Maritime Silk Road, and traded extensively with Japan and Southeast Asia. Likewise, today the region is an economic powerhouse beyond even the Pearl River Delta in South China. The area has many millions of migrant workers from less developed areas of China. It is also a very important area historically. See cities and understand below for details.

An Introduction to the Region of East China

Jiangsu A province with a long history, featuring important cities like Nanjing and Suzhou as well as natural beauty.

Shanghai China's biggest and most developed city, huge and cosmopolitan. Museums, temples, fashion, finance, history, architecture—Shanghai has it all.

Zhejiang Extensive natural beauty, including Hangzhou's West Lake and the "thousand-island lake" Qiandaohu, as well as traditional agricultural products like tea and silk.

Fujian ( Northern Coast, Southern Coast, Inland Fujian)

In some ways, Taiwan could also be considered part of this region — it has had much immigration from Fujian, with which it continues to share a high degree of cultural similarity. Fujian dialects are commonly spoken, and it was once administered as part of that province. However, it is economically and politically distinct with its own visas and currency, so it is also not treated here. }}

Other Muslim Friendly Cities in East China

The main cities of the region include:

• Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province), capital of China under the Southern Song, 1127-1279; Marco Polo wrote the city is beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world.
• Nanjing (Jiangsu Province), capital of China under several dynasties, of the Tai Ping Kingdom in the 19th century, and of the Province of China 1912-1949. Its history goes back to several hundred BCE and for most of that time it has been one of the most important cities in China.
• Ningbo (Zhejiang Province), a major trading port in the tea clipper era, still an important port and industrial city
• Shanghai , unlike other cities in the area, did not become very important until the 19th century, though some neighborhoods date back much further. Relics of the city's heyday — 1840s to 1930s — abound, a fascinating mixture of East and West. Today, Shanghai is the hub of the region and the financial and fashion center of China.
• Suzhou (Jiangsu Province), old city of canals and gardens, capital of one of the three states in the Three Kingdoms Period, 220-280 CE. Today a major center of hi-tech industry.
• Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), a busy seaport and industrial city
• Xuzhou (Jiangsu Province), largest city in the province.
• Yangzhou (Jiangsu Province), an old trading city on the Yangtze, center of the salt trade for centuries.
• Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province), an important trading port on the Yangtze and a former British concession.

There is a Chinese saying: Heaven has paradise, but Earth has Hangzhou and Suzhou. Both cities are among the most-visited destinations for Chinese tourists, and also major tourist destinations for international tourism. Their main attractions — the classical gardens of Suzhou and West Lake in the center of Hangzhou — are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. All these cities are now quite modern, heavily industrialised, very busy, and still expanding.

Other Muslim Friendly Destinations in East China

Some scenic areas in the region provide a somewhat rural escape for city dwellers:

• Lake Tai is a large lake in the center of the region, right on the Jiangsu-Zhejiang border.
• Mount Putuo is an island near Ningbo, a national park with an important Buddhist temple.

Much of the region is flat Yangtze Delta terrain and has water towns the traditional market towns for agricultural areas and now tourist attractions. All have picturesque canals with old houses along them and many bridges, and many are set up to accommodate tourists.

• Shaoxing 绍兴, is the largest of these, a city of about half a million. It attracts many Chinese tourists to whom it is famous as the "town of fish and rice", an expression indicating prosperity.
• There are three within Shanghai Municipality. Two, Qibao and Zhujiajiao, are close to downtown and can be visited by metro. Fengjing is further out and, as of early 2023, still needs a bus or taxi ride.
• Xitang, an historic town south-west of Shanghai. The final scene from Mission Imfeasible 3 was filmed here.
• Wuzhen 乌镇 is close to Hangzhou and makes a good stop en route between Shanghai and Hangzhou. There are buses from Shanghai Stadium.
• Zhouzhuang, located between Shanghai and Suzhou.
• Anji county (Huzhou prefecture, Zhejiang province on the south side of Lake Tai) has over 60,000 hectares (about 235 square miles) of bamboo groves and 40 different species of bamboo.

East China Halal Travel Guide

Until the 19th century, Hangzhou and Nanjing were the great cities of this region; both have been the capital of China, Nanjing under several different regimes. Suzhou was another important city, famous for its gardens, canals and silk. It was the former capital of the Kingdom of Wu at a time when China was divided. In the 19th century, China lost two "Opium Wars" to foreign powers, and was forced to open certain Treaty Ports to foreign trade in the treaties that ended those wars. Ningbo and Shanghai were opened in the 1840s, after the first war; both developed very rapidly after that. Until then, Shanghai was not a particularly significant town, though it did enjoy a strategic position at the mouth of the great Yangtze River, but by the early 20th century Shanghai became one of the world's richest and wildest cities. After the second opium war in the 1860s, cities further inland up the Yangtze were opened — Zhenjiang, Nanjing and Hankou (now part of Wuhan). They also developed considerably and the region as a whole did quite well from then until the 1930s. Then everything went wrong; this region was one of the areas of China that Japan succeeded in conquering (see Pacific War), and they suffered horrendously under Japanese occupation, 1937 to 1945. In the "reform and opening up" since 1978, this area has benefited vastly. Shanghai is again definitely one of the world's greatest cities, and Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing are not far behind. All are very modern cities with lots of large new roads and buildings, and all have subway systems with some lines in service and more under construction. Between the cities are both more large new roads and an extensive train network including many fast efficient bullet train links. More of everything is under construction; cranes are visible everywhere. The entire region is a hive of industry, one of the most prosperous in China. It is a magnet for migrants from poorer regions who come here in droves seeking work.

How to visit and travel to East China

Perhaps the commonest way to reach the area is to fly to Shanghai. There are two airports in the city with Shanghai Pudong International Airport|Pudong as a major international airport with connections all over the world and |Hongqiao GPS 31.198056, 121.336389 that is closer to the center and handles mainly domestic flights, plus some to nearby countries such as South Korea. Buses and the metro connect the two, which takes around an hour. There are also direct buses from either airport to major cities in the region; see the city articles for details. Shanghai Metro Line Station shanghai|2 (the main East-West line through downtown) goes to both airports and to the new Hongqiao train station right next to Hongqiao airport, which has High-speed rail in China|high-speed trains to many places in the region and beyond. Thit is not a convenient way to get between the airports if you have a lot of luggage, because you need to change trains once. On the other hand, if you are travelling light and have a bit of time to spare, you can easily jump off somewhere in the middle for a quick look at Downtown Shanghai. Other cities in the region, such as Hangzhou and Nanjing, also have international airports. Air Asia's flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou provides a low-cost route to or from Southeast Asia. The area is also well connected via China's road and train networks, and there are ferries from Japan to Shanghai and Suzhou.

How to get around in East China

It is also feasible to travel by boat, see Along the Yangtze River or Along the Grand Canal.

What to see in East China

Halal Tours and Excursions in East China

• Along the Yangtze River and Along the Grand Canal both cover some routes in this area; both also extend beyond it.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for East China

The East China Fair is a trade fair held annually in the spring in Shanghai. Their definition of "East China" is broader than what we use on eHalal; they include Fujian and Jiangxi provinces.

Explore more Halal friendly Destinations from East China

This region is geographically in the center of the Chinese coast and is well-connected by road, rail or air to anywhere else in China. Going north, major attractions include Qingdao and Beijing. Heading southwest, Guangzhou and other cities of the Pearl River Delta are reasonably close. Going west, Huangshan, Wuhan and Xi'an beckon. Of course there are other interesting places in all directions as well. The area is also fairly close to a number of other countries. Japan, Korea, Taiwan or the Philippines are only a short flight. Japan is nearest and can be visited by ferry from Shanghai or Suzhou. Copyright 2015 - 2024. All Rights reserved by eHalal Group Co., Ltd.
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