- The ride from Shanghai is flawless: a high-speed train takes me to Huai'an in a couple of hours. Just over twenty years earlier, when arriving from the north, I was on a slow, messy, noisy train that seemed to take forever. The contrast is enormous, and yet another sign of the fast improvements in Chinese infrastructure. As with most high-speed stations, I arrive far from where I want to go; fortunately, I have the name of the place written in Chinese. The driver drops me off at the southern side of a big square, and after I walk around an old wooden gate and some toys for kids, I arrive at one of the big archeological finds of 2002: the Water Transport Governor's Office. Unfortunately, access is not allowed, and I can only see remaining foundations of buildings from a distance. A little further north, I find the Museum of Canal Transportation. Inside, and mostly underground, I find a well executed museum, with displays of old finds, explanations of the construction of the Grand Canal, the largest man-made waterway on the planet, and the towns now incorporated in Huai'an.
- A short walk further north takes me to the entrance of the Ancient Prefecture of Huai'an. After buying my ticket, I walk through the entrance gate, to find myself on a huge square surrounded by halls and with a three-tiered stone gate in the middle. I walk around here before entering the side alleys. Here, I find small temples, residences, offices, displays of how cruelly criminals were treated back in the days. Walking further north brings me to a picturesque pool with a circular bridge and pagodas. There even is a small theatre here in this quiet part of town. I walk back on the other side, through many more alleys and historic buildings. From here, I find an electric tuk-tuk that takes me to the old town of Hexia, one of the historic towns that comprise Huai'an. Before I start exploring, I had a hearty lunch at one of the many restaurants. The friendly hosts and guests look at me as if I've just landed from another planet, and I feel like a curiosity just like I'm curious about Hexia.
- Around the corner, I find the former residence of Wu Cheng'en, the famous Chinese author of Journey to the West. Written in the 16th century, it recounts the voyage of Xuanzang to India in search of Buddhist scriptures in the 7th century, and is considered one of the greatest literary works of East Asia. I find a sculpture of the four protagonists of the book, as well as an array of buildings with bedrooms, desks, small gardens, bridges and pools in the extensive compound. On one wall, I see colourful hand-painted masks that were used in performances of Journey to the West at the Beijing Opera. After this rich display of Chinese culture, I walk to the old part of Hexia. I find some reconstructed streets with lots of shops and tourists, and then, the further I go, the quieter it becomes. I walk alleys with cobble stones and small houses with wooden shutters, I cross bridges over canals, I see quiet courtyards - until I reach the end at a bigger canal. I walk towards the city, wanting to see more, but darkness falls, and it is time to take a taxi back to the railway station and head back to Shanghai.
