Stand on the ridge of Hubu Hill in the late afternoon and the city opens out below you: grey tiled roofs of Ming and Qing courtyard houses on one side, the towers of the modern downtown on the other. Xuzhou rewards the traveller who walks rather than ticks off sights.
The city suits people who are interested in Han dynasty archaeology, in the everyday texture of a working Chinese city, and in the layers of river, canal and flood that shaped this part of Jiangsu. It is not a polished tourist town, and much of what is worth your time is either underground or down a narrow alley.
This guide covers the main sites in the city, the old downtown neighbourhoods and the New Yellow River, and how to fit the best of them into a single day.
Top things to do in Xuzhou
1. Guishan Han Dynasty Tombs
These tombs hold the remains of Liu Zhu, the sixth ruler of the ancient principality of Chu, and his wife. They are the most compelling of Xuzhou's Han sites, cut into the rock rather than built above it, and they give a real sense of the scale of Han imperial burial in the city that was the dynasty's ancestral home.
Allow time to see the whole Guishan Scenic Area, since the ticket covers all attractions within it. The site is at No. 3 Xiangwang Road North in Gulou District; bus no. 37 stops at the bus stop of the same name.
2. Mausoleum of the Chu Prince
Believed to be the final resting place of Liu Wu, the third prince of the ancient principality of Chu, this is Xuzhou's own miniature version of Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors. Three pavilions display the warriors — three-foot-tall statues — in various states of excavation, and replicas are sold on site.
It is worth knowing that most people in the city have never seen the site and are only vaguely familiar with it, so do not expect much local guidance. The ticket covers all attractions within the Han Culture Scenic Area. It is at 1 Bingmayong Road in Yunlong District.
3. Xuzhou Museum
A museum about the history and culture of Xuzhou, and the natural place to start if you want the Han material to make sense before you visit the tombs. It is free, and it sits on Heping Road in Yunlong District.
Bus stops nearby include Yunlong Park South Gate, Yunlong Mountain and Xuzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, so it combines easily with a walk on Yunlong Mountain or a trip out to Yunlong Lake.
4. Xuzhou Folk Museum
The museum occupies two historic courtyard houses on Hubu Hill, including the Zhai Family Compound and the Yu Family Compound, with exhibitions on everyday life in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The body that runs it also manages and maintains several other historic houses in the area, all open to the public.
It is at 2 Cuijia Lane on Hubu Hill, a short walk from Ximatai and served by the same buses. Pair the two while you are up on the hill.
5. Ximatai
Ximatai literally means "horse-training terrace". It was built several centuries ago, probably during the Ming dynasty, to commemorate the warlord Xiang Yu, who is believed to have supervised horsemanship training here in the 3rd century BC. Few remnants of the original structures survived by the 1950s and most of what you see is a 1980s reconstruction, but its position on top of Hubu Hill gives a fine view of the area.
Many local dignitaries and wealthy businessmen sited their residences on this hill during the Ming and Qing dynasties, so the surrounding streets are worth wandering after you come down. It is at 1 Xiangwang Road on Hubu Hill.
6. Huaihai Campaign Memorial Museum
A museum about the Huaihai Campaign, a major military campaign during the Chinese Civil War. The museum sits in a large park, so you can combine the exhibits with a walk around the grounds.
It is free and is at 2 Jiefang Road South in Quanshan District. Numerous bus routes stop at the Memorial Tower, including nos. 11, 19, 20, 35, 51w, 61, 64, 65, 83, 118, 199, 601, 603, 604, 701, 838, 夜14, 游1 and 游2路外环.
7. Yunlong Lake
A large scenic lake in the city's southwest, and the easiest place in Xuzhou to spend an unhurried half day. It is free, and bus routes 11, 34, 35, 38, 47, 48, 49, 51, 55, 59, 68, 69, 82, 601, 游2 and 游3 serve it.
Combine it with the Xuzhou Museum, which is a short hop away on the same side of town.
8. Xuzhou Aquarium
The aquarium sits on Huxin Island in the middle of Yunlong Lake and holds hundreds of different aquatic species from around the world. It is one of the largest aquariums in Asia, and it makes an easy add-on to a lake visit rather than a separate trip.
It opens 09:00–17:00 on normal days and 08:30–17:30 on public holidays. The nearest bus stops are on the north side of the lake, including Jinfu Jiayuan, Sports Centre and Fangnan Xiaoqu West Gate.
9. Walk the old downtown neighbourhoods
Walk the city and explore the old downtown neighbourhoods. Narrow alleys and old 小区 give access to hundred-year-old wet markets neighbouring temporary encampments of migrant workers and travelling farmers, one-room restaurants without menus, dog meat butchers, public toilets, arcades in scavenged brick huts with corrugated tin roofs.
Do not be put off by the menu-less restaurants: they will tell you what they have got, or you can glance at other tables. This is a walk to take slowly and without a fixed route.
10. Walk along the New Yellow River
This is a diverted portion of the river created by the floods of 1938, when Nationalist forces bombed dykes to stymie the Japanese. Along the banks you can have your fortune told, buy most kinds of medications that are prescription-only in Western countries, and buy raw tobacco.
You can also get something good to eat and catch small travelling musicians performing on traditional instruments. Go in the late afternoon, when the riverside is at its liveliest.
11. Xuzhou Botanical Gardens
Established in 2012 on the grounds of what used to be the Xuzhou Nursery, the gardens cover around 400,000 square metres and include hundreds of different species of plants and trees, as well as some manmade streams and waterfalls. It is a quieter counterpoint to the lake and the hill.
It is at 3 Pingshan Road in Gulou District; catch bus nos. 6 or 6w to the Botanical Gardens bus stop. It opens 09:00–16:30, so go earlier rather than later in the day.
12. Xuzhou Concert Hall
If your visit coincides with a performance, the concert hall at No. 7 Binhu Park in Quanshan District is worth checking. It is the city's main venue for formal music programming.
It sits in Binhu Park, so you can pair an evening performance with a walk in the park beforehand.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Xuzhou Museum on Heping Road, where the Han material will set up everything you see later. From there, head to the Mausoleum of the Chu Prince at 1 Bingmayong Road to see the three-foot warriors in their pavilions, then continue to the Guishan Han Dynasty Tombs at No. 3 Xiangwang Road North. The two tomb sites are the heart of a Han-focused morning.
Afternoon: Move to Hubu Hill and spend the early afternoon at Ximatai for the view over the area, then walk the short distance to the Xuzhou Folk Museum at 2 Cuijia Lane to see the courtyard houses and the Ming and Qing everyday-life exhibitions. Afterwards, walk down into the old downtown neighbourhoods and let the alleys take you where they will.
Evening: Finish along the New Yellow River, where you can eat, listen to travelling musicians on traditional instruments, and have your fortune told. If a performance is on, end the night at Xuzhou Concert Hall at No. 7 Binhu Park.
Frequently asked questions
When are the main museums and sites open?
Xuzhou Museum and the Huaihai Campaign Memorial Museum are both open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00. The Guishan Han Dynasty Tombs are open 08:30–17:30, Ximatai 08:30–17:00, the Xuzhou Folk Museum 09:00–16:30, and the Xuzhou Botanical Gardens 09:00–16:30. The Xuzhou Aquarium opens 09:00–17:00 on normal days and 08:30–17:30 on public holidays.
Which sites charge an entrance fee?
Xuzhou Museum and the Huaihai Campaign Memorial Museum are free, as is Yunlong Lake. The Guishan Han Dynasty Tombs cost ¥80, which covers all attractions within the Guishan Scenic Area, and the Mausoleum of the Chu Prince costs ¥90, covering all attractions within the Han Culture Scenic Area. Ximatai is ¥30, the Xuzhou Folk Museum ¥25, the Xuzhou Aquarium ¥60 and the Xuzhou Botanical Gardens ¥20.
How do I get to the main sites by bus?
Bus no. 37 stops at the Guishan Han Dynasty Tombs. Bus nos. 49, 65, 65w, 71, 71w, 97, 97w, 605, 608 and 608w serve the Mausoleum of the Chu Prince. For Ximatai and the Xuzhou Folk Museum, take nos. 19, 20, 39, 51w, 62, 65, 65w, 105, 105w, 611, 612, 夜14 or 游1 to the Ximatai bus stop. Yunlong Lake is served by routes 11, 34, 35, 38, 47, 48, 49, 51, 55, 59, 68, 69, 82, 601, 游2 and 游3.
Is the old downtown worth walking?
Yes. The narrow alleys and old 小区 open onto wet markets, one-room restaurants without menus, and small arcades, and the New Yellow River walk adds fortune tellers, food and travelling musicians. It is the part of Xuzhou that shows you how the city actually works.
Pick your dates around a Tuesday-to-Sunday window so the museums are open, then build your days out from the Han tombs and Hubu Hill.