Begin your tour at the Taizhou Prefecture City God Temple, a 1,400-year-old Tang Dynasty temple, the largest prefectural City God Temple in Jiangnan. See a thousand-year-old Sui-era camphor tree, the Champion Stone for martial arts top scholars, and ancient Qing-dynasty wooden plaques.

Exit the temple through the back gate to enter the middle section of the Southern Great Wall. The whole route slopes downhill, avoiding the 198 steep stone steps at Langsheng Gate.

Hike the Taizhou Prefecture City Wall (Southern Great Wall) from the City God Temple to Chaotian Gate to Xingshan Gate. Enjoy scenic stops along the way, including Wangtian Platform (an ancient altar modeled after the Temple of Heaven), the iconic S-curve wall, multiple Ming Dynasty hollow watchtowers, Lingjiang River panoramic views, and Deer Garden.

Arrive at Chaotian Gate, the northern main gate of the wall, and descend directly to the northern section of Ziyang Ancient Street. Walk south all the way down to Xingshan Gate to exit the wall, right at the entrance of Longxing Temple, seamlessly connecting to your next stop.

Stop for lunch on the northern stretch of Ziyang Ancient Street. Enjoy a recommended local old restaurant, Baita Bridge Restaurant, which serves Mai Xia wheat noodle soup and egg white crispy balls. Try street snacks, such as freshly baked seaweed pastries, deep-fried shrimp fritters, and black rice glutinous rice cakes.

Take a 10-minute walk to Longxing Temple, a thousand-year-old Tang-style Buddhist monastery, the birthplace of Japan’s Tendai Sect. See the National Cultural Relic Thousand-Buddha Pagoda (Yuan-dynasty stone pagoda carved with thousands of Buddha statues), Jianzhen Memorial Hall, and serene yellow-walled courtyards ideal for quiet photography.

After the tour, take a casual stroll along Jinshan Lane outside the temple for distant views of the twin pagodas.