My own journey there began nearly a

My own journey there began nearly a decade ago, when I visited the old gastronomic capital of Yangzhou, and, like the Qing emperors more than two centuries before me, was captivated by its gentle way of life and glorious cuisine. Over the next few years, I made further forays into the region, visiting ancient cities including Hangzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing and returning often to the modern capital, Shanghai. I wandered through old city lanes, with their street stalls and merchants’ mansions, and sojourned in kitchens in all kinds of places. With local chefs and farmers, I went out fishing on lakes and foraged in the countryside for bamboo shoots and wild vegetables.