In water, lights and stone, cities show off their charms

Think of her as a young elegant lady and him as an older, intellectual gentleman. The woman in question is Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, and the man is Nanjing, in Jiangsu.

Hangzhou's feminine charm comes by dint of its deep-rooted culture and romantic legends; Nanjing's stately bearing comes from its having once been China's political center.

However, the two have many common traits, too. For one thing, both are located south of the Yangtze River and both draw hundreds of thousands of visitors every year because of their cultural heritage, natural beauty and cuisine, and there are few things more pleasant than spending a couple of days in either - or better still, both - of the two ancient capitals taking in the sights.