Li Dou's Yangzhou huafang lu -- The Pleasure Boats of Yangzhou, 1795, depicts that city´s multifaceted cultural life during the years of abundance and glory. The book´s text develops along a route which followed many architectural sites, notably gardens visited by urban elites, down to markets frequented by ordinary people. A nice paradox here is found in the fact that this very urban document is mostly about places outside of the city walls. At the same time, the book overflows with information about people and their deeds. The human element probably represented the city as much, or more, as any built structure. This essay is supposed to unravel the multitude of features in The Pleasure Boats, and to uncover its topical structure, if any.