The coastal city of Yancheng combines urban appeal with beautiful scenery. It’s set on the fringe of one of China’s largest tidal wetlands, where the Huaihe River meets the Yellow Sea. The city is a convenient base for visiting local nature reserves and observing rare animals like the red-crowned crane and milu deer.
Things to do in Yancheng
The Yancheng Biosphere Reserve protects a unique landscape of tidal salt marshes. The reserve is located in both the temperate and subtropical climate zones, resulting in a unique mix of flora and fauna. There’s a chance to spot rare birds like the red-crowned crane, as well as elks grazing in the wetlands. Walk along the marked nature trails or rent a bike and explore the park on two wheels. Nearby is the Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve, an important sanctuary for native milu deer.
Millions of tulips bloom across the beautiful Dutch Flower Sea Scenic Area. Inspired by the rainbow-coloured tulip fields of Holland, the scenic area is one of the most photogenic destinations in China. Frolic among the colourful flowers and enjoy traditional Dutch coffee and cake at one of the open-air cafes.
Yancheng is brimming with restaurants where you can try local specialties from Jiangsu province. Highlights include steamed buns stuffed with crab, sticky rice cakes and fried dough sticks dusted with sugar. Other local favourites include brine-boiled duck and fish cooked in a sweet and sour mandarin sauce.
Getting around Yancheng
Yancheng is located in Jiangsu province, a four-hour drive from Shanghai and three hours from Nanjing. The city is easy to get around on foot or by taxi while public buses are popular with locals. Yancheng Nanyang Airport is a 25-minute drive away and offers domestic flights to Beijing and Guangzhou, as well as international flights to Korea.