Yancheng

Home to the Yellow Sea Wetlands World Natural Heritage site: wintering red-crowned cranes, the homeland of Père David’s deer, the bird waves of Tiaozini and tulips at the Dutch Flower Sea.

Yancheng lies on the central Jiangsu coast, with China’s longest muddy coastline and largest coastal tidal flats. The “Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea–Bohai Gulf of China” were inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2019, China’s first coastal-wetland World Heritage site. The city takes its name from salt (yan) and has been a major sea-salt producer since the Han dynasty. The main sights fall into three areas: first, the red-crowned crane wetlands of Sheyang in the north, where wild cranes can be seen wintering (Nov–Feb); second, the Père David’s deer reserve and the Dutch Flower Sea in Dafeng in the middle, the former offering close-up views of wild deer herds and the latter bursting with tulips in April; third, Tiaozini, the Yellow Sea National Forest Park and the ancient towns of Xixi and Anfeng in Dongtai to the south, where spectacular “bird waves” can be seen during the spring and autumn migrations. In the city are the China Sea Salt Museum, the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall, Dayang Bay and Julong Lake, while to the west lie Lixiahe water-country areas such as Dazong Lake and Jiulongkou. Yancheng South Station has high-speed trains toward Shanghai, Nanjing and Qingdao, and Yancheng Nanyang Airport has a number of routes. Sights are spread along the coast, so self-driving or hiring a car is recommended; 3–4 days is about right. For birdwatching, bring binoculars and check the tide times; the coast is windy, so pack for cold and sun. Food highlights include Dongtai fish-soup noodles, Jianhu lotus-root-starch dumplings, Dazong Lake drunken crab and all kinds of seafood.

Top sights

Itineraries