Traveling North along the Yellow Sea Coast: A Seven-Day Journey Through Taizhou and Yancheng in Jiangsu, and the Shandong Peninsula

In the scorching summer, I left Hangzhou and drove north on the Changshen Expressway; soon I was nearing Deqing.

First stop: Taizhou, Jiangsu. The old street of Taizhou had few visitors—it was almost deserted.

I quickly moved on and headed to the Qinhu Wetland in the northeastern suburbs of Taizhou.

Qinhu National Wetland Park is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. It is the second national wetland park approved by the former State Forestry Administration in China, and the first in Jiangsu Province. Located in Jiangyan District, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, the wetland park sits in the Lixiahe region, one of the three famous low-lying areas in China. The planned area is 806.9 hectares, with a wetland area of 588.6 hectares and a wetland rate of 72.9%. The wetlands are classified into three types: lake wetlands, river wetlands, and marsh wetlands, including permanent freshwater lakes, permanent rivers, and herbaceous marshes. The park is divided into three functional zones: wetland conservation zone, wetland restoration zone, and rational utilization zone.

In the center of the lake stands a three-faced Buddha, blessing all beings with peace.

A serene view of the wetland lake.

The China Milu (Père David's Deer) Park in Yancheng.

Jiangsu Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea. The total area of the reserve is 78,000 hectares, including a core area of 2,668 hectares, a buffer zone of 2,220 hectares, and an experimental area of 73,112 hectares. It is the largest milu nature reserve in the world in terms of area, hosting the world's largest wild milu population and establishing the world's largest milu gene bank. The reserve has received nearly one million visitors from over 40 countries, including 380,000 young people from home and abroad, accounting for 40% of the total, playing a significant role in promoting wildlife conservation education and raising public environmental awareness. In July 2019, it was included in the World Natural Heritage list as part of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I).

Unfortunately, we came at the wrong time. We only saw captive red-crowned cranes; the large flocks were still in faraway Siberia and the northeast, yet to fly south for the winter.

Yancheng Red-crowned Crane Reserve

Yancheng Red-crowned Crane Wetland Eco-Park, located in Xinyanggang Town, Sheyang County, covers an area of 284,000 hectares. It is the largest coastal wetland nature reserve on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean and the largest wintering ground for wild red-crowned cranes in the world—a paradise for birds and a kingdom of animals.

Leaving the overcast skies of Jiangsu, we headed straight for Penglai in Shandong, where the sun shone brightly.

Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area, situated on Danya Mountain northwest of Penglai city in Shandong Province, is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction covering an area of 18,500 square meters. The pavilion was first built in the sixth year of Jiayou of the Northern Song Dynasty (1061 AD) and is known as one of the "Four Great Towers of China," along with the Yellow Crane Tower, Yueyang Tower, and Tengwang Pavilion.

Penglai is located at the northernmost tip of the Shandong Peninsula, bordering the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. It is 66 nautical miles north of the Liaodong Peninsula. To the east, it faces South Korea and Japan across the sea. Its coastline stretches 86 kilometers, and the total area of the city is 1,200 square kilometers. Penglai Pavilion perches atop Danya Mountain, surrounded by clouds and waves, a breathtaking sight. It consists of a grand complex of ancient buildings, including the Pavilion itself, the Tianhou Palace, the Dragon King Palace, the Lüzu Hall, the Sanqing Hall, the Mituo Temple, and their附属 buildings, covering an area of 18,900 square meters. Inside the pavilion, one can find a wealth of literary treasures, couplets, and stone inscriptions. To the east of the pavilion lies the Penglai Water City, one of China's earliest ancient military ports, built against the mountain and controlling the sea, with water gates, docks, and fortifications. Together with Penglai Pavilion, it is listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit. To the west of the pavilion is Tianheng Mountain, also known as Dengzhou Cape, the southern starting point of the boundary between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. Legend has it that this was the camp of Tian Heng's five hundred loyal warriors; it faces the sea on the north with steep cliffs. New attractions such as Tianheng Mountain Cultural Park, Tianheng Plank Road, and the Yellow Sea-Bohai Sea Boundary Marker have been built, making it famous as a marine park.

Penglai has long been known as a "fairyland on earth." According to legend, Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang are three mythical mountains in the sea where immortals reside. It is said that the Eight Immortals—Lü Dongbin, Tieguai Li, Zhang Guolao, Han Zhongli, Cao Guojiu, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, and Han Xiangzi—after getting drunk at Penglai Pavilion, crossed the sea on the waves using their各自的 magical artifacts, giving rise to the beautiful legend of "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their special prowess."

On both sides of Penglai Pavilion are the Guanlan Pavilion, Binri Tower, Bifeng Pavilion, Wobei Pavilion, and Duke Jiang's Temple. To the west of the pavilion is Bifeng Pavilion (also called Mirage Tower) and Tianhuang Mountain. Tianheng Mountain, also known as Dengzhou Cape, is the southern starting point of the boundary between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. Legend says this is where Tian Heng's five hundred warriors set up camp; it faces the sea on the north with steep cliffs. Newly built attractions include Tianheng Mountain Cultural Park, Tianheng Plank Road, and the Yellow Sea-Bohai Sea Boundary Marker, renowned as a marine park. To the east of the pavilion are Wobei Pavilion and Duke Su's Shrine, built in memory of Su Shi, with a stone portrait and numerous poems inscribed on the walls. Further east are Binri Tower, Puzhao Tower, and Guanlan Pavilion, excellent spots for sea views and sunrise. Behind the pavilion is the Immortal's Bridge, said to be where the Eight Immortals crossed the sea. The front part of the eastern side of Penglai Pavilion is the White Cloud Palace, with the Sanqing Hall as its main building, housing three statues of gods. To the east of Sanqing Hall is Lüzu Hall. The Mituo Temple stands independently at the foot of the southern mountain. To the east of the pavilion, the Penglai Water City is one of China's earliest ancient military ports, built against the mountain and controlling the sea, with water gates, docks, and fortifications. Together with Penglai Pavilion, it is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Penglai Pavilion has long been a gathering place for literati, with over 200 stone inscriptions preserved today.

There are two legends about the origin of the name "Yangma Island" (Horse-Raising Island). One says that in 219 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang toured the east and arrived opposite Ju Island. At noon, feeling tired, he heard a fragrant breeze and the neighing of horses. Looking at the island, he saw lush peaks and a herd of horses playing. He exclaimed, "What a good horse-raising island!" and named it "Royal Horse-Raising Island," ordering horses to be raised there for the imperial court. Later, the people, resentful of Qin's tyranny, dropped the word "royal" and called it simply Yangma Island.

In downtown Yantai, there is an antique street, the well-known Changyu Wine Company, and the hotel where Dr. Sun Yat-sen once stayed.

In 1892, the famous patriotic overseas Chinese industrialist Zhang Bishi, realizing his dream of "revitalizing the nation through industry," invested 3 million silver taels to establish the Changyu Winery in Yantai, thus beginning China's wine industrialization. Over more than a century, Changyu has grown into the largest wine producer in China and Asia. In 1997 and 2000, Changyu B shares and A shares were successfully listed. In July 2002, Changyu was rated by the China Federation of Industrial Economics as one of the "16 national brands with the most international competitiveness, marching toward world famous brands." As a pioneer in China's wine industry and one of the few century-old enterprises in the Chinese food sector, Yantai Changyu Group has created a century-long legend that leaves a lasting aftertaste.

Climbing the lighthouse, one can overlook the busy Yantai Port; the saddle-shaped building in the distance is Yantai Railway Station.

Yantai Port is located in Zhifu Bay on the northern side of the Shandong Peninsula, at the heart of the Northeast Asian economic circle. It is one of China's 25 major hub ports, an important junction on the north-south coastal passage, and a key node of the new Eurasian Land Bridge connecting Japan and South Korea to Europe. In the 11th year of Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty (1861), Yantai Port became a treaty port. In September 1921, it entered the ranks of modern ports. Its main businesses include passenger ro-ro logistics, containers, pipeline transportation, liquid oil products, and bulk cargo.

A busy loading and unloading site.

Waiting for sunset by the seaside.

Heading to Liugong Island in Weihai.

Liugong Island, located at the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula in the mouth of Weihai Bay, covers an area of 3.15 square kilometers with a coastline of 14.95 kilometers. It serves as a natural sea barrier for Weihai City, holding a strategically important position in national defense, earning the titles of "Eastern Barrier" and "Unsinkable Warship." Many naval battles occurred here from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the liberation period, especially the First Sino-Japanese War, which left deep historical traces. The island has undulating peaks, steep sea cliffs on the north, gentle slopes on the south, and a forest coverage rate of 87%, earning it the reputation of "Fairy Mountain on the Sea" and "Shangri-La." The island is rich in cultural landscapes, ranging from Warring States sites dating back a thousand years to the Qing Dynasty Beiyang Navy Admiral's Office, Naval Academy, and ancient fortifications from the Sino-Japanese War, as well as numerous European-style buildings left from the British lease period. Since opening to the public in 1985 after being a closed military restricted area, it has become a famous scenic spot.

The Museum of the Sino-Japanese War at Sea.

Here, one can reflect on the naval battle that took place over 120 years ago, whose defeat directly led to the cession of Taiwan.

Weihai's Nahxianghai, the most beautiful seaside in the north, bar none.

The Nahxianghai Tourist Resort, covering a total area of about 4 square kilometers and a building area of over 2 million square meters, is located at the gateway of the Good Luck Angle Tourist Resort. It borders the Weihai Eastern Coast New City to the west, Gangxi Town (a thousand-year-old fishing village) to the south, and embraces a 16-kilometer natural beach to the north. It enjoys its own exclusive Nahxianghai bathing beach, boasts 2,000 acres of natural oxygen bar black pine forest, 300 acres of inner sea Xianghai Bay, and 100 acres of harbor Lover's Port. It gathers all geographical ecological landscapes including sea, beach, hot springs, forest, rivers, and lakes, making it an excellent paradise for tourism and vacation.

Rongcheng Chengshantou's Three Grand Halls, wishing friends good luck continuously.

The one at the back is the Sun God, and the one in front is Mazu.

The easternmost point of the mainland coastline: Chengshantou, Rongcheng, Shandong.

Chengshantou, also known as "Tianjintou" (End of the World), is located in Chengshan Town, Rongcheng City, Weihai City, Shandong Province. It got its name because it lies at the easternmost tip of the Chengshan Mountains. Surrounded by the sea on three sides and connected to land on one side, it is only 5 nautical miles from the north-south international shipping lane and 94 nautical miles from South Korea. It is the earliest place to see the sunrise over the sea, known since ancient times as "the place where the sun rises." During the Spring and Autumn period, it was called "Chaowu" (Morning Dance). It is also known as "China's Cape of Good Hope." Chengshantou has an elevation of 200 meters, a width of 1.5 kilometers from east to west, a length of 2 kilometers from north to south, and an area of 2.5 square kilometers. With verdant peaks stretching endlessly and a vast magnificent sea, it is an ideal tourist destination.

In 2004, due to its scenic border location, it was selected as a National Geographic Landmark. In 2005, it was rated by China National Geographic as one of "China's Eight Most Beautiful Coastlines," ranking among the top three alongside Yalong Bay in Sanya, Hainan, and Yehliu in Keelung, Taiwan.

Mount Lao, located in Laoshan District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, was also called Lao Shan, Lao Shan, or Ao Shan in ancient times. It is the main mountain range of the Shandong Peninsula. The highest peak of Mount Lao is Jufeng, also known as Laoding, located at 36°10′N, 120°37′E, with an altitude of 1132.7 meters and a summit area of about 1.5 square kilometers. It is the highest peak on China's coastline and is known as the "Number One Mountain on the Sea." An ancient local saying goes: "Though Mount Tai is high, it cannot compare to Mount Lao in the East Sea." The eastern part of Mount Lao is steep with cliffs by the sea, while the western part is gentle with rolling hills. The mountainous area covers 446 square kilometers. With Laoding as the center, the mountain range extends in all directions, especially to the northwest and southwest, forming four branches: Jufeng, Sanbiao Mountain, Shimen Mountain, and Wushan. The remnants of Mount Lao extend northward along the east coast to the eastern part of Jimo District, westward to the shore of Jiaozhou Bay, and the southwestern remnants stretch to the urban area of Qingdao, forming over a dozen hills and undulating terrain in the city.

The Taiqing Palace of Mount Lao; the figure behind is Laozi, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign.

Pu Songling, author of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, once visited Mount Lao and wrote "The Taoist Priest of Laoshan."

Legend has it that the Taoist priest practiced wall-penetrating magic here.

The story goes that Wang Qi, a scholar who dreamed of becoming an immortal, was lazy and fond of reading books about immortality. One day, lost in his book, he hallucinated that he went to the Sanqing Temple on the mountain and became a disciple of an old Taoist master. The master gave him an axe and told him to go up the mountain to chop wood every day. Day after day, unable to bear the hardship, Wang Qi wanted to sneak home when he saw two old Taoist priests approaching the temple. He hid aside and saw them walk through the wall. Astonished, Wang Qi begged the master to teach him the wall-penetrating technique, thinking it would not be a wasted trip. Finally, he learned the art, and the master warned him not to use it for evil, otherwise the magic would fail. Back home, ignoring his wife's advice, he tried to use it for theft, but the magic failed, and he hit his head on the wall, raising a big lump.

The fishing village at Mount Lao, nestled between mountains and sea, prosperous.

Leaving Qingdao, we drove back via the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, concluding our week-long tour along the Yellow Sea coast.

The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is a sea-crossing passage in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, connecting Huangdao District, Chengyang District, Licang District, and Jiaozhou City. It spans across Jiaozhou Bay and is an important part of the Shandong Provincial Expressway Network. Construction began on December 26, 2006, originally named "Qingdao Bay Bridge." The main bridge was completed on December 22, 2010, and the entire bridge was connected. It was officially named "Jiaozhou Bay Bridge" on June 23, 2011, and opened to traffic on June 30, 2011. The Jiaozhou connection section was opened on March 30, 2020. Starting from Licun River Interchange in the east, crossing Jiaozhou Bay, connecting with Hongdao Interchange in the middle, and ending at Huangdao East Hub Interchange in the west, the total length of the line is 42.23 kilometers, with a bridge length of 31.630 kilometers. The bridge carries a six-lane dual carriageway with a design speed of 80 km/h.