Xinghua Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)

Surrounded by water, it blooms at four o'clock, and the rape blossoms from the spring breeze are dotted between the fields, elegant and elegant; they are rooted in the stream, fashionable and fresh; they accompany the ecological millennium, dignified and elegant. If peach blossoms are suitable for fine appreciation, plum blossoms are worthy of the wind, and the rape blossoms will win over the ground. Seeing peaches, enjoying plums, and enjoying chrysanthemums are more poetic paintings that people have given since ancient times. Looking at rapeseed flowers is much simpler. Simply feeling the vitality of spring, the golden eyes under the spring green is a kind of enjoyment.

Do not come to see the rapeseed flowers at Qianduo Fields now, it will be devastatingly beautiful

Qianduo Fields is not only one of the four major rapeseed flower scenic areas in the country, with its unique waterborne rapeseed fields, but it is also a national key cultural relics protection unit, a world irrigation project heritage site, where pastoral scenery and historical culture are perfectly integrated. However, during the Qingming holiday period, I'm a bit inclined to dissuade people from coming, as it's simply too crowded. Taking a taxi from Xinghua city center, the traffic jam lasted more than an hour, and the scenic area was packed with people, requiring long queues for boat rides. Still, the overall experience is within an acceptable range. The flowering period should last another week, so I suggest avoiding the holiday period. If you plan to come tomorrow, please be mentally prepared. Navigation: Qianduo Scenic Area

The rapeseed flowers bloom in Xinghua's terraced fields!

The rapeseed flower is a very common economic crop flower, but the people of Xinghua have turned it into one of China's four great rapeseed seas, inaugurating the Thousand Terraced Fields Rapeseed Flower Tourism Season. On the third day of the opening of the rapeseed flower tourism season, I arrived at the Xinghua Thousand Terraced Fields scenic area. Climbing up to the observation deck, I looked out to see the terraced fields surrounded by water, covered in golden rapeseed flowers, presenting a grand vista of terraces, water, and yellow flowers; taking a boat ride through the terraced fields, the rapeseed blooms stretched out in continuous patches; walking along the plank paths and bridges, deep into the sea of flowers, the rapeseed plants stood tall and straight, with four-petaled flowers, green stems, and yellow blooms. In March, the rapeseed flowers on the terraced fields bloom, extending in continuous patches, telling people that spring has come, spring has truly arrived!

The Xinghua Duotian, which began in the Tang Dynasty, beautifies this spring!

The formation of Xinghua Duotian dates back to the Tang Dynasty. To prevent seawater intrusion and resist flood disasters, the ancients built wooden floating fields and piled up soil into mounds, forming fields that were more than 1 meter above the water surface, known as 'Fengtian' or 'Jietian'. The internal ridges of Duotian are separated by ditches between the mounds, generally 20 to 30 centimeters deep, ultimately presenting a magnificent landscape with thousands of mounds standing tall, a dense network of rivers, and a chessboard-like arrangement of rice fields, known as 'Qian Duotian'.

The Qingming festival marks the season when the rapeseed flowers in Xinghua, Taian, are in full bloom

Rapeseed flowers in Pingduo, Xinghua, Taizhou, usually bloom around the Qingming festival each year, and currently about a quarter of them have blossomed, with expectations that they will bloom even more beautifully after Qingming. The Qianduo scenic area is a globally important agricultural cultural heritage, renowned worldwide for its unique 'duotian' landscape. 'Duo' is a type of agricultural landscape unique to the Lixiahe region, which, according to historical records, formed about 750 years ago. In the marshy lands where soil was scarce, the industrious and intelligent people of Xinghua excavated mud from the network of deep ditches or small rivers in the lake and marsh areas, piling it up block by block to form mounds, creating the cultivable 'duotian'. Due to the higher elevation, good drainage, and fertile soil of the 'duotian', it is particularly suitable for growing fruits, vegetables, and melons. Since the 1950s, the 'duotian' rapeseed has been highly regarded nationwide, earning the reputation of 'leading the way in the country'. Due to the variety and high yield of vegetables, 'duotian' is also known as the 'hometown of vegetables'. Every year during the Qingming festival, the 'duotian' surrounded by water in the Qianduo scenic area is covered with golden rapeseed flowers, attracting numerous tourists for sightseeing. 'Rivers with thousands of bends full of green water, fields without a mound not covered in yellow flowers' is the true portrayal of the rapeseed flowers in Xinghua's 'duotian'.

Water Forest Park

The Li Zhong Water Forest covers an area of 1,550 mu, of which 1,050 mu is forest and 500 mu is water surface. The forest in the scenic area is mainly composed of pond cypress, and birds such as egrets, black bulbuls, and wild ducks inhabit it throughout the year.

Taizhou | Head to the water forest for a full oxygen immersion

The water forest is truly like an oxygen bar, with extremely fresh air and beautiful scenery. There are very few people, and when we went, it was almost just the three of us, very quiet. The sunlight filters through the leaves and falls on the walkway, serene and romantic. There are many amusement facilities for children, and taking a leisurely stroll and looking around, you can easily spend 2-3 hours. You must take a boat ride, from pier 1 to pier 2, it's not a long time, and the water flows gently with excellent views. Occasionally, birds fly by, branches tremble, and the rustling sound is healing and ethereal. Be sure to protect yourself against mosquitoes, as there are many over the water. Although there is shade from the trees, still be mindful of sun protection, as there are many areas with direct sunlight, and the ultraviolet rays are strong, which can easily cause sunburn. Different seasons offer different beautiful views, just enjoy them with a peaceful heart. Perhaps it is also because there are few people, so there is not much to say about services, and most of it is operated by locals, so it's quite casual.

Shanghai Outskirts Tour | Xinghua, Taizhou | Lizhong Water Forest

Lizhong Water Forest (A beautiful human landscape, a natural oxygen bar) Water Forest Park 📍Location: Near Shunsheng Bridge, Xingsha Road, Qianduo Town, Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province The forest covers an area of 1050 acres. More than 100,000 trees such as Metasequoia and Pond Cypress have been planted, growing into a tall, dense, and vibrant water garden. The forest has a timber volume of 12,500 cubic meters. It forms a unique waterside landscape with 'trees in the forest, fish in the water, and birds in the trees'. There are many species of birds and wildlife, including owls, wild ducks, egrets, black cuckoos, parakeets, magpies, etc. The forest has up to 60,000 birds at most, and normally around 30,000, making it the largest artificial wetland forest ecological reserve in the Lixiahe region. 🎫Ticket: 50, Bamboo Raft Drifting: 40 (Online ticket 86) ⏰Admission Time: 8:00-17:00 (Entry stops at 16:00) 🚗Transportation: Self-driving is recommended (Direct navigation to Lizhong Water Forest Park) ⭐️Itinerary: Day1. Shanghai➡️Taizhou City (3 and a half hours by car) Tour Taizhou City, taste local cuisine Day2. Taste Taizhou morning tea early in the morning, head to Lizhong Water Forest (about 1 hour drive from Taizhou city area) 🌕Tour Scenes: 1️⃣Mist Forest Illusion There is a place in the scenic area for mist forest performances. There are six shows a day, on the hour. When the time comes, the forest will release artificial fog, creating a fairyland-like atmosphere, which is a must-visit photo spot. The duration is about 10 minutes. 2️⃣Bamboo Raft Drifting Upon entering the park, you can go to Pier No. 2 to take a raft, with 10 people per raft, experiencing 'rafting through the forest, as if traveling in a painting'. The journey through the water forest takes about half an hour. 3️⃣Forest Maze The walkway of the forest maze forms a unique waterside landscape with 'trees in the forest, fish in the water, and birds in the trees'. There are quite a few species of birds here, it's best to bring an umbrella to avoid being attacked by bird droppings.

In addition to the rapeseed flowers, you can also visit the Xinghua City Museum here

📍 Although Xinghua is a county-level city, the Xinghua City Museum is a national 4A scenic spot and a national second-level museum, because the three famous people Zheng Banqiao, Fan Zhongyan, and Shi Nai'an all have a close relationship with Xinghua (Zheng and Shi are from Xinghua, and Fan once served as the county magistrate of Xinghua). 📍 The museum was established in 1959 and the building was built in 1993. Unlike ordinary museums, it adopts Ming and Qing architectural styles, with small bridges and flowing water, and bamboo shadows inside. 📍 The museum has three floors, and the permanent exhibitions 'Chu Water Flowing Long - Xinghua Brief History Display', 'Three Unique Talents - Zheng Banqiao', and 'Shi Nai'an Cultural Relics Historical Materials Display' are worth seeing. In particular, you can fully understand the extraordinary life of Zheng Banqiao, the representative of the Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics, and appreciate the poetry, calligraphy and painting works of the genius. 📍 Free visit, the connected county government office and Li Garden need to buy tickets at the entrance of the museum. Outside the museum gate is the 'Four Paifang', which is also part of the museum.

The "black nodule" in the Xinghua Museum is actually a rare treasure of the museum nationwide

The Xinghua City Museum is a three-story antique building, accommodating the Xinghua City Museum, Zheng Banqiao Memorial Hall, and Shi Nai'an Memorial Hall in the same venue. The museum facilities are slightly old, and in an inconspicuous display case, a "black nodule" is displayed. The introduction is actually the treasure of the museum, the late Tang boat-shaped silver ingot. One day in 1992, villagers in Beijiang Village, Hainan Town, Xinghua City accidentally discovered six long black-brown objects while excavating farmland water conservancy projects. At that time, six Tang Dynasty boat-shaped silver ingots were dug up, and four silver ingots were cast on the front. The "field" character inscription, currently, there are a total of 42 boat-shaped silver ingots that can be checked nationwide, and the Tang Dynasty boat-shaped silver ingots collected by the Xinghua City Museum are used as the largest economic currency, which is still rare nationwide. Speaking of Xinghua, one has to think of Zheng Banqiao from Xinghua. However, the calligraphy and painting of historical celebrities represented by Zheng Banqiao in the museum are not very rich, and they are probably handed over to the upper-level museum. The museum entrance is the landmark of Xinghua City, the Four Plaques, and 47 plaques span five dynasties from the Southern Song Dynasty to the early Republic of China. There is also a row of ancient wells from the Tang and Song Dynasties that have been relocated from various places in Xinghua in front of the museum. It is quite interesting to see so many ancient wells at once.

When visiting Jiangsu's Shagou Town on a spring day hike, you can't miss this must-visit spot

Shagou Town is located in the northwest of Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province, bordering Yandu to the east, adjacent to Gaoyou and Baoying to the west, and facing Jianhu across the river to the north. It boasts a rich regional character and the Tai Zhou City intangible cultural heritage 'Bench Dragon.' The Yimin Lane ancient houses cluster reflects the architectural style of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it a thousand-year-old water town in central Jiangsu. 🚌Transportation: ●Public Transport: Take bus 501 to Shagou Town Government and walk 424 meters to arrive. ●Self-driving: Take the newly opened Fuli Expressway and exit at Dazong Lake toll station, 4 kilometers to Shagou, which is very fast and convenient. Attraction Recommendations: ●Historic Town Remnants: Includes ancient streets, shops, residences, stone bridges, etc., with main attractions such as the old site of Shagou Municipal Government, the old site of Suzhong Public School, Hongqiao, Yimin Lane ancient residential group, Fish Market Stone Street, Dongyue Temple, Cheng Family Courtyard, and more. ●Natural Scenery: Surrounding Shagou Town are Dazong Lake, Guozheng Lake, Nandang, Huafen Dang, Guanzhuang Dang, Wangzhuang Dang, and Tuantou Dang, commonly known as 'Two Lakes and Five Ponds,' which are important waterways in the northern Jiangsu region, offering pleasant scenery. ●Cultural Landscapes: In the west of the town, Shuijin Village has built a traditional ancient fishing and catching 'Eighteen Gangs Experience Base' and 'Lixiahe Freshwater Fisheries Culture Exhibition Hall.' The experience base has a wide water surface, surrounded by clear water and green reeds, where you can take a slow boat ride to enjoy the beautiful lake views or experience eighteen fishing methods. Specialties include Shagou fish balls, lotus root sandwiches, crispy spring rolls, small sesame cakes, and water powder fried chicken. Shagou Town is located at the junction of five counties and cities, with vast reeds and crisscrossing rivers, and is rich in fish, shrimp, and crab, historically known as 'Golden Shagou.' The town's cuisine is mainly Huaiyang cuisine. Tour Route: ●Old site of Shagou Municipal Government ●Old site of Suzhong Public School ●Hongqiao ●Yimin Lane ancient residential group ●Fish Market Stone Street ●Dongyue Temple ●Cheng Family Courtyard

When visiting Jiangsu's Shagou Town on a spring day hike, you can't miss this must-visit spot

Shagou Town is located in the northwest of Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province, bordering Yandu to the east, adjacent to Gaoyou and Baoying to the west, and facing Jianhu across the river to the north. It boasts a rich regional character and the Tai Zhou City intangible cultural heritage 'Bench Dragon.' The Yimin Lane ancient houses cluster reflects the architectural style of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, making it a thousand-year-old water town in central Jiangsu. 🚌Transportation: ●Public Transport: Take bus 501 to Shagou Town Government and walk 424 meters to arrive. ●Self-driving: Take the newly opened Fuli Expressway and exit at Dazong Lake toll station, 4 kilometers to Shagou, which is very fast and convenient. Attraction Recommendations: ●Historic Town Remnants: Includes ancient streets, shops, residences, stone bridges, etc., with main attractions such as the old site of Shagou Municipal Government, the old site of Suzhong Public School, Hongqiao, Yimin Lane ancient residential group, Fish Market Stone Street, Dongyue Temple, Cheng Family Courtyard, and more. ●Natural Scenery: Surrounding Shagou Town are Dazong Lake, Guozheng Lake, Nandang, Huafen Dang, Guanzhuang Dang, Wangzhuang Dang, and Tuantou Dang, commonly known as 'Two Lakes and Five Ponds,' which are important waterways in the northern Jiangsu region, offering pleasant scenery. ●Cultural Landscapes: In the west of the town, Shuijin Village has built a traditional ancient fishing and catching 'Eighteen Gangs Experience Base' and 'Lixiahe Freshwater Fisheries Culture Exhibition Hall.' The experience base has a wide water surface, surrounded by clear water and green reeds, where you can take a slow boat ride to enjoy the beautiful lake views or experience eighteen fishing methods. Specialties include Shagou fish balls, lotus root sandwiches, crispy spring rolls, small sesame cakes, and water powder fried chicken. Shagou Town is located at the junction of five counties and cities, with vast reeds and crisscrossing rivers, and is rich in fish, shrimp, and crab, historically known as 'Golden Shagou.' The town's cuisine is mainly Huaiyang cuisine. Tour Route: ●Old site of Shagou Municipal Government ●Old site of Suzhong Public School ●Hongqiao ●Yimin Lane ancient residential group ●Fish Market Stone Street ●Dongyue Temple ●Cheng Family Courtyard