The 10-km Haohe River boasts scenic landscapes on both sides. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Haohe River, located in Chongchuan district in the city of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province, is one of the four best preserved ancient moats in China.

Nantong used to be a sandbank with numerous puddles. To build a city, people dug the river for soil, leaving vast stretches of water, which later became the Haohe River.

Visitors take a boat tour of the Haohe River scenic area. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

A 20-kilometer river was dug to the northwest of Haohe River to connect the ancient Yanhe River in Baipu town, carrying salt directly from Yangzhou to Tongzhou and connecting the main saltworks and towns along the Huanghai Sea.

Currently, Haohe River spans 10 km, with the widest point being 215 meters and the narrowest 10 meters.

Attractions along Haohe River. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

The Haohe River scenic area was listed among the first batch of historic and cultural protection zones in Jiangsu in 1995, and in 2012 the scenic area was designated a national 5A tourist attraction that receives some 8 million visitors each year.

Ducks are seen in the Haohe River scenic area. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

With lush trees on both sides, the scenic area boasts beautiful scenery and numerous gulls, wild ducks, and fish hawks.

There are many attractions along the river, including the 1,000-year-old Tianning Temple, Wenfeng Tower, and the Nantong Museum, China's first public museum. Twenty-eight bridges have also been built along Haohe River.