Nantong is blessed with fantastic natural and cultural attractions as well as numerous unique foods. Below is a representative list with brief descriptions.

Langshan Mountain Observation Deck

The observation deck on the top of the Langshan Mountain is an excellent place to observe the excellent scenery of the Yangtze River and the hundreds of busy boats amid the mist. On both sides of the gate to the Guangjiao Temple, there is a couplet saying that hear the echoes in the mountains, and look around to appreciate the blue sky and the vast sea. The couplet is a precise summary of the bewitching scenery of Langshan Mountain.

Golden Beach

Golden Beach, located in the northern part of the Huanghai Sea Provincial Wetland Reserve, is endowed with abundant resources. Apart from the clear blue sky and the sea in the background, it boasts a variety of aquatic plants, clear ponds, and flying birds.

Maritime Disco

In 1987, a group of Canadian experts and American students saw local fishermen in Nantong stamping their feet on the tidal flats. After a while, colorful clams appeared. They said that isn't this like dancing in a disco by the sea? Since then, clam stamping on the beach got a fun name: the Maritime Disco, which has become a program for tourists to go sightseeing, do some exercises, and taste seafood.

Shuihui Garden

Nantong is home to a representative of Jiangnan-style architecture – Shuihui Garden, which was built in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and served as a secluded home for Dong Xiaowan, one of the Eight Beauties of the Qinhuai River, and Mao Pijiang, one of the Four Gentlemen of the late Ming Dynasty.

Water is essential to the garden, and the reflections in the ponds are beautiful and elegant. The garden embodied the owner's aspirations and memories, incorporating poetry, literature, guqin, Chinese chess, calligraphy, paintings, and traditional Chinese oral performing arts. It was a garden for the literati.

The Shuihui Garden Scenic Area comprises Shuihui Garden, Shuiming Building cluster, Rugao Longevity Museum, Rugao-style Bonsai Garden, Yiyuan Garden, and Dongjiajie Historic and Culture Block.

Zhang Jian Hometown Scenic Area

The Zhang Jian Hometown Scenic Area is located next to the former residence of Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned industrial magnate, educator, and scholar in Haimen. The Liuxiban Streets, the first phase of the Zhang Jian Hometown Scenic Area, was opened to the public in 2021. Visitors can get a taste of traditional Haimen delicacies, including goat meat and Shihui pastry, and admire bamboo weaving, paper cutting, and other intangible cultural heritages on the street.

Editor-in-chief: Yu Lei

Editor: Wang Yun

Photo by Gu Yao

Translated by Wang Haifei from the Shanghai Waiyuan Translation Agency