4-Day and 3-Night Self-Driving Tour from Shanghai to Wenling, Dachen Island, and Shipu in April 2025
April 3
• Take a day off and set off after paying respects to ancestors in advance, heading to the coastal area of eastern Zhejiang. Drive 390 km via the Shanghai-Kunming, Changtai, and Shenhai Expressways, with a highway toll of CNY 171. Charge the car at the Jiashao South and Taizhou service areas along the way.
• Arrive at Changyu Grottoes at 12:00. The entrance ticket is CNY 112. The parking lot offers charging, which is very convenient. The scenic area is relatively unknown and quiet. Take the scenic shuttle bus for CNY 20 per person to visit four attractions. In the Guān Xī (Watching Sunset) Cave, there is a large Maitreya Buddha. The stone cave on the top is unique and requires climbing a short mountain path.
• At 13:30, leave Guān Xī Cave and head to the Panda Pavilion across the way. There are hardly any people in the pavilion. Fortunately, you may see a cute panda get up and take a few steps.
• Then, take the scenic shuttle bus to the Jingming Cave intersection and walk a few hundred meters to a temple. There are 88 modern Buddhist grottoes in the temple, which are great for taking photos.
• Afterwards, take the scenic shuttle bus again to Shuǐ Yún (Water Cloud) Cave. This is a mining relic with high steps. The photo effect after climbing to the top is excellent. Walk from Shuǐ Yún Cave to Shuangmen Cave. The Chaoyuan Stone Carving in the main cave is amazing, similar to the theme of the Chaoyuan mural in Yongle Palace in Yuncheng.
• At around 15:00, finish the scenic area tour and drive 28 km to the hotel in Shitang. In the evening, taste seafood next to the hotel, including swimming crab, hairtail, and shellfish similar to hairy cockles, which taste delicious.
April 4
• Depart at 4:45, drive 5 km, pass through a winding and steep mountain road, and arrive at Millennium Dawn Park at 5:05. Park the car halfway up the mountain and walk 500m to the Dawn Monument. The sunrise time forecast for the day is 5:41. Due to the thick clouds, the sun did not break through the clouds until 5:50. It is the first ray of dawn to shine on the Chinese mainland, and suddenly there is a kind of artistic conception, which can be summarized in two sentences: "Watch the sea and chase the waves, and meet the dawn breaking through the sky."
• Return to the hotel at 6:20 for breakfast and take a short rest. Depart at 8:40, drive 7 km, and arrive at Xiaoruo Village (Colorful Town) at 9:00. Pass through a narrow tunnel on the way and park the car in a simple parking lot with a gravel road. The parking fee is CNY 10.
• First, go to Qilin Mountain behind the Tianhou Temple across the way, and climb along the road signs for half an hour to reach the top of the mountain, overlooking the panoramic view of Xiaoruo Village. The colorful houses are scattered and orderly, with the sea in the back. There are also many colorful fishing boats on the sea, like a fairy tale world. After going down the mountain, walk around the village. The houses look more ordinary up close.
• Depart at 10:30 and head to the Couple Ring Viewing Platform. There is a lot of traffic on the way, and you may take the wrong road and mistakenly go to Jinshatan Beach. The parking fee here is CNY 10. The beach is very small, and the entrance ticket is CNY 30. You may choose not to enter.
• At 11:20, finally arrive at the Couple Ring Viewing Platform. You need to pass through a narrow winding mountain road and park 500m away from the top of the mountain. The parking fee is CNY 10. Climbing to the top of the mountain, the two circular viewing platforms do not look like two rings. You can see a panoramic view of Shitang from the top of the mountain, but the scenery is average.
• Depart at 12:40 and head to Jiaojiang, a 55 km drive. Arrive at a hotel near Jiaojiang Maritime Passenger Terminal at 14:00. Parking is difficult. After a rest, walk 1.6 km to pick up the next day's ferry ticket and be told that you can take the ferry by swiping your ID card. For dinner, taste Dachen yellow croaker, red crab, old goose, and bean curd skin in Haimen Old Street, which tastes delicious.
April 5
• Depart at 5:45 and head to the terminal, less than 2 km away. Because the ticket seller at the terminal reminded that it is difficult to get out of the parking lot due to the heavy traffic, find a place to park on the roadside. Eat delicious rice ball pancakes at a breakfast stall at the entrance of the terminal.
• Take the 7:00 ferry to Xià Dàchén Island. The ferry ticket is CNY 103. Dachen Island is the last island liberated along the coast of Zhejiang. The main attractions are concentrated in Xià Dàchén. The ferry ride takes 2.5 hours. The ferry will stop at Shàng Dàchén Island to drop off passengers.
• Arrive at Xià Dàchén Terminal at 9:25. You can choose the island-looping scenic shuttle bus line for CNY 25 per person. Because you are worried about not having enough time, charter a car for CNY 200. After a 15-minute drive, arrive at Jiawu Rock at 9:48. This is a marine erosion landform. The sea view is similar to that of Pingtan Island and Meizhou Island, which is very charming.
• Visit the Suǒqiáo (Chain Bridge), the lighthouse, and the Sea Turtle Listening to Scriptures along the seaside boardwalk, and arrive at the Jiawu Rock Viewing Platform. Do not exit from the secondary main entrance. Continue to the Jiang Jingguo Photo Spot, and then walk down the boardwalk to get a close view of Jiawu Rock. There are few pedestrians on this road. After passing Jing Feng Ying Ri, and then crossing the Suǒqiáo (Chain Bridge), exit the scenic area at 11:50 and contact the driver to pick you up.
• Take a 5-minute drive to check in at Langtongmen, and then go to the Reclamation Monument on the top of the mountain. This commemorates the deeds of a group of young people who built the destroyed island in 1956. You can overlook the panoramic view of Dachen Island from the top of the mountain. The driver will pick you up at 12:40. The island-looping tour passes by Jilongtou (yellow croaker farming area). Meihua Bay is being renovated and did not stop.
• Return to the terminal at 13:10 and visit the ancient fort next to it, with bunkers and statues of Wei Wen. Take a walk along the seaside trail and take pictures of the terminal lighthouse on a platform. The picture is absolutely beautiful. Take a speedboat back to Jiaojiang Terminal at 15:00. The ferry ticket is CNY 133, which only takes 1.5 hours, and arrive at 16:30.
• Drive 120 km on the Yongguan Expressway. The road is clear all the way. Arrive at Shipu Hotel in Xiangshan at 18:05. Enjoy a baked seafood casserole nearby for dinner. The mantis shrimp, abalone, and fish head taste excellent.
April 6
• The seafood noodles and pastries for breakfast at the hotel are very delicious. Depart at 8:15 and drive less than 2 km to Shipu Fishing Port Ancient City. The entrance ticket is CNY 60. The car is parked in the underground , and the parking fee is CNY 10. The ancient city is mainly based on an old street. It takes less than 1 hour to visit back and forth. Some small attractions require paper tickets for verification, and there are several places suitable for taking pictures.
• Depart at 9:15 and drive 5 km to Chinese Fishing Village. The entrance ticket is CNY 55. This is a large beach with a wealth of supporting recreational projects, which is much better than Jinshatan Beach in Shitang.
• Return at 10:10, take the Yongguan - Shenhai - Shanghai-Kunming Expressway for 311 km, and the expressway is free. Rest in Cicheng and Nanhu service areas. The vehicle does not need to be recharged. There is some congestion at Ningbo Interchange, Hangzhou Bay Bridge, and when entering Shanghai. Arrive home at around 16:30.
Summary
• This time, you went to Shitang in Wenling, Jiaojiang, Shipu in Xiangshan and other places along the coast of eastern Zhejiang. The whole journey is 964 km, and four days is slightly ample.
• There are few people wherever you go, or you can say it is relatively niche. The grottoes in Changyu Grottoes, the sunrise in Millennium Dawn Park, and the architectural aesthetics of Xiaoruo Village are all good; Dachen Island has beautiful scenery, and Jiawu Rock and the Reclamation Monument are worth a visit. Ferry tickets need to be booked online in advance, and it is more convenient to charter a car on the island; Shipu Ancient City and Chinese Fishing Village can be checked in, but because you have been to many ancient cities and beaches, you feel a little aesthetically tired.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The diet can only be mainly seafood, which is still fresh and delicious.
• In terms of expenses, the car charging and expressway fees are less than CNY 380, the round-trip ferry ticket to Dachen Island is CNY 236 per person, the entrance tickets to the four attractions are CNY 238, plus accommodation and meals, the per capita cost is less than CNY 2,100.