Zhejiang hides a "trendy ancient city"! The complete 2025 guide to Yanguan Chaole City

A treasure vacation spot just 1.5 hours from Shanghai and 1 hour from Hangzhou, reinventing the "World's Number One Tide" and millennium-old Song Dynasty charm with fresh new twists! This all-in-one guide for eating, staying, and playing teaches you how to catch the tide at the right time, avoid crowds, and easily blow up your social media! 🔥 Must-Play TOP 6: A double celebration of tide and music 1. Prime Tide-Watching Spot: The soul of Yanguan lies in the river tide! From the 1st to 6th and 15th to 20th of the lunar month are big tide days. Stand at Baishitai Square and watch the several-meter-high tide surge like a white city wall, with thunderous tide sounds deafening your ears—this is the "spectacle unmatched in the world" praised by Su Dongpo. The best photo spot is under Zhan’ao Tower, where ancient architecture and the great tide frame together, making every snap a stunning masterpiece. 2. Immersive Drama "Battle of Tide and Music": The live-action game by UMEPLAY is incredibly addictive! Transform into a 1928 Yanguan resident, join the century-old Sauce Association or Salt Gang, and with 20+ high-appearance NPCs, solve mysteries while strolling the ancient city. When tired, show off a bowl of stinky tofu on the way, and end with a group dance party that’s a total blast. 3. Stroll Chaole Tianjie with Song Dynasty Charm: Millennium prosperity hides in the bluestone streets! Street vendors carrying goods, amusing ancient colorful magic shows performed one after another, and old-brand shops along the street where you can find handmade pickles and intangible cultural heritage pastries. Don’t miss the "Tide Wall" light and shadow show at the hour, perfect for photos with full atmosphere. 4. Trace Celebrity Footprints in Yanguan Ancient City: Walk through Xu Zhimo’s former residence and feel the poetry in his yellowed letters; visit Wang Guowei’s former home to touch the traces of the national studies master’s life. The ancient trees planted by Emperor Qianlong under the city wall silently tell royal stories of the past. 5. Drones Dance with the Night Tide: The riverside at night is a visual feast! 3,000 drones form patterns like "Tide Surge" and "Phoenix" in the sky, shining alongside the illuminated night tide, filling the evening breeze with romance. 6. Cyber Parade Full of Trendy Vibes: High-appearance actors on stilts parade the ancient city, mixing traditional costumes with modern elements, making every candid shot a trendy masterpiece. Street singers perform along the street, with river breeze and music blending into pure comfort. 🏮 Accommodation Guide: Hidden perks of sleeping by the waves • Prime Tide-Watching Choice: The Lead Singer Music Resort Hotel is a must! Private Qiantang Tide viewing platform, watch the tide surge from your bed, music-themed rooms with full atmosphere, and at night, hear melodies in the river breeze. • Elegant Chinese Style Choice: Xuande Gate Hotel next to the ancient city wall, with a tranquil oriental garden courtyard. Open the window to see green tiles and flying eaves, and enjoy tea in the courtyard in the morning, as if traveling back to the Song Dynasty. • High Cost-Performance Choice: Kaiyuan Yiju Resort Manor hidden inside the Tide-Watching Park, excellent value, walking distance to the tide-watching spot, truly realizing "watching the tide from your bed and sleeping by the waves." 😋 Culinary Feast: Deliciousness praised even by Su Dongpo • Must-Try Signature: Haining Clay Pot Pork at Chunjiang Restaurant is a must! The five-spice pork slow-cooked in a coarse pottery pot is glossy and shiny, fatty but not greasy, even Su Dongpo praised it as "wonderful"; paired with the bouncy and fresh banquet balls—fish balls wrapped in minced pork skin—each bite is incredibly fresh. • Street Flavors: Stinky tofu in the ancient city alleys is crispy outside and tender inside, drizzled with secret spicy sauce for an appetite boost; Qianlong Restaurant’s sauce duck leg is savory and flavorful, perfect with white porridge. • Great Souvenirs: Yanguan Wanchang Pastries at the New Species Space on Ganhe Street is an old brand, with sweet and soft osmanthus cake and peach crisp; "Old Xia Stone" snacks at Kangqiao·1924 Cultural Island are both visually appealing and tasty, perfect for family and friends. 📝 Practical Tips • Address: No. 188 Gongchen Road, Yanguan Town, Haining City, Jiaxing (navigate to "Yanguan Chaole City"). • Tide-Watching Tips: Check the tide table in advance on the "Travel in Haining" mini-program. On big tide days, arrive at Tide-Watching Park one hour early. The tides from September 26 to October 1, 2025 (lunar August 15 to 20) are the most spectacular. • Time-Saving Route: Enter through Xuande Gate → stroll Chaole Tianjie → play "Battle of Tide and Music" → lunch with clay pot pork → afternoon tide-watching at Zhan’ao Tower → evening visit celebrity residences → night drone show. • Safety Reminder: Always stand in safe areas when watching the tide. The "returning tide" at the Old Salt Warehouse is extremely powerful; do not approach dangerous zones. Yanguan Chaole City is never an ordinary ancient city. It is the grandeur of surging river tides, the elegance of Song Dynasty charm, and the passion of musical celebrations. Chase the tide and explore history by day, listen to music and watch shows by night—who wouldn’t love such a journey? This holiday, quickly gather your family and set off!