Taizhou's Top 5 Attractions | Unlock the Charm of this Watery City in 2 Days

🌟 Day 1: A Double Dose of Culture and Nature Morning: Mei Lanfang Park 📍 Address: No. 90 Yingchun East Road, Hailing District 🎫 Tickets: Free (ID card required) ⏰ Opening hours: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm ✅ Must-do: - Take a photo with the white marble statue of Mei Lanfang and experience the charm of the Peking Opera master. - Enjoy the free Kunqu Opera performance at 10:00 am and immerse yourself in excerpts from *The Peony Pavilion*. - Capture the perfect shot at the Plum Pavilion, a pentagonal plum blossom structure featuring carvings of scenes from *The Drunken Beauty*. Afternoon: Li Zhong Water Forest 📍 Address: East of Shunchuan Road, Lizhong Town, Xinghua City 🎫 Tickets: ¥50 (includes ¥40 for the wooden raft ride) ⏰ Opening hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm ✅ Must-do: - Mist Forest Wonderland (one show in the morning and one in the evening): Take a wooden raft through the metasequoia forest and capture stunning photos with the Tyndall effect and water reflections, reminiscent of *Princess Mononoke*. - 3.5 km wooden boardwalk: Overlook the S-shaped waterway from the "Cloud-walking Bridge" and find the iconic crooked-neck tree in the "Confused Forest." - Red Cream Wooden House Fishing Village: Enjoy freshly caught Xinghua hairy crabs. We recommend the "Three Ways to Eat Crab" (crab roe soup dumplings + steamed crab legs + spicy crab shell). Evening: Taizhou Old Street 📍 Address: Yingchun East Road, Hailing District ✅ Must-do: - Morning Tea Museum: Learn about Taizhou's "morning tea" culture and try the shredded dried tofu (thinly sliced like hair) and crab roe soup dumplings (thin skin and rich filling). - Intangible cultural heritage performances: Watch the Jiang-style noodle-making and dried tofu shredding performances while enjoying your meal. - Accommodation recommendation: Stay at the "Morning Tea Teahouse" in the Old Street, with its antique, Republican-style rooms, and enjoy morning tea right after waking up. 🌟 Day 2: The Ultimate Romance of Wetlands and Water Towns Morning: Qin Lake National Wetland Park 📍 Address: Zhentong Town, Jiangyan District 🎫 Tickets: ¥80 (includes boat tour) ⏰ Opening hours: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm ✅ Must-do: - Birdwatcher's paradise: April is the peak migration season for geese and ducks. Take a boat tour to watch black swans and egrets in flight. - Qin Lake Waterfowl Park: Feed the geese from the boardwalk and spot the Baer's pochard (a national first-class protected animal). - Science Museum: Watch a 3D documentary about wetland ecology. Kids will love the immersive "Hundred Magpies Returning to Their Nests" scene. Afternoon: Fengcheng River Scenic Area 📍 Address: Along Fengcheng River, Hailing District 🎫 Tickets: Free (night cruise ticket ¥80) ⏰ Opening hours: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm (night cruise 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm) ✅ Must-do: - Wanghai Tower: Climb the tower for a panoramic view of Fengcheng River and enjoy the night light show at the "First Tower of Jianghuai." - Peach Garden: Visit the ruins of Chen An, where Kong Shangren wrote *The Peach Blossom Fan*, and admire the blooming peach blossoms in April. - Night cruise: Enjoy a 40-minute cruise through the illuminated tunnel, listen to Pingtan *Scenes of Qinhuai*, and experience the thousand-year-old charm of "the state established in the Southern Tang Dynasty." 🚗 Transportation and Food Tips - Transportation: Rent a car at Taizhou Station (around ¥150 per day). Li Zhong Water Forest and Qin Lake Wetland are about an hour's drive from the city center. - Food map: - Morning tea: Gu Yue Lou (Old Street branch) for rice straw and pork dumplings and fish soup noodles. - Lunch/Dinner: Qin Lake Eight Delicacies Restaurant for mitten crabs and fish balls (around ¥60 per person). - Snacks: "Huangqiao sesame cakes" (Long Hu Dou flavor) and "Taizhou stinky tofu" (crispy outside, tender inside) from the Old Street. 💡 Travel Tips - The temperature in Taizhou in April ranges from 15-25°C. We recommend wearing a light jacket and a floral dress for photos. - The best time to photograph the mist forest at Li Zhong Water Forest is before 9:00 am (fewer people and thicker fog). - The best birdwatching spot at Qin Lake Wetland is the "Birdwatching House" on the west side of the Waterfowl Park, where binoculars are available for free. - Arrive early for morning tea in Taizhou, preferably before 6:30 am, to avoid the tour group rush. Taizhou, an underrated water town, combines the elegance of the south with the boldness of the north. From the birthplace of Peking Opera to the water forest, from the hidden wetland to the bustling old street, every step in Taizhou is a delightful discovery!✨