China Milu Park Scenic Area is located in Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and the world's largest Milu nature reserve with the largest population of Milu . The scenic area focuses on Milu protection, integrating wetland ecological sightseeing, popular science education, and cultural experience functions. It boasts a unique coastal wetland ecosystem and rich biodiversity. The total area of the scenic area is 78,000 mu, with the core protected area covering approximately 2,668 hectares, and wetland area accounting for over 70%. Facilities such as the Milu Museum, Deer Viewing Platform, and wetland plank roads are built in the park. As of 2024, the Milu population has reached over 7,000, accounting for more than 60% of the global Milu population. It is a successful model of wildlife protection in China and an important window for domestic and foreign tourists to learn about Milu culture and wetland ecology.
Historical Culture
Milu , commonly known as "David's deer" (a creature that looks like a deer but not a deer, a horse but not a horse, an ox but not an ox, a donkey but not a donkey), is a rare deer species unique to China. It gets its name from having antlers like a deer, a face like a horse, hooves like an ox, and a tail like a donkey, and has profound cultural connotations in Chinese civilization. As early as the Neolithic Age, Milu appeared in human life. There are records of Milu in oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and their images can often be seen on murals and bronze ware of past dynasties, symbolizing auspiciousness and harmony.
At the end of the 19th century, due to habitat destruction and overhunting, wild Milu became extinct in China. In 1986, China reintroduced 39 Milu from the United Kingdom and established the Milu Nature Reserve in Dafeng, initiating the Milu reintroduction project. After decades of protection and breeding, the Milu population has grown steadily. In 2006, the wild population was successfully restored, becoming a "Chinese miracle" in the history of global endangered species protection. The Milu Museum in the scenic area systematically displays the rise and fall of this species and its protection process, witnessing the efforts of humans to live in harmony with nature.
Main Attractions
Milu Viewing Area
The Milu Viewing Area is the core area of the scenic spot, covering an area of about 50,000 mu, divided into a semi-wild release area and a captive area. In the semi-wild release area, thousands of Milu live freely in the reed wetlands. Tourists can take the scenic area's sightseeing bus (ticket price 40 yuan per person) to enter and observe the natural behaviors of Milu at close range, such as foraging, playing, and fighting. During the breeding season from May to August each year, you can also see scenes of male Milu courting and female Milu raising their young. The captive area mainly displays Milu of different ages, including young, adult, and elderly Milu , making it easy for tourists to observe the growth characteristics of Milu . There are popular science explanation boards in the area, introducing the living habits and protection knowledge of Milu .
Milu Museum
The Milu Museum is the only professional museum in China with Milu as its theme, covering a construction area of about 2,000 square meters. It is divided into four exhibition halls: "Origin of Milu ", "Cultural Imprint", "Endangerment and Rebirth", and "Protection Achievements". The museum collects more than 3,000 items such as Milu fossils, cultural relics related to Milu from past dynasties, and precious Milu specimens from home and abroad. Through multimedia interactions and scene restorations, it systematically demonstrates the evolutionary history, cultural significance, and protection stories of Milu . Among them, the "Reintroduction" exhibition hall details the entire process of Milu returning to China since 1986, and is an important place to learn about the history of species protection.
Deer Viewing Platform
The Deer Viewing Platform is located on a highland in the middle of the scenic area. It is a three-story antique pavilion-style building, about 18 meters high, covering an area of about 300 square meters. Climbing up the Deer Viewing Platform, you can overlook the magnificent landscape of the ten-thousand-mu wetland grassland. When the view is wide, you can see groups of Milu moving in the distance, forming a natural picture with reeds and water ponds. There are rest areas and telescopes in the platform, convenient for tourists to observe and take photos for a long time, and it is a landmark viewing facility of the scenic area.
Wetland Maze
The Wetland Maze is located in the eastern part of the scenic area, covering an area of about 1,000 mu. It is a typical coastal wetland ecosystem, composed of reed marshes, swamps, and waterways. Tourists can take a wooden boat (ticket price 60 yuan per person) to travel through it and explore the secrets of the wetland. Along the way, you can not only see traces of Milu but also watch more than 300 species of birds such as red-crowned cranes, oriental storks, and black-faced spoonbills, as well as small mammals such as roe deer and hares. There are ecological explanation boards in the wetland, introducing the purification function of the wetland and the importance of biodiversity protection, making it a vivid classroom for ecological science education.
Fengshen Platform
Fengshen Platform gets its name from the legend in "Investiture of the Gods" that Jiang Ziya's mount was an Milu . The platform is about 10 meters high, a circular building, surrounded by 108 stone pillars carved with Milu patterns. Climbing the platform, you can overlook the panorama of the reserve. There is a "David's deer" sculpture in the center of the platform, symbolizing the sacred status of Milu in traditional culture. Ginkgo, pine, and cypress trees are planted around Fengshen Platform, which complement the wetland landscape and is a popular photo spot for tourists.
Food
Dafeng Fish Soup Noodles
Dafeng Fish Soup Noodles are a local specialty breakfast, made with a thick soup boiled from fresh sea fish (mostly crucian carp and eel) as the base, paired with hand-pulled noodles. When making, the fish needs to be fried until golden, then added with boiling water and simmered on high heat for 2 hours until the soup turns milky white. Then the noodles are cooked and sprinkled with chopped green onions, pepper, and other seasonings. It has a delicious and rich taste and is nutritious. It can be tasted in restaurants around the scenic area and old-fashioned noodle restaurants in Dafeng urban area, with a price of about 15-25 yuan per bowl. It is a must-try food to experience the local flavor.
Drunken Mud Snails
Drunken Mud Snails are a traditional snack in the coastal area of Yancheng. They are made of fresh mud snails produced in Dafeng tidal flats, which are cleaned, desanded, and then marinated with white wine, salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper, etc. The finished product has tender and crisp meat, a strong wine aroma, no fishy smell, and is rich in protein and minerals. It can be purchased in scenic area specialty stores and Dafeng seafood markets. Vacuum-packed drunken mud snails are priced at about 30-50 yuan per bottle, which is both an appetizer on the table and a popular souvenir.
Reed Shoots Braised with Pork
Reed shoots are the tender stems of wetland reeds, picked in spring every year. They have a tender and juicy taste and are rich in dietary fiber. Reed Shoots Braised with Pork uses locally free-range pork stewed with reed shoots. The pork is tender and the shoots have a strong aroma, which is a specialty dish of farmhouses in the scenic area. This dish makes full use of wetland resources and reflects the close connection between local diet and nature, with a price of about 40-60 yuan per serving.
Seafood Feast
Dafeng is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea and is rich in seafood resources. Seafood Feast is a popular dish for local banquets. It is made with various seafood such as swimming crabs, prawns, clams, and razor clams as the main ingredients, simmered with chili, garlic, ginger, and other seasonings. It is large in quantity and rich in umami. It is available in seafood restaurants around the scenic area, with prices ranging from about 150-300 yuan per serving depending on the ingredients, suitable for sharing among many people.
Tickets
The ticket price is 50 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "中华麋鹿园" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are as follows:
- April 1st - October 31st: 8:00 - 18:00 (admission stops at 17:00)
- November 1st - March 31st of the following year: 8:30 - 17:00 (admission stops at 16:30)
The scenic area is open all year round with no closed days. It is recommended that tourists avoid the high-temperature period at noon in summer and the low-temperature periods in the morning and evening in winter, and choose to visit from 9:00-11:00 in the morning or 14:00-16:00 in the afternoon. At this time, Milu are more active, and the viewing effect is better.
Tour Route
Recommended classic one-day tour route: Arrive at the scenic area at 8:30 am, first visit the Milu Museum (about 1.5 hours) to learn about the history, culture, and protection process of Milu ; at 10:00, take the sightseeing bus to enter the Milu Viewing Area, visit the semi-wild release area and the captive area (about 2 hours) to watch Milu at close range; at 12:00, have lunch in the ecological restaurant in the scenic area, tasting special dishes such as Reed Shoots Braised with Pork and seafood; at 13:30 pm, go to the Deer Viewing Platform to enjoy the scenery from a height (about 30 minutes), then walk to Fengshen Platform for a visit (about 30 minutes); at 14:30, take a wooden boat to visit the Wetland Maze (about 1.5 hours) to watch the wetland ecology and birds; at 16:00, buy souvenirs such as drunken mud snails and Milu cultural and creative products in the scenic area's specialty store, and end the trip at 16:30.
If time permits, you can extend the tour to the hiking plank road of the Wetland Maze to experience the wetland scenery in depth, which will take about 1 more hour.
Transportation
- High-speed rail/bullet train: Take the high-speed rail or bullet train to Yancheng Station, then transfer to the Yancheng-Dafeng tourist bus (about one shift per hour) to reach China Milu Park Scenic Area directly, with a journey of about 1.5 hours and a fare of 30 yuan; or take a taxi from Yancheng Station, with a journey of about 1 hour and a cost of about 120 yuan.
- Long-distance bus: Dafeng Bus Station has a direct bus line to the scenic area (Dafeng Line 109), with a journey of about 30 minutes, a fare of 5 yuan, and a shift every 30 minutes; surrounding cities such as Nantong, Taizhou, and Yangzhou have direct long-distance buses to Dafeng, and you can transfer to the bus after arrival.
- Self-driving: Starting from Yancheng, take Shenyang-Haikou Expressway (G15) to Dafeng Port Exit, then drive southeast along S226 Provincial Road for about 20 kilometers to reach the scenic area, with a total distance of about 70 kilometers and a journey of 1 hour; starting from Shanghai, drive north along Shenyang-Haikou Expressway (G15) for about 300 kilometers to Dafeng Port Exit, with a journey of about 3.5 hours; the parking fee standard of the scenic area is 10 yuan per day for small cars and 20 yuan per day for large cars.
- Internal transportation in the scenic area: The sightseeing buses in the scenic area connect all major attractions, with a full fare of 40 yuan per person, allowing getting on and off midway; the ticket price for the Wetland Maze cruise is 60 yuan per person, which needs to be taken at the designated pier.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Milu Viewing Area: The world's largest Milu habitat, where you can observe the natural living conditions of thousands of Milu at close range, covering an area of 50,000 mu, with a visiting time of about 2 hours (including the sightseeing bus).
- Milu Museum: China's only professional museum with the theme of Milu , with more than 3,000 exhibits systematically displaying Milu culture and protection history, covering a construction area of 2,000 square meters, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours.
- Wetland Maze: A typical coastal wetland ecosystem, where you can watch various birds and wetland landscapes by cruise ship, covering an area of 1,000 mu, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours (including the cruise ship).
- Deer Viewing Platform: A landmark viewing facility of the scenic area, where you can overlook the wetland and Milu groups from a height, 18 meters high, with a visiting time of about 30 minutes.
Travel Suggestions
- The best seasons to visit are spring and autumn (April-May, September-October). At this time, the climate is mild, Milu are active, and wetland vegetation is abundant; in summer, attention should be paid to sun protection and insect prevention; in winter, it is cold and Milu activities decrease.
- The scenic area is large, so it is recommended to take the sightseeing bus to save energy. The sightseeing bus pass can be used all day, facilitating travel between attractions.
- When watching Milu , keep a safe distance (at least 50 meters), do not feed, make noise, or take photos with flash to avoid disturbing their normal life.
- There are few catering options in the scenic area. You can bring your own dry food and water, or go to Dafeng urban area for meals. It is recommended to try local specialties such as Dafeng Fish Soup Noodles and Seafood Feast.
- For purchasing specialties, you can choose seafood products such as drunken mud snails and jellyfish, as well as Milu -shaped cultural and creative products. The specialty store at the exit of the scenic area has transparent prices, so you can buy with confidence.
Notes
- The wetland terrain in the scenic area is complex, and some areas are muddy. When visiting, wear non-slip sports shoes and avoid entering unopened areas.
- There are many mosquitoes in the wetland in summer. You need to carry mosquito repellent, toilet water, and other supplies, and wear long-sleeved clothes to prevent bites.
- Protect the wetland ecological environment, do not litter, pick plants, or disturb wild animals, and abide by the principle of "leave no trace".
- When taking sightseeing buses and cruise ships, fasten your seat belt (wear a life jacket on the cruise ship), follow the instructions of the staff, and do not stand or lean out during driving.
- The signal in the scenic area is weak. It is recommended to download an offline map in advance and keep in touch with companions to avoid getting lost.
- In case of extreme weather (such as heavy rain, typhoon, etc.), the scenic area may temporarily close some areas. Pay attention to official notices and adjust your itinerary reasonably.