Spring and Autumn Yancheng Tourist Area is located in Wujin District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. Centered on the Yancheng Ruins from the Spring and Autumn Period, the scenic area integrates various functions such as historical and cultural display, leisure and vacation, and theme-based amusement. It is the most well-preserved and oldest above-ground city site from the Spring and Autumn Period in China. The total area of the tourist area reaches 7.6 square kilometers, with the core Yancheng Ruins covering approximately 0.6 square kilometers. It consists of three layers of cities: the outer city, inner city, and sub-city, with three cities and three rivers encircling each other, a unique structure both domestically and internationally, known as the "First Ancient City in the South of the Yangtze River". The scenic area includes Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise, Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park, Yancheng Wildlife World, and Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street, etc. It not only retains the historical richness of the ancient ruins but also reproduces the cultural style of the Spring and Autumn Period through modern means, forming a unique pattern of "one city, one park, one world".
History and Culture
The Yancheng Ruins have a history of over 2,700 years, with their construction date tracing back to the late Spring and Autumn Period. It is said to have been built by Ji Zha, a prince of the State of Wu. As a city site from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn Period, it is the only ancient city in China with a three-city and three-river structure discovered so far. The outer city is elliptical, the inner city and sub-city are square, and there are moats surrounding the three city walls. This architectural layout is extremely rare in the history of world urban architecture and is of great value for studying ancient Chinese urban planning and military defense systems.
Since 1958, a large number of precious cultural relics have been unearthed from the Yancheng Ruins, including dugout canoes, bronze ware, pottery, and jade articles. Among them, the dugout canoe with a history of over 2,800 years is one of the oldest and most complete dugout canoes found in China, currently collected in the Yancheng Ruins Museum. In 1988, the Yancheng Ruins were listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit; in 2010, the Spring and Autumn Yancheng Tourist Area, centered on the Yancheng Ruins, was officially completed and opened to the public. Through ruins protection, cultural performances, theme-based amusement, and other means, the culture of the Spring and Autumn Period has been passed down in a vivid way.
Main Attractions
Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park
Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park is the core area of the tourist area, completely preserving the style of the ancient city ruins from the Spring and Autumn Period. The outer city has a circumference of about 2,500 meters, the inner city about 1,500 meters, and the sub-city about 500 meters. The total area of the three moats reaches 300,000 square meters, and the water remains clear to this day. Tourists can walk along the city wall paths, overlook the unique structure of the three cities and three rivers, or take a boat tour on the moat to feel the ancient charm of the "water city". The park also houses the Yancheng Ruins Museum, which displays unearthed cultural relics such as dugout canoes, bronze swords, and primitive celadon, systematically introducing the historical evolution and cultural value of Yancheng.
Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise
Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise is a large-scale amusement park themed around the culture of the Spring and Autumn Period, covering an area of approximately 400,000 square meters. It is divided into six major zones, including the Garden of the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Marketplace Street, the Spring and Autumn Royal Palace, and the Yancheng Ruins. The park features over 30 amusement facilities such as "Sun Wu's Command Platform", "Wu Zixu Passing Zhao Pass", and "Nine Dragons Contending for the Cauldron". Among them, the "Roller Coaster · Speed Flyer" has a 980-meter track and a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour. Designed with the theme of Spring and Autumn wars, it is full of excitement. In addition, the park presents a large-scale live-action performance Legend of Yancheng, which recreates the war and ritual scenes of the Spring and Autumn Period through lighting, sound effects, and live-action special effects, attracting a large number of visitors every day.
Yancheng Wildlife World
Yancheng Wildlife World covers an area of about 2,000 mu and is one of the larger wildlife parks in the East China region. It houses over 300 species and nearly 10,000 wild animals such as white tigers, golden monkeys, and giraffes. The park is divided into a walking area and a self-driving area. The self-driving area is about 10 kilometers long, allowing tourists to drive through simulated habitats such as African grasslands and Asian forests to watch animals up close. The park also has areas such as an animal kindergarten and a beast performance venue. Among them, the "White Tiger Diving" performance is particularly wonderful, showing the agility of white tigers, suitable for family tourists.
Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street
Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street is adjacent to Chunqiu Paradise, with a total construction area of about 30,000 square meters. The architectural style imitates the market streets of the Spring and Autumn Period. The street gathers shops selling intangible cultural heritage handicrafts such as Changzhou combs and bamboo carvings, as well as various characteristic restaurants and teahouses. Tourists can buy souvenirs here or taste Changzhou snacks such as big sesame cakes and silver-thread noodles. At night, the commercial street is lit with antique lights, creating an atmosphere of "dreaming back to the Spring and Autumn Period", making it a good place for leisure and shopping.
Food
Changzhou Big Sesame Cake
Changzhou Big Sesame Cake is a traditional famous pastry in Changzhou, Jiangsu, which can be tasted in many restaurants in Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street. It is round in shape and has both sweet and salty flavors. The sweet filling is mainly made of white sugar and sesame, and the salty filling is made of fresh meat and chopped green onions. After being baked over charcoal fire, the outer skin is crispy, the inside is soft, and it is fragrant. The big sesame cakes in the scenic area are made using traditional techniques, with a diameter of about 10 centimeters, priced at 6 yuan each, and are a favorite specialty snack among tourists.
Silver-Thread Noodles
Silver-Thread Noodles are a classic noodle dish in Changzhou, named for their thinness like silver threads. They are available at the "Changzhou Old Noodle Restaurant" in Yancheng Commercial Street. The noodles are made of high-quality flour, served with chicken soup or bone soup base, and accompanied by toppings such as shrimp and eel shreds. They taste smooth and chewy, with a delicious soup. The silver-thread noodles in the scenic area are available in large and small bowls, with the large bowl priced at 18 yuan and the small bowl at 12 yuan, suitable for a main meal.
Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head
Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head is a characteristic famous dish in Changzhou, which can be tasted in restaurants such as "Chunqiu Restaurant" around Yancheng Tourist Area. The dish uses the specialty big-headed fish from Tianmu Lake, takes the fish head part, and is slowly stewed in a casserole with ingredients such as tofu and bamboo shoots. The soup is milky white, the meat is tender, and it is rich in collagen. The price of casserole fish head in restaurants around the scenic area varies according to the size of the fish head, about 80-120 yuan per serving, suitable for sharing among multiple people.
Surrounding Food
Hutang Town, 3 kilometers away from Yancheng Tourist Area, has many characteristic restaurants, among which "Wujin Old Restaurant" is famous for its "Zhaiqiao Old Goose". This dish uses locally raised old geese, braised with seasonings such as soy sauce and rock sugar, with tight meat and a strong sauce flavor, and the per capita consumption is about 60 yuan. In addition, "Huangli Beef" in Hutang Town is also a must-try food, mainly braised beef with tender taste, which can be taken as a souvenir.
Tickets
It implements a system of separate ticketing for each attraction, with tickets starting from 138 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "常州春秋淹城旅游区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of each attraction are different:
- Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park: 8:30-17:00 (admission stops at 16:30);
- Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise: 9:00-17:30 (extended to 21:00 in summer, subject to official announcement);
- Yancheng Wildlife World: 9:00-17:00 (admission stops at 16:00);
- Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street: 10:00-22:00.
Opening hours may be adjusted during holidays. It is recommended to check the official notice of the scenic area before traveling.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day comprehensive route (taking both history and amusement into account): Arrive at Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park at 8:30 am, visit the Ruins Museum, take a boat tour on the moat to learn about the history of Yancheng, then go to Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise at about 10:30 am to experience amusement facilities such as "Sun Wu's Command Platform" and "Speed Flyer", and have lunch at "Chunqiu Restaurant" in the park at 12:00 pm.
Watch the 14:00 performance of "Legend of Yancheng" at 13:30 pm; go to Yancheng Traditional Commercial Street at 15:00 pm to buy intangible cultural heritage souvenirs; end the trip at 16:30 pm, or go to Yancheng Wildlife World according to time (if choosing a combined ticket).
This route is about 6 kilometers on foot, allowing you to fully experience the combination of Spring and Autumn culture and modern amusement, suitable for middle-aged and young tourists as well as families.
Transportation
- Bus: Take bus No. 61, 68, or 307 from downtown Changzhou to "Yancheng Bus Center Station", then walk about 10 minutes to the main entrance of the scenic area; take Metro Line 1 to "Yanzheng Avenue Station", then transfer to bus No. 75 to "Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise Station", with a total journey of about 1 hour.
- Self-driving: Starting from Changzhou Railway Station, drive south along Wuyi Middle Road for about 10 kilometers to reach the scenic area parking lot, with a driving time of about 25 minutes; the parking lot of the scenic area charges 5 yuan per hour, with a daily maximum of 20 yuan.
- Tourist special line: Changzhou Bus Station has opened a tourist special line to Yancheng Tourist Area, with departures from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, at intervals of 30 minutes, and the ticket price is 5 yuan per person.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Yancheng Chunqiu Ruins Park: With a unique three-city and three-river structure, a 2,700-year-old historical site, and rich unearthed cultural relics, it is the core area to understand Spring and Autumn culture.
- "Speed Flyer" in Yancheng Chunqiu Paradise: With a track length of 980 meters and a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour, it offers a themed roller coaster experience with strong excitement.
- Self-driving Area in Yancheng Wildlife World: 10 kilometers long, allowing close viewing of wild animals such as white tigers and giraffes, suitable for family interaction.
- Live-action performance "Legend of Yancheng": Combining lighting effects and historical plots, staged at 14:00 every day, showing the wars and rituals of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1-2 days for the tour. If you want to experience it in depth, you can choose to stay in hotels around the scenic area and visit the commercial street at night.
- Chunqiu Paradise and Wildlife World are large in area. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes and carry a sun hat and drinking water (the price in the scenic area is relatively high).
- The self-driving area of Wildlife World can be entered by self-driving or by taking the scenic sightseeing bus (charging 50 yuan per person). Self-driving is more flexible.
- It is recommended to avoid the high-temperature period at noon when visiting in summer. The night session of Chunqiu Paradise has fewer visitors, and some facilities do not require queuing.
- Tourists with children can give priority to the children's amusement areas in Wildlife World and Chunqiu Paradise, and arrange rest time reasonably.
Matters Needing Attention
- Climbing the city walls and littering are prohibited in Yancheng Ruins Park, and cultural relic protection regulations must be observed.
- Getting off the vehicle to feed animals is prohibited in Wildlife World. When driving, the windows must be closed, and follow the instructions of the staff.
- Some amusement facilities in Chunqiu Paradise have height restrictions (such as "Speed Flyer" requiring a height of over 1.4 meters). Please check the sign before playing.
- The catering price in the scenic area is relatively high. You can bring your own dry food (non-glass packaging) and eat in designated areas.
- There are many tourists during holidays. It is recommended to travel during off-peak hours and plan the route reasonably.