Haohe Scenic Area is located in Chongchuan District, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, with a thousand-year-old ancient moat at its core, forming a unique landscape of "water embracing the city, the city surrounding the water, and the city and water depending on each other". It is known as the "Emerald Necklace of the River City". The total area of the scenic area is approximately 3.23 square kilometers, among which Haohe River has a total length of 10 kilometers and a water surface area of about 1,040 mu (approximately 693,000 square meters). The widest part reaches 215 meters, and the narrowest part is only 10 meters. Haohe River surrounds the old urban area of Nantong, with a large number of historical buildings, garden relics and modern landscapes preserved on both banks. It integrates natural ecology, historical culture and urban life, and is an important carrier of Nantong's urban culture. The scenic area contains cultural relics and historic sites such as Guangxiao Pagoda, Tianning Temple, and Wenfeng Pagoda, as well as modern facilities like Nantong Museum and Huanxi Cultural Square, creating a visiting experience of "one step, one scene, and scenes moving with the water".
History and Culture
The history of Haohe River can be traced back to 958 AD (the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period). It was dug at that time to defend against foreign enemies. After renovations in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it gradually formed its current river pattern and is one of the best-preserved ancient moats in China. As the "mother river" of Nantong's urban development, Haohe River has witnessed the evolution of Nantong from a fishing village to a port city and carries profound historical and cultural heritage.
Historically, both banks of Haohe River were the political, economic, and cultural center of Nantong, retaining numerous historic sites. For example, Guangxiao Pagoda, built in the Tang Dynasty, is one of the oldest buildings in Nantong and has witnessed the spread of Buddhist culture in the region. Tianning Temple, built during the Northern Song Dynasty, is the largest existing ancient building complex in Nantong, reflecting the rigor and solemnity of Song Dynasty architectural style. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area around Haohe River was prosperous in commerce and trade, where salt merchant culture and textile culture merged, leaving behind historical blocks such as Damatou and Sijie, which reflect the urban life and commercial vitality of Nantong at that time. In addition, Zhang Jian, a famous modern industrialist, founded institutions such as Nantong Museum along the banks of Haohe River, promoting the modernization of Nantong and making Haohe River a microcosm of modern Chinese urban construction and cultural development.
Main Attractions
Nantong Museum
Nantong Museum is located on the southeast bank of Haohe River. Founded by Zhang Jian in 1905, it is the first public museum in modern China and is known as the "Father of Chinese Museums". The museum covers an area of approximately 7.1 hectares, including pavilions such as the Natural History Museum, History Museum, and Art Museum. It houses more than 50,000 collections of various types, including animal and plant specimens, historical relics, and works of art. The museum combines gardens with exhibition halls, featuring the elegance of Chinese courtyards and the simplicity of Western-style buildings. The "Haonan Bieye", Zhang Jian's former residence in the garden, is a representative work of modern architecture. Visitors can learn about Nantong's natural features, historical changes, and modern development here.
Wenfeng Pagoda
Wenfeng Pagoda is located in Wenfeng Park on the southeast bank of Haohe River. It was built in the 46th year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1618). It is a brick-and-wood pavilion-style pagoda, 39.5 meters high, with 5 floors, and the body of the pagoda is hexagonal. The eaves of the pagoda are curved, with wind chimes hanging, and each floor is equipped with viewing windows. Climbing the pagoda, you can overlook the scenery of Haohe River and the cityscape of Nantong. Wenfeng Pagoda was originally built to "complement the shape of mountains and rivers and promote the prosperity of literary style" and is a symbol of the prosperity of literary style in Nantong. It is now a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit. The surrounding Wenfeng Park mainly features plant landscaping, which complements the pagoda scenery and is a good place for citizens to relax and for tourists to enjoy the scenery.
Guangxiao Pagoda
Guangxiao Pagoda is located on the north bank of Haohe River. It was first built during the Xiantong period of the Tang Dynasty (860-874). The existing pagoda body was rebuilt in the Song Dynasty. It is a brick-and-stone structure, 30.7 meters high, with 5 floors, and is the oldest existing building in Nantong. The pagoda body is pavilion-style, with a simple and solemn shape, and the pagoda finial is made of iron, demonstrating the simplicity and grandeur of Tang Dynasty architectural style. Originally named "Baoen Guangxiao Temple Pagoda", Guangxiao Pagoda, together with the adjacent Tianning Temple, forms the core area of early Buddhist culture in Nantong. Although it has undergone many renovations, it still retains the shape and charm of ancient architecture and is an important object for studying the history of Buddhism and architectural art in Nantong.
Tianning Temple
Tianning Temple is located on the north bank of Haohe River, adjacent to Guangxiao Pagoda. It was built during the Zhenghe period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1111-1118) and is the largest and best-preserved ancient building complex in Nantong, being a national key cultural relics protection unit. The temple covers an area of approximately 6,000 square meters, with main buildings including the mountain gate, Vajra Hall, and Mahavira Hall. Among them, the Mahavira Hall is a relic of the Song Dynasty, with three bays in width and three bays in depth, using a beam-lifting structure. The paintings on the beams in the hall still retain some Song Dynasty styles. Tianning Temple has been renovated many times in history, integrating the architectural characteristics of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and is a concentrated embodiment of ancient religious culture and architectural art in Nantong.
Huanxi Cultural Square
Huanxi Cultural Square is located on the west bank of Haohe River. It is a modern landscape area integrating culture, leisure, and entertainment, covering an area of approximately 25,000 square meters. The square centers on a musical fountain, with supporting facilities such as an open-air stage, green landscapes, and a waterside platform. At night, the lights are bright, reflecting with the water surface of Haohe River, becoming a highlight of Nantong's nightscape. The square often holds concerts, cultural performances, and other activities, being a place for citizens and tourists to feel the vitality of Nantong's modern culture, and also one of the best places to watch the night view of Haohe River.
Cuisine
The Most Delicious in the World (Clam)
"The Most Delicious in the World" is Nantong's signature seafood, made with local specialty clams as the main ingredient, cooked by steaming or stir-frying. Clams have tender meat, a sweet taste, and are rich in protein and various trace elements. In restaurants around Haohe River, "clam cakes" are a common snack, made by mixing clam meat with flour and frying, which are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delicious and fresh taste. It is said that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty tasted clams when he visited the south of the Yangtze River and granted them the name "The Most Delicious in the World", making them famous far and wide.
Yellow Croaker Soup Noodles
Yellow croaker soup noodles are a traditional breakfast in Nantong. They are made by boiling fresh small yellow croakers to make soup, which has a milky white color and a rich fresh taste, served with hand-rolled noodles and seasonings such as chopped green onions and pepper. Time-honored noodle restaurants around Haohe River, such as "Siyi Pastry Shop", serve this delicacy every morning. The noodles are chewy and the fish soup is mellow, being a favorite breakfast choice of local citizens. Tourists can experience Nantong's urban food culture through this.
Straw Oven Biscuits
Straw oven biscuits are a characteristic pasta in Nantong, made from flour and baked in a specially made earthen oven with straw as fuel. The biscuits are round, sprinkled with sesame seeds on the surface, with a crispy taste and a soft inside. They can be eaten directly or paired with fried dough sticks, mutton, etc. There are still traditional straw oven biscuit shops in the old streets near Haohe River. The production process is simple and unsophisticated, emitting a mixed smell of straw and wheat fragrance, being a representative food to experience Nantong's traditional food craftsmanship.
Lengzheng (Green Wheat Snack)
Lengzheng is a characteristic snack in Nantong in spring, made by grinding immature green wheat into flour. It has a green color, a sweet taste with a little toughness, and is rich in vitamins. In farmers' markets or snack stalls along Haohe River, Lengzheng is often sold in spring. It can be eaten directly or seasoned with sugar, being the "taste of spring" in Nantong people's memories and allowing tourists to experience the local seasonal food culture.
Tickets
It is open to the public free of charge, but some attractions require separate tickets starting from 10 yuan, and boat tickets are charged separately.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "南通市濠河景区" to get the latest updates or buy boat tickets online.
Opening Hours
Public areas are open 24 hours a day (coastal roads, parks, etc.). The opening hours of each attraction are as follows: Nantong Museum is open from 9:00 to 17:00 (admission stops at 16:30, closed every Monday, except legal holidays); Wenfeng Park is open from 6:00 to 18:00 (the time for climbing Wenfeng Pagoda is from 8:30 to 17:30); Tianning Temple is open from 8:00 to 17:00. The operating hours of Haohe cruise ships are: 9:00 to 17:00 during the day, and 18:30 to 21:00 at night (may be extended to 21:30 in summer, subject to the announcement on the day).
Tour Route
A classic one-day tour route of Haohe River is recommended: start from Nantong Museum at 9:00 a.m., visit China's first modern museum to learn about Nantong's history and culture, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours; go to the nearby Wenfeng Park at 10:30 a.m., climb Wenfeng Pagoda to overlook the panoramic view of Haohe River, walk in the park to enjoy the garden landscape, and stay for about 1 hour; taste characteristic lunches such as yellow croaker soup noodles near Wenfeng Park at 12:00 p.m.; walk along the north bank of Haohe River to Tianning Temple and Guangxiao Pagoda at 1:30 p.m., visit the two historic sites to feel the charm of Buddhist culture and ancient architecture, with a visiting time of about 1.5 hours; take a Haohe cruise ship at 3:00 p.m., choose the round-the-lake route to enjoy the scenery on both banks, with a boat ride of about 1.5 hours; arrive at Huanxi Cultural Square at 5:00 p.m., watch the sunset over Haohe River in the evening, then taste snacks such as clam cakes and straw oven biscuits; enjoy the lights and musical fountain of Huanxi Cultural Square at night to end the day's trip. The whole journey combines walking and cruising, with a total distance of about 8-10 kilometers and a visiting time of about 10 hours.
Transportation
- Bus: There are many bus routes in Nantong that can reach the vicinity of Haohe River, such as Routes 5, 12, 45, and 53, which get off at "Nantong Museum" Station; Routes 8, 12, and 28, which get off at "Wenfeng Park" Station; Routes 1, 3, and 101, which get off at "Bell Tower Square" Station (near Huanxi Cultural Square).
- Metro: Get off at "Youyi Bridge" Station or "Heping Bridge" Station of Nantong Metro Line 1, then walk for about 10-15 minutes to reach the banks of Haohe River.
- Taxi: The starting fare of Nantong taxis is 10 yuan (within 3 kilometers), and 2.4 yuan per kilometer after exceeding 3 kilometers. It is about 8 kilometers from Nantong Railway Station to the core area of Haohe River, with a taxi fare of about 25 yuan; it is about 15 kilometers from Nantong Xingdong International Airport to the core area of Haohe River, with a taxi fare of about 40 yuan.
- Self-driving: There are multiple parking lots around Haohe River, such as Nantong Museum Parking Lot, Wenfeng Park Parking Lot, and Huanxi Cultural Square Underground Parking Lot. The parking fee is about 5-10 yuan per hour, and there are roadside parking spaces on some sections (fees are required according to regulations).
Must-Visit Attractions
- Nantong Museum: The first public museum in modern China, covering an area of 7.1 hectares, with a collection of more than 50,000 items. It integrates gardens and exhibition halls, allowing you to learn about Nantong's history and modern development.
- Wenfeng Pagoda: A 39.5-meter-high pavilion-style pagoda from the Ming Dynasty. Climbing the pagoda, you can overlook the panoramic view of Haohe River and the city. The surrounding Wenfeng Park has beautiful scenery and is a landmark landscape.
- Haohe Cruise: Take a cruise along the 10-kilometer river, enjoy the historic sites and gardens on both banks during the day, and watch the light reflections at night, experiencing the unique style of "water embracing the city".
- Tianning Temple and Guangxiao Pagoda: One of the oldest building complexes in Nantong, representing Song Dynasty architecture and Tang Dynasty Buddhist culture respectively, and being important attractions for studying ancient architecture and religious history.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1-2 days for the tour. One day can cover the core attractions, and two days can allow for an in-depth experience of the historical blocks and folk culture along the banks.
- Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) have pleasant climates, suitable for walking and cruising; summer nights allow you to enjoy the night view and fountains, and winter allows you to experience the quiet atmosphere of the ancient city.
- It is recommended to choose afternoon or evening for the cruise, so that you can enjoy both the daytime scenery and the transition from sunset to night view.
- To taste delicious food, you can go to old streets around Haohe River such as Sijie and Nanda Street, where there are many time-honored snack shops.
- You can rent a shared bicycle to ride along the Haohe Greenway. The greenway is fully connected, making it easier to enjoy the scenery along the way. The rental fee is about 2 yuan per 30 minutes.
Matters Needing Attention
- Some sections along the banks of Haohe River are waterside platforms. Pay attention to safety when visiting, especially tourists with children, who need to take good care of their children and avoid getting close to the water.
- Cruise tickets must be purchased through regular piers. Do not trust private boats to ensure navigation safety.
- Take good care of the scenic environment. Do not litter or throw debris into Haohe River.
- When visiting attractions such as museums and temples, abide by relevant regulations, do not touch cultural relics, and keep quiet.
- There are many mosquitoes around Haohe River in summer. It is recommended to bring mosquito repellent; the temperature is low in winter, so keep warm when taking a cruise.
- Cruises may need to queue during peak periods (such as holidays). It is recommended to buy tickets 1-2 hours in advance or choose non-peak periods for the tour.