Captivating conjunction
Lianyungang combines history, food and nature
Though we are stepping into the winter season, the memory of my time in Lianyungang earlier this year is still fresh.
Lianyungang, a coastal city in the northeast of Jiangsu Province, is strategically an important transport city which connects the inland city of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, through one of China’s major railways Longhai connecting East and West China.
The city is also considered the eastern terminus of the New Eurasian Land Bridge, a rail transport route for moving freight and passengers overland between Pacific seaports in China and seaports in Europe. But besides these economic benefits, Lianyungang has much more to offer.
Its name derives from two famed local travel destinations: the Lian Island, the largest island in Jiangsu Province which lies off its coastline, and Yuntai Mountains – the highest peak of Jiangsu.
It was between summer and winter when I visited Lianyungang. Local people told me it was the “golden time.”
Lian Island
Lian Island is a must-go place if you are visiting Lianyungang for the first time. The island is connected to the downtown by a 7-kilometer dyke on the northeast side of the city known for its coastal beaches including Dasha beach and Suma beach.
Personally I prefer Suma beach, which is located on a foothill of the island and has a curvy coastline to enjoy the sunshine. And if you get tired of the beaches, you can walk along the stone stairs to the top of the hill to get a panoramic view of the sea.
A local friend told me the name Suma comes from Su Ziheng, a general in Ming-Qing period who vowed to rebel against Qing rulers to rebuild the Ming Dynasty. He led his soldiers to hone their battle skills on the beach, and local residents later named the beach after him to pay tribute.
The afternoon on the Suma beach was pleasant. After watching the fishermen sail back to the harbor, I decided to spend a night on the cozy island.
There’s one thing that always attracts me to the coast: seafood. With the wind breezing, a delicious seafood supper marked the end of my day on the tiny island.
But be aware of the overpricing of seafood on the island, as I was told by a local friend, if you are going to eat there.
The sun rises very early in the morning. I was stunned to see hundreds of fishermen sailing into the East China sea, as the season offers the best seafood of the year. As the old saying goes, an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening, I decided to head to the downtown.
‘Peach Blossom Spring’
A local legend claims that poet Tao Yuanming’s masterpiece prose “Taohuayuan Ji,” or “Peach Blossom Spring,” was inspired by the beauty of Lianyungang’s Sucheng, though historical researchers are still argu-
ing whether the poet traveled to the area where the present-day district is located.
Since it is linked to the masterpiece, which depicts a land hidden from the outside world, I picked Sucheng as my next destination, wondering how intriguing the place will be. I learnt former Chinese president Hu Yaobang also visited the site back in 1984 when paying a visit to Lianyungang.
It took me about two hours from Lian Island to Sucheng. But when I arrived there after crossing the 3.8-kilometer-long tunnel, I felt the journey was worth it.
The Sucheng scenic area contains three major attractions: Chuanshan Waterfall, Baojia Mount and Maple Woods, with the latter one impressing me the most.
When I was visiting Lianyungang, it was the time when the season was changing to autumn from summer, with some tree leaves just turning yellow from green.
With the trees covering it from bottom to the top, the mountain looked like a spectrum of nature,
with the colors varying from green to crimson.
If you forgot to bring some snacks, you can try the local chestnut called Honglin No.3, which is also very popular in Jiangsu.
Go pick up some wild chestnut in the mountains – it is a rare experience for people who are used to the life in the city.
Sea of cloud
After hiking in the Maple Woods, I paid a visit to the Haishang Yuntai Mountain – which differentiates itself from other mountains of Yuntai with the frequency of thick clouds – in Sucheng also attracts many tourists.
Famous Tang Dynasty (618–907) poet Li Bai also wrote a farewell poem to his friend using the metaphor of the thick cloud over the mountain.
The Haishang Yuntai Mountain is only minutes away by walk before you get an option to take a bus going up to the mountain if you feel your feet are tired.
Remember to take a photo from Erweijian, a sight-seeing platform on the mountain, which was an island in the East China Sea 200 years ago.
On the way down, there is a seasoned temple named Faqi, literally meaning the origin of Buddhism, located in the middle of the mountain.
The current temple was newly built following the original structure of the temple which was built during the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220), but there are still many worshippers coming everyday.
After a tiring day of climbing mountains, I took a good rest at a rural inn at the mountain foot, to prepare for the next day. It didn’t cost me too much.
The Huaguo Mountain
The most intriguing place in Lianyungang is definitely the Huaguo Mountain, home of the household novel figure Monkey King.
In the classic novel Journey to the West, the Huaguo Mountain, literally Flowers and Fruit Mountain, is highlighted by the Shuilian Cave, or Water Curtain Cave, where the Monkey King Sun Wukong spent his early days.
It took me about one and a half hour from the inn to the gate of Huaguo Mountain Park.
The mountain covers 12.8 square kilometers of area with rocks and trees, harboring the highest peak in Jiangsu Province – the Yunü Peak, which has an altitude of 624.4 meters.
The most famous scenic spot of Huaguo Mountain is the Shuilian Cave, a cave behind a 100-meter-high waterfall.
As the mountain is dubbed “the home of Monkey King,” hundreds of monkeys can be seen in the mountain.
And the monkeys there are not afraid of the visitors as they grew up in the wild, so be aware of your belongings or some unfriendly monkey will sneak some food or even camera from you.
The winding stony road will lead you to the Sanyuan Temple, a temple built in the Tang Dynasty. However, it was destroyed by the Japanese bombardment during the World War II, and the current one was rebuilt in the 1980s.
But two giant gingko trees at the gate of the temple are the witnesses of history. A monk said the trees were planted at the time when the original temple was built.
After the exhaustive tour of the mountains, I was suggested to enjoy the food in the city.
Beside the seafood, some local traditional snacks such as Ganyu pancakes and Banpu bean jelly are very popular among the natives.
If you are looking for buying some souvenirs, the tea leaves from the Yuntai Mountains will be a good choice for their unique taste.
I was also recommended to go to the Donghai crystal mart, as the Donghai County of Lianyungang is considered the domestic “capital of crystal.”
I really miss my days in Lianyungang!
Rules of thumb:
1. You can rent a bike to ride past the dyke from the city downtown to the Lian Island.
2. Don’t forget to have your swim suit with you. Buying a new one is not cheap on the island.
3. Bring an extra coat to cope with big temperature change between the seaside and the mountains.