Recently, “Zhejiang Culture and Tourism Awards 2024” were announced in Changshan County, Zhejiang, and Haiyan stood out among the contenders and was honored as one of “Zhejiang’s Top Ten Gem Cities”, the only one in Jiaxing. The list of the awards was announced after a comprehensive evaluation process involving public opinions, platform data and experts’ reviews. The awards are selected based on a city’s culture-tourism industrial integration, progress in major projects, brand building, etc.

Nature endows Haiyan with breathtaking landscapes. Haiyan is home to Scenic Area of South-north Lake, the only national scenic area in China that combines mountains, sea, and lakes. The lively spring boat races on the Lake with mountains on three sides was recorded in Ganshui Annals of the Song Dynasty. Climbing to the Yingke Summit of this scenic area, visitors are greeted with emerald mountains, azure water, distant murmur of the Qiantang River tide, and the shimmering lake. Slowly, a natural multidimensional painting will unfold before them.

The ancient fish scale-like seawall with layered stones, known as the “Great Wall of the Sea”, stands as a testament to the wisdom and courage of our ancestors battling the sea waves.

Haiyan is located in the center of the 1.5-hour transportation circle in the Yangtze River Delta, so tourists can reach Haiyan by car along Hangzhou-Pudong Expressway or first take a high-speed train to Jiaxingnan Station, then transferred to a bus to Haiyan.

With a history of over 2,000 years, Haiyan is culturally rich. Established as a county during the Qin Dynasty (221BC - 207 BC), it has retained its name till now. The morning bells and evening drums of Jinsu Temple have echoed for more than 1,000 years; rolling lanterns of Haiyan, a bamboo ball dance, originated from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), embodying locals’ brave fights against wokou and vibrant folk energy; Haiyan’s kitchen range paintings, simple yet vivid, depict the most lively scenes of local people’s daily life; the city walls constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in the ancient Ganpu Town, like growth rings, witness the bustling history of trade and commerce.

Haiyan is rich in literature resources which blend harmoniously with vibrant everyday life. Its cultural brands “Watching the Sunrise with You in Haiyan” and “Touring Haiyan with Yu Hua” are warm invitations to tourists to invite them to visit this friendly city, watch the grand sunrise and enjoy the vibrant daily life here.

In Haiyan there is Qiyuan Garden, ancient towns and beautiful villages. Qiyuan Garden is a filming location for the television series A Dream of the Red Mansions (Version 1987). When you are here, you will feel time seems to slow down. The shadow of Nine-turn Bridge reflects in the deep pond, where koi fish swim leisurely, shattering the emerald water. Wearing traditional Han attire and standing against the garden’s rockeries in the soft evening light, you can take Jiangnan-style photos of yourselves.

Ancient Shendang Town boasts a long history and brilliant culture with its air thick with rich aromas of the aged sauce and wine. Along the Old Benhu Street, the century-old soy sauce exudes unique umami, while traditionally brewed Shaoxing Wine offers an intoxicating fragrance, which is a nostalgic landmark on the taste buds of locals. The old granary has been reborn as a granary culture industry park, where bookstores, coffee shops and specialty beverage lounges have been set up for tourists to enjoy reading and savor fragrant coffee and wine.

If you want to experience serene pastoral countryside life, Haiyan’s rural areas are your ideal choice. As morning mists rises from the bamboo forests of Huangjia Mountain, the whole mountains become an ink-wash painting; when terraced tea fields ripple with green waves in the summer breeze, the story on Fengyi Village’s transformation from “selling minerals” to “selling scenery” captivates visitors; when the ancient village Zhujiamen is revitalized into a “cultural and artistic paradise” with profound cultural and modern vitality, guests linger in its unique artistic ambiance.

Haiyan is the hometown of the famous writer Yu Hua, whose works have infused the city with a literary soul. At Victory Restaurant—a literary landmark revived according to Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, you may order a plate of fried pork liver with a warm glass of Shaoxing Wine, the novel’s scenes come to life, as if you were sharing a table with its characters; at Shendang Granary, an exhibition of Yu Hua’s works blend well with that of ancient Shaoxing Wine making techniques, allowing visitors to experience the profound culture and bustling daily life amid the aroma of fine wine.

Haiyan is a paradise for food lovers. As Haiyan’s first delicacy, Haiyan Mustard Tuber (a specialty pickled vegetable from Haiyan County, belonging to a mustard variety) is made with 700-year-old traditional techniques, tastes salty, fragrant, crispy and refreshing, and has been honored as one of top 100 specialties of Zhejiang. As a local specialty dish, Ganpu mutton is made from 12-18-month-old Hu sheep mutton; after being cooked over a wood fire for four hours, the mutton soup looks clear and smells aromatic. Being paired with a dish of vinegar and chili sauce, Haiyan’s xiaolongbao (like steamed pork dumplings), thin-skinned and juicy, is your ideal breakfast. A taste of lard oil-mixed noodles enables you to know better the meaning of “simple happiness”.

When you visit Haiyan, it is advisable to slow down and stay a few extra nights. Hidden among rolling green mountains, there is Shangyu Inn, Yinmashan Retreat, and Caomujian Hotel, tranquil and romantic. Mornings begin with views of mist-shrouded mountains and blooming gardens, while nights are serenaded by the chorus of insects. From a balcony, you can find the shifting light over mountains, sea, and lakes from dawn to dusk like a living painting; with a cup of tea in hand, you will become part of this flowing painting.

Why not make a trip to Haiyan this summer, where the sunrise is poetry; tidal sounds are songs; old streets tell you their tales, and the aroma of Shaoxing Wine still lingers, and you’ll be reluctant to depart.