How can east China’s Taizhou City fulfill the bucket list for dream China travel

When planning a trip to China, people must have a lot of imagination and expectations for the colorful experiences that this ancient country with vast territory and abundant resources can offer:

They might want to visit the scenic mountains and rivers and feel the poetic vibe depicted in traditional Chinese ink paintings;

They might want to trace the origins of traditional Chinese culture and learn more about the oriental philosophy that values harmony while cherishing diversity;

They might want to wander in the quaint old streets to get a glimpse into the historical sites that are not overshadowed by the bustling modern city;

Or They might want to go on a gourmet tour of China, eating all the best local delicacies along the way.

The advice is 'Come to Taizhou!' This city, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, can almost single-handedly fulfill the bucket list of global travelers for a satisfying trip to China.

Taizhou has both coastal and mountainous regions. It's home to three national 5A-level tourist attractions, namely Tiantai Mountain, Shenxianju scenic area and Taizhou's ancient city, 17 national 4A-level tourist attractions, one world geological park, three national wetland parks and four national scenic spots. Besides, it has a beautiful coastline of 726 kilometers connecting three beautiful bays, which offers diverse impressive scenery, according to Global Communication Center of Hehe Culture.

This is a city full of oriental romance.

For one thing, Taizhou's name is closely related to China's long-standing and sophisticated star culture. In ancient China, people divided the corresponding areas on the ground according to the positions of the stars in the sky, and the place where Taizhou is located corresponds to Tai Star in the traditional Chinese 28 stars, hence its name.

For another, Tiantai Mountain, located in north Taizhou, is an important cradle of Chinese harmony culture as well as the birthplace of Tiantai sect of Buddhism and southern sect of Taoism in China.

Three different philosophical schools of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have learned from each other here since ancient times, forming a unique cultural harmonious symbiosis, which is still evident today in the echoing bells of Buddhism and Taoism temples in the mountain.

During the Tang Dynasty, Han Shanzi, a poet, and Shi De, a monk of Guoqing Temple, once lived in seclusion here. The former's poems were translated into many languages and were once a hit in Japan, Europe and America.

Although they are not from a family, they have developed brotherly relations, leaving many moving poems and legends. They have been named Hehe Gods by a Qing Dynasty emperor, which later became the symbol of the Hehe culture with far-reaching influence at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, Taizhou is known for a rich poetry legacy. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), one of the peaks of Chinese poetry culture, more than 300 poets came here, either asking for meditation or seclusion. They sang their aspirations and expressed their feelings by depicting local scenery, leaving behind more than 1,400 majestic poems, leaving a historic "Tang Dynasty poetry corridor" in eastern Zhejiang.

Li Bai, probably the best-known Chinese poet, is one of the literati who lingered in Taizhou.

"Clad in rainbow garments, riding on the wind, come the queens of all the clouds, descending one by one. With tigers for their lute-players and phoenixes for dancers. Row upon row, like fields of hemp, range the fairy figures."

These fantastic and colorful scenes are not just in Li Bai's dreams, but could well be found in Taizhou's Shenxianju scenic spot. With a unique geological structure, Shenxianju is the largest volcanic rhyolite landform cluster in the world, which can offer a feeling of being in a fairyland as its Chinese name suggests.

If people prefer to explore ancient buildings and street life, Taizhou's ancient city, which has a history of more than 1,600 years, will definitely impress them.

A 5,000-meter-long Taizhou ancient city wall meanders along the lush green trees and a winding river, representing a beautiful style different from the Great Wall in Beijing.

Under the city wall, Ziyang Street, an ancient street running through the ancient city, boasts time-honored charm and buzz. It used to be the most prosperous commercial district, and has maintained the street pattern and the architectural style in ancient times. Various old-fashioned shops are interspersed among them, and walking through them makes one feel like walking into ancient China.

And of course, food is an indispensable element of travel.

Taizhou is one of the emerging best food destinations of China's top online travel agency Trip.com in 2022. There are not only glutinous snacks such as black rice sesame cake, rice cake roll and plum-shape cake and sweet fruits like Yongquan Township's tangerine, Yuhuan County's grapefruit and Xianju County's bayberry to replenish energy for travelers at any time, but also fresh delicacies from mountains and seas to satisfy picky taste buds.

In recent years, Taizhou cuisine has gained reputation and popularity among diners all over the country and even the world thanks to its unique local fresh and sweet tastes. The first three-star Michelin Chinese restaurant in Chinese mainland was born here, and Taizhou restaurant Xinrongji with 49 Michelin stars and 72 black pearls and diamonds has become the top-rated Chinese restaurant, and it is so popular that it's often difficult to grab a seat.

In addition, Taizhou is also a unique and charming health resort. The city offers poetic, scenic, romantic and even educational stays thanks to its diverse culture and landscape, and all these stays will bring both mental and physical comfort and pleasure.

A sound China trip should not only offer a taste of local beautiful scenery, nice food and charming culture, but also a tempo of modernization. Taizhou is one of the cities with the most economic vitality and innovative steam in China, an excellent tourist city in China and a national civilized city, and has been rated as one of the happiest Chinese cities for seven times.

Taizhou's "No.1 Highway" under construction is a highly recommendable route for a road trip into China. This beautiful road with a total length of about 270 kilometers passes through 6 cities, counties and districts, offering a view of natural coastal landscape, island parks, pastoral villages, and cultural sites.

Home to mountains and seas, cultural relics and industrial clusters, ancient traces and modern spots, Taizhou is a perfect combination of China's scenic beauty, culinary pleasure, cultural charm and economic development. Travellers just won't regret paying a visit to Taizhou for a dream China trip.

Source: Global Communication Center of Hehe Culture