A Brief Escape to Linhai, Zhejiang

This mid-autumn festival (2021) I took a short trip to Linhai and Shenxianju. This post will cover Linhai. I highly recommend a trip to Linhai if you are based in Zhejiang or traveling in the province. It is easily accessible by train from Hangzhou, Ningbo or Wenzhou. Linhai is a county-level city under Taizhou with a few worthwhile sites to visit. Let’s get down to the basics.

What to see?

Taizhou Fucheng Cultural Tourism Zone (Jiangnan Great Wall):

These walls are sometimes referred to as “The Great Wall of Jiangnan”. They were designed by Qi Jiguang in 1559. Qi Jiguang also helped repair and defend the Badaling section of the Great Wall in the north some 1,400 kilometers away. Today, you can hike around 5,000 meters of the wall which will most likely take somewhere around 2 – 3 hours. There are a few places where you can purchase water or souvenirs but it is best to pack accordingly and be prepared. The hike is not particularly difficult but in the summer it will be very hot with a lot of direct sunlight. Throughout the hike you can visit eight look-out towers and many of them have different items of interest inside. My favorite was the tower with the drums which you could play! Otherwise, there are several other attractions to visit along the hike such as a serene plum garden and a temple of heaven similar to the one in Beijing. Be sure to stand in the middle and give a good shout if you have never done so before!

Donghu Lake:

This lake and park is an area which has been maintained for nearly 1,000 years as it was built in the Northern Song Dynasty. A walk through the park is very pleasant with its well maintained grounds and unique structures. You could very easily spend 1 – 2 hours strolling the grounds and soaking in the view out over the water.

Ziyang Street:

Ziyang Street is the main tourist street in the ancient city. After visiting many ancient towns I have to be honest and say that I’ve gotten a bit tired of them. However, with that in mind, I think Ziyang is one street I wouldn’t mind visiting again to explore more thoroughly. I appreciated that nearly all tourist shops and restaurants were concentrated on this one street (apart from the area next to the three pagoda hill) leaving the rest of the large area off of the street to be primarily residential. In my mind this gives the visit a different feel as looking up and down the side streets things appear more old, authentic and local. There were no loud music bars with expensive alcohol or even too many people considering it was a holiday. Though, you can find a Starbucks and KFC. Anyway, it still is a good place to venture within the city walls for a snack, walk and maybe a souvenir. I bought some old chinese books which I had never seen in shops before. I believe what you may find here is a degree more unique than many other “old” streets in China.

Price:

Jiangnan Great Wall – 58CNY

Donghu Lake – 15 CNY* (you may be able to bundle it with your city walls ticket for a slight discount)

Ziyang Street – Free.99. Snacks not included.

Visit Recommendation:

I recommend packing a day pack with water and getting a good breakfast at your hotel or a local street, then travel to Donghu Lake. You can bundle your lake and wall ticket together to save a few yuan. If you enter Donghu Lake from the south entrance you can pass your morning perusing the gardens and buildings at your leisure to the north entrance. From there, all you have to do is cross the street and you arrive at the Lanshengmen entrance where you can make the daunting climb up to the wall. From there you can hike all the way down to Xingshanmen which puts you right at the base of Ziyang Street where you can get a bite to eat for lunch or something nice to drink. Once you rest up, you can explore Ziyang Street and the ancient town or head on down to the river to enjoy a decent view.