Things to do in Sanmen

Shepan Island, located in Sanmen Bay, Sanmen County, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, is known as "Thousand Cave Island" because of its "thousand caves left behind by a thousand years of quarrying." The island comprises over 1300 ancient quarry caves of varying shapes and sizes, making it the largest island cave scenic area in China and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. There are no snakes on the island; the name "Shepan" (meaning "snake-coiled") comes from the reddish-brown, winding rocks resembling snakes. I. Three Core Attractions 1. Pirate Village The only island cave scenic area in China themed around "pirate culture." A castle-like gate hangs a giant anchor, and the plaza features a group sculpture of five representative figures in Chinese pirate history: Sun En, Lu Xun, Fang Guozhen, Wang Zhi, and Zheng Zhilong. Inside the caves, using the remains of a thousand-year-old quarry, scenes such as a treasure cave, a wine cellar, and a 2000㎡ performance hall have been recreated, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the "code of honor" of the maritime world. 2. Wild Man Cave It's not actually inhabited by wild men, but rather the remains of cave dwellings used by quarry workers, islanders, and even pirates from the Song, Yuan, and Qing dynasties. The cave is interconnected with other caves within it, preserving millennia-old stone windows, mortars, stone steps, and a giant waterfall, presenting a double spectacle of "cave labyrinth + stone culture museum," hailed as a "miracle of the remnant mountains." 3. Mudflat Park (Tidal Flat Park) A rare "health and wellness mud culture" themed park in East China, divided into an entrance service area, a health and wellness leisure area, and a mudflat sports area. Visitors can dig for clams, catch mudskippers, and experience "mudflat horseback riding" in the soft mud after the tide recedes, making it suitable for families and team building activities.

It's great! A very quiet, undeveloped ancient town. We brought our kids and elderly relatives during the Spring Festival break. Every house in the village has running water, and there are even koi carp! It's wonderful! The Qian Tong Three Treasures are also delicious and very fresh! The Chongqing noodles on that street are also fantastic!

The scenic area is very large. Upon entering, there's a large plaza with performances and interactive displays featuring the God of Wealth, which children love. At night, a dragon spirals upwards from the central pillar, and there's also a drone show – the drone performances are quite impressive. Further inside the plaza, on the left, is a large food street with a large stage for performances and audience interaction. Then you need to climb steps to reach the Civil and Military Gods of Wealth, as well as the largest God of Wealth statue in the country. We went on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and were told it wouldn't officially open until the fifth day, so the God of Wealth's head was covered with a red cloth. However, the night view of the scenic area is still beautiful. There are staff at the entrance. If you want to re-enter the park at night, they will stamp a photo stamp on the back of your hand. When you enter, they will shine a special light on it to make it visible, allowing you to re-enter.

Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area is a combined scenic area consisting of Tiantai Mountain Waterfall Scenic Area and Qiongtan Xiangu Scenic Area, connected by a glass bridge (Guoqing Temple Scenic Area and Shiliang Scenic Area are in two other directions). If you want a less strenuous visit but want to see both the Waterfall Scenic Area and Qiongtan Xiangu, you can take a bus from the visitor center to Qiongtan Xiangu (buses depart every half hour on the hour). Then, enter from the main gate of Qiongtan Xiangu and walk up to the Heavenly Ladder (this section is flat with few steps and can be completed in half an hour). Then, take the Heavenly Ladder to the highest peak of Tiantai Mountain, which is the location of the glass bridge connecting the two scenic areas. After crossing the glass bridge, you'll find the entrance to the Waterfall Scenic Area on the mountain. The path to the exit of the Waterfall Scenic Area is all downhill (it also takes about an hour and a half to walk). If you only want to visit the Waterfall Scenic Area and don't want to climb the mountain, you can take a bus directly from the visitor center to the entrance of the Waterfall Scenic Area at the glass bridge (be sure to ask the staff at the visitor center where to take the bus, as I didn't see any signs and only realized there was a direct bus up and down the mountain when I arrived at the glass bridge). Entering the scenic area from here and walking towards the exit of the Great Waterfall is the most energy-efficient way to see all the scenery of the Great Waterfall area. It's unacceptable that such a well-developed scenic area as Tiantai Mountain has so few signs indicating how to navigate it, and several staff members I asked along the way didn't know either.

A specially booked 2-hour in-depth guided tour was well worth the wait. The guide, deeply knowledgeable about the thousand-year-old cultural heritage of Guoqing Temple, eloquently recounted the temple's founding by Master Zhiyi and the aesthetic beauty of its ancient architecture, brick by brick. The two-hour tour allowed for a leisurely walk through the entire temple grounds, away from the crowds, offering a tranquil and immersive experience. Shedding the superficiality of a rushed tour, the guide helped participants understand the profound meaning of "If the temple is established, the country will be at peace." The gentle and unhurried explanation provided a healing and Zen-like journey, highly recommended.

My second visit to West Lake was great; the boat tour was excellent. The dock was easy to find, the staff were very friendly, provided clear explanations, and helped with any issues. There were also sightseeing buses, which were nice but a bit pricey. Taking the boat tour and then walking around was both perfectly fine.

The booking was easy, and we can only use our Passport to enter the park, and you will also get the park ticket after entered as well.I went on a weekday, but there were still a lot of visitors. The line to enter the park was quite long and took a while. There’s a bag check before entering (and it was a bit odd to see that some people weren’t allowed to bring in certain items, while others seemed to get them through).The lines for the rides were also long, depending on which attraction you choose. If you don’t want to wait too long, you can buy special passes.Even though the regular queues take time, the overall crowd management is quite good. The park is also clean.Overall, it was a fun experience, but you may need to plan your rides and timing if you want to get through everything you want.

Shanghai After Dark — The Bund Never Sleeps ✨“Where the river reflects a thousand city lights and the future rises above a timeless waterfront. The Bund is more than a view — it’s Shanghai at its most magical, where elegance, ambition, and endless dreams meet.” 🌃❤

Before 7 a.m. and after 5 p.m., you can climb the city wall at Chaotianmen, Wangjiangmen, and Xingshanmen, but you cannot access the eight watchtowers. You can only see the highlights of the city wall after purchasing a ticket. The watchtowers and pavilions are definitely worth seeing. I climbed from Chaotianmen and descended from Lanshengmen, which took me 2.5 hours. I walked slowly, and there were rest areas on the watchtowers, which was quite thoughtful. I enjoyed the different views. The 198 steps down the steep slope at Lanshengmen were not tiring.

This waterfall, with its relatively large drop, is quite rare and worth seeing. The mist spraying from below is very refreshing, and the thunderous sound is quite impressive. Don't miss the boardwalk along the mountain behind the waterfall area.