Chongming Island

Chongming Island

Chongming Island is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

China's third-largest island—Chongming Island—is rich in tourism resources. It boasts historical sites such as the Chongming Confucian Temple, Shou’an Temple, and Tang Yicen’s Tomb built during the Ming Dynasty, as well as the Golden Turtle Mountain constructed in the Qing Dynasty. It also features the Dongping National Forest Park, which is arguably the largest national forest park in East China. The park is covered with lush forests, crystal-clear lakes, abundant wildlife, and picturesque scenery, characterized by its tranquility, serenity, beauty, and wild charm. Within the park, there are uniquely designed "crab-shaped" villas, a multifunctional conference center, a forest beach bathing area, tennis courts, a youth camping base, forest restaurants, hammocks, tents, barbecue facilities, a horse racing track, paintball shooting, and rock climbing, making it a riverside oasis blooming with flowers, abundant fruits, verdant woods, birdsong, and fragrant blossoms. At the southwestern tip of Chongming Island lies a large water pond covering over 200 hectares, locally known as "Chongming West Lake" or "Mingtan." The lake has a vast surface and picturesque scenery. It is home to various fish species including silver carp, crucian carp, bream, bass, grass carp, black carp, bighead carp, mandarin fish, eel, softshell turtle, loach, and crab, with the largest fish weighing over 50 kilograms. Visitors can go boating or fishing in Mingtan. The eastern part of the island is a national nature reserve for migratory birds, integrating water, tidal flats, forests, and avian life, based on Tuanjie Sha and Dongwang Sha.

Among China's estuarine alluvial islands, Chongming Island is the most representative. It is surrounded by rivers on three sides and faces the East China Sea to the east. Stretching 76 kilometers from east to west and 13 to 18 kilometers from north to south, the island covers an area of 1,083 square kilometers. It is China's third-largest island and a world-renowned estuarine alluvial island, often hailed as the Pearl of the Yangtze River Estuary.

Chongming Island has a history of over 1,300 years since its formation. It emerged from the water during the Tang Dynasty (618 AD), became a town in the Five Dynasties period, a market in the Song Dynasty, a prefecture in the Yuan Dynasty, and a county from the Ming and Qing Dynasties onwards. In December 1958, it was incorporated into Shanghai. Due to continuous sedimentation from the Yangtze River, the land at both the eastern and western ends of Chongming Island expands rapidly, extending toward the East China Sea at a rate of 143 meters per year. The island is blessed with fertile farmland, crisscrossing rivers, and has become an important agricultural production base.

Chongming Island has undergone numerous changes during its development. In the early Tang Dynasty (618 AD), the Yangtze River estuary was located around present-day Yangzhou and Zhenjiang, where two small sandbanks—east and west—appeared, each spanning only a few dozen square kilometers. As the population on the islands gradually increased, the Chongming Town was established on the West Sandbank during the Five Dynasties period in the 10th century, marking the origin of Chongming. Due to the shifting of the Yangtze River's main channel and the impact of tides and waves, the landmass frequently experienced erosion. As the estuary moved eastward, Chongming Island shifted downstream along the river. By the 11th century, a new sandbank called Yao Liusha emerged northwest of the West Sandbank, while San Sha appeared northeast. Meanwhile, the West and East Sandbanks eroded and were washed away by the river. With the constant meandering of the Yangtze River's main channel, San Sha expanded and then eroded from the south while expanding from the north, gradually shrinking as it migrated northward. At the same time, Pingyang Sha and Changsha appeared successively to its east. In 1583, the county seat was relocated to Changsha, the predecessor of today’s Chongming City. Over the past 400 years, Chongming Island has undergone multiple transformations and relocations. Before 1583 alone, the county seat was moved five times. Even in modern times, the island remains geologically unstable, with the northern channel of the Yangtze River estuary gradually narrowing and shallowing. It is possible that Chongming Island may one day merge with the North Jiangsu Plain.

To the southeast of Chongming Island lie two smaller sandbanks, Changxing Island and Hengsha Island, which formed even more recently. Over 100 years ago, they were just scattered estuarine marshes, but now their combined area is about 70 square kilometers. Should Chongming Island ever merge with the North Jiangsu region, today’s Changxing and Hengsha Islands will become the new Chongming Island. The scenery of Chongming Island is among the finest representations of alluvial island landscapes. The island features fertile soil, dense water networks, green fields, and forests, attracting large flocks of migratory birds to nest here. As a result, Chongming Island has been designated by the state as a key protected area for migratory birds. Endless fields, lush crops, and boats shuttling across the waterways create a quintessential Jiangnan water town landscape.

On the mudflats around Chongming Island, small crabs are everywhere, densely covering the ground. If you step onto the mudflat, the crabs quickly scurry into their holes, making the once-teeming crabs vanish in an instant. Even if you try to catch them as fast as you can, you’ll likely end up empty-handed. This astonishing sight has earned Chongming Island the nickname "Crab Island." Along the mudflats on the island’s northern and southeastern coasts, dense reeds stretch as far as the eye can see, resembling a green Great Wall along the shoreline.

Time Needed

1 day

Transportation

Route 1: Take the Shen-Chong Line 1 from the Wenshui Road Hub Station (accessible via Metro Line 1) at the intersection of Wenshui Road and Heping Road. From Chenjiazhen Hub Station, you can transfer to the Shen-Chong Shuttle Bus to reach Ximen Bus Station (in Chongming County Town). Ximen Bus Station is located at the intersection of Nanmen Road and Ximen Road in Chengqiao Town, about a 5-minute walk from the well-known Nanmen Dock and Nanmen Bus Station.

Route 2: Exit at the Jinxiu Road exit of Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station on Metro Line 2, and take the Shen-Chong Line 2 to Chenjiazhen Hub Station.

Ticket Price

Free

Opening Hours

All day

Location

Chongming Island