Taizhou Scenic Area

Taizhou Scenic Area

The Taizhou Scenic Area is a national-level scenic spot.

The Taizhou Scenic Area is a provincial-level scenic spot. Comprising the anti-Wokou ancient city of Taizhou, the world wonder Coral Rocks, the Little Yandang Wukeng, seaside bathing beaches, and numerous other landscapes, it spans approximately 150 square kilometers and features over 200 scenic spots. The Song Dynasty poet Wen Tianxiang once called it the “Fairyland on the Sea,” while the Qing Dynasty’s Feng Gengxue praised it as having “the finest scenery in the southeast.” The area integrates peaks, caves, rocks, waterfalls, and beaches, renowned as the “Five Wonders” landscape.

The Taizhou Anti-Wokou Ancient City was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. With walls two zhang and one chi high and a perimeter of two li and seventy steps, it is the only well-preserved one among the forty-one garrisons established along the southeastern coast of Zhejiang Province during the Ming Dynasty for defending against Wokou pirates. The famous anti-Wokou general Qi Jiguang repeatedly defeated pirate forces here, achieving remarkable military success. Both inside and outside the ancient city, there are numerous historic sites and beautiful scenery. On the Hou's Mountain, there are inscriptions such as “Gazing into the Distance” and “Guarding the Sea,” an anti-Wokou pavilion, and at the highest point, an enemy watchtower and a beacon tower. Inside the city, there is an anti-Wokou exhibition hall, the Ancient City Street, and more. About two li south of the city lies the Stone Pillar Peak, the Thirteen Bays of the Tao River, and further south is the Wukeng Scenic Area, connecting to the Furong and Baiyan Mountains. It combines a Ming Dynasty ancient city, hundred-million-year-old volcanoes, and pastoral landscapes.

The Dakantou Coral Rock Group is located about ten kilometers from Taizhou, where a rare domestic spectacle of coral rocks is found. The total area of the coral rocks is approximately five square kilometers, representing a prime example of typical volcanic lava landform formations. In the 1980s, pterosaur fossils dating back 70 to 180 million years were discovered here—the first such find in southern China and very rare nationwide—holding significant value for the study of the ancient climate and geological features of China’s southeastern coastal regions.

Wukeng is located near Taizhou in Lianpan Township. Formed by hundred-million-year-old volcanic lava, its plateaus, peak clusters, and isolated peaks resemble jade terraces and fairy pavilions, a heavenly scene on earth. The mountains are not high but the peaks are uniquely shaped; the paths are not steep but the cliffs are steep and precipitous, revealing quaint beauty in compactness and grandeur in gentle slopes. Sheer cliffs encircle the area, and valleys are serene. Dozens of peaks and rocks are both tall and bizarre, taking vivid forms such as tigers, turtles, the Banner Displaying Peak, and the Immortal’s Load. Caves like Lianhui, Zhuzhuang, and Yu jing each have their unique features, while sights such as the Flame Mountain Linear Waterfall and the Pearl Waterfall are simply breathtaking.

The Stone Pillar Spirit Peak is located two kilometers from Taizhou Town. The Stone Pillar Peak stands 141.81 meters tall, flat on top and steeply sloped below, rugged and exquisite like jade, exuding a majestic presence. Behind it, a smaller stone pillar connects with low ridges, resembling a camel lying at rest. Below the peak lie the Thirteen Bays of the Tao River, winding gracefully with water embracing the islets, creating a scene akin to “nine dragons playing with a pearl.” The pastoral scenery is poetic and picturesque. Nearby are attractions such as General Rock, Jade Pot Rock, Two Frogs Climbing the Mountain, Dragon Waist Severed, along with caves like Mingxia and Louyue. To the west are the beautiful Furong Mountain and majestic Baiyan Mountain, with clusters of peaks, peculiar rocks, numerous caves, and dense forests offering a world of its own.

Transportation: Take a bus from Linhai City or take a ferry from Jiaojiang (Haimen) to Qiansuo in northern Jiaojiang, then transfer to a minibus heading to Taizhou or Dongyang.

Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of National Scenic Areas