Shitang

Shitang

Introduction: The first place in mainland China to be touched by the first ray of sunlight in the new millennium—Shitang Town is located on the southeastern coast of Wenling City. It is an ancient fishing village settlement, formerly known as Shitangshan, originally an island. According to the Records of Taizhou Prefecture: “Most seawalls were built with mud, with few constructed from stone. Only this seawall was built entirely of stone, hence the name came to refer to the whole island.” Surrounded by the sea on three sides and backed by Shitang Mountain to the northwest, Shitang Town boasts picturesque coastal scenery. The town’s houses and roads follow the natural terrain, featuring unique stone structures—stone houses, stone streets, stone alleys, and stone stairways. Within a four-to-five-square-kilometer mountain hollow, all the buildings are uniquely constructed in harmony with the landscape, with “houses nestled against hills and hills cradling houses.” The cliffs here feature cliff inscriptions such as “Sea Spray and Moonlight,” “Ink Pool,” and “Seascape Like a Painting.” Other scenic highlights, known as the Ten Scenes of Shitang, include Ink Pool’s Calligraphy Traces, Transverse Pond’s Sails, Pengyu Islet’s Waves, Stone Mirror Reflecting Frogs, Leifeng’s Strange Rocks, Cave Gazing at the Sky, Fishpond Mirroring the Moon, Dragon Throat’s Meandering Stream, Lion Peak Gathering Beauty, and Calm Sea Watching the Tides. Shitang is also praised as the “Notre-Dame of the East” and the “Cradle of Painters.” About 3.5 kilometers southeast of Shitang Town lies a small island called Sanwan Island. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the island was overgrown with wild garlic, which local fishermen often harvested to eat, giving the island its name. Nearby are also Erwan Island and Yiwan Island, lined up in sequence. Transportation: Take a direct minibus from Wenling’s old bus station to Shitang. The ride takes less than one hour and costs 6 yuan.

Zhejiang Taizhou City