Atlas
Yancheng Coast
Yancheng's coastal tidal flats support a major sea-salt industry and recall the ancient salt-and-iron economy.
Prefecture: Yancheng
Province: JiangsuAmong frosted yellow reeds and shallow pools, two red-crowned cranes stand in the foreground and three more wade farther off, with a thin line of sea at the horizon.
Natural Wonder3
- Yancheng Yellow Sea Wetland Wild Deer Haven
Inside a World Natural Heritage core zone, this wetland borders the world's largest radial sand ridges and vast silty intertidal mudflats.
- Yancheng Rare Birds Reserve Red-Crowned Cranes
Wild red-crowned cranes winter here in their largest numbers worldwide, among reed marshes remembered for Xu Xiujuan, the crane keeper honored in the song A True Story.
- Dafeng Milu Deer National Nature Reserve
Reintroduced from overseas stock, Pere David's deer at Dafeng now number in the thousands, forming the largest gene pool of the species and a testing ground for rewilding.
Civic Building1
- China Sea Salt Museum in Yancheng
Devoted to the long history of Chinese sea salt, this large museum recreates the age-old practice of boiling seawater to make salt.
In its history5
- Sang Hongyangc. 152–80 BCE
Part of Yancheng Coast's history: Discourse on Salt and Iron. Western Han finance minister from a Luoyang merchant family who ran Emperor Wu's state monopolies and price-levelling schemes and defended them in the salt and iron debate
- Huo GuangBirth unknown–68 BCE
Part of Yancheng Coast's history: Discourse on Salt and Iron. Western Han regent and half-brother of Huo Qubing who guided the boy Emperor Zhao, deposed Liu He after twenty-seven days and enthroned Emperor Xuan
- Huan Kuan100–50 BCE
Part of Yancheng Coast's history: Discourse on Salt and Iron. Western Han scholar who recorded the salt and iron debate of Emperor Zhao's reign as the Discourses on Salt and Iron
- Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che)156–87 BCE
Part of Yancheng Coast's history: Discourse on Salt and Iron. Western Han emperor for fifty-four years who began the use of reign titles, sent armies against the Xiongnu and envoys to Central Asia, and weakened the princes
- Emperor Zhao of Han94–74 BCE
Part of Yancheng Coast's history: Discourse on Salt and Iron. Son of Emperor Wu who reigned as a boy under the regency of Huo Guang
Han2
- Han Salt-Iron Offices at Yandu119 BCE
In 119 BCE, Han authorities established salt-and-iron offices and Yandu County, strengthening state management of production and circulation.
- Discourse on Salt and Iron
National summit on state monopolies vs private markets, defining 2,000 years of imperial economic doctrine.
Song1
- Fan Zhongyan's Coastal Dike Works1024–1025 CE
From 1024 to 1025, Fan Zhongyan directed coastal-dike works across the Tong, Tai, Chu, and Hai prefectures; Zhang Lun continued the project after Fan left to mourn his mother.
Modern Era1
- Yellow Sea Bird Sanctuaries Inscribed2019 CE
In 2019, the Yancheng-based Phase I sanctuaries were inscribed as an indispensable hub on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.