Nantong Haohe River Scenic Area is located in Chongchuan District, Jiangsu, and is a national 5A tourist attraction.

Haohe Scenic Area, Nantong

Nantong Haohe River Scenic Area is located in Chongchuan District, Jiangsu, and is a national 5A…

🥇 5A Level 🗺️ Jiangsu 🏙️ Nantong 🔀 Mixed

Spot Facts

Level 5A

Nantong Hao River Guide

Real coordinates · smooth curved route
The Hao River Scenic Area encircles the old town of Nantong in Chongchuan District, Jiangsu Province, and ranks among the best-preserved ancient moats in China. Shaped like a gourd and stretching about 10 km, the river is lined with trees, parks and historic sites. By day, visit the Nantong Museum — China's first public museum — and the Song-dynasty Tianning Temple; as dusk falls, stroll along the banks and end with a night cruise under the city lights.
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  1. Hao River Cruise Pier
    Start · Sight
    From the Haonan Road boat dock, walk east along the South Hao River for ten minutes to reach the Nantong Museum. Founded by Zhang Jian in 1905, it is China's first public museum, combining gardens with exhibition halls. The Central, South, and North halls display nature, history, and Zhang Jian's life; ancient trees, rockeries, and river waves in the courtyard are worth a careful hour. Why this route: China's first public museum, founded by Zhang Jian in 1905, with garden-style courtyards and century-old halls—the first stop for understanding Nantong and the history of Chinese museums.
  2. Nantong Museum
    about 1440 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Leave the museum park heading north, cross the old town's lanes, and in about ten minutes you reach the Bell Tower on Renmin Middle Road. Built in 1914 under Zhang Jian's direction, the red-brick bell tower stands beside the old watchtower in a blend of Chinese and Western styles, the most iconic landmark of Nantong. Climb up for views over the old town's rooftops and the outline of the Hao River; the square below is a popular spot for locals, full of everyday life. Why this route: A 1914 Nantong landmark where the red-brick bell tower and watchtower combine Chinese and Western styles; climb for panoramic views of the old town and the Hao River.
  3. Bell Tower
    about 910 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
  4. Tianning Temple
    about 310 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    From the Bell Tower head north along Huancheng West Road, cross Zhongxuetang Street, and in about fifteen minutes reach Tianning Temple. First built in the Xiantong era of the Tang, its surviving Mahavira Hall is a Song-dynasty wooden structure, one of the earliest of its kind in Jiangsu. The temple's Guangxiao Pagoda, together with the Wenfeng and Langshan Zhiyun pagodas, forms the Three Pagodas of Nantong; hidden among old-town lanes, the temple keeps its incense burning, a quiet spot amid the bustle. Why this route: An ancient temple founded in the Tang with a Song-dynasty wooden hall; its Guangxiao Pagoda is one of the Three Pagodas of Nantong, a millennium of tranquility amid the city.
  5. Wenfeng Pagoda
    about 1480 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Walk from Tianning Temple to the North Hao River pier and take a boat; the cruise glides south along the eastern stretch of the Hao River, past green willows, waterside paths and old-town houses, reaching Wenfeng Park pier in about twenty minutes. Wenfeng Pagoda, built in the Wanli era of the Ming, is a five-story, six-sided brick-and-wood structure standing by the river, its reflection mirrored in the water—a classic Hao River scene. Why this route: A Ming five-story, six-sided brick-and-wood pagoda stands by the water; approach by boat along the eastern Hao River as its reflection enters the stream—one of the Hao River's most classic scenes.
  6. South Park
    about 1110 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Leave Wenfeng Park and head west along the South Hao River bank; the waterside path is shaded by trees, with the old town skyline visible across the river, reaching South Park in about twenty minutes. South Park is the quietest garden on the core stretch of the Hao River, with rockeries, waterside pavilions and zigzag bridges scattered throughout; rest on a stone bench and watch the river and passing boats—a gentle end to the day's itinerary. Why this route: The quietest garden on the core Hao River stretch, with rockeries, waterside pavilions and zigzag bridges—the best place to rest and enjoy river views after a tiring day of sightseeing.
  7. Huanxi Cultural Square
    about 950 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Walk northwest along the Hao River bank as dusk falls and lights come on along both shores. In about 20 minutes you reach Huanxi Culture Square—the best spot for the Hao River night cruise and light show; the nearby Hao River Museum is worth a stop to learn the river's excavation history. After dark, the Hao River Night Painting live show and musical fountain light up the whole river. Why this route: the best viewing spot for the night cruise and light show, with the museum nearby to learn the moat's thousand-year history, and a dazzling scene after dark.
  8. Hao River Cruise Pier
    about 1210 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    From the Haonan Road boat dock, walk east along the South Hao River for ten minutes to reach the Nantong Museum. Founded by Zhang Jian in 1905, it is China's first public museum, combining gardens with exhibition halls. The Central, South, and North halls display nature, history, and Zhang Jian's life; ancient trees, rockeries, and river waves in the courtyard are worth a careful hour. Why this route: China's first public museum, founded by Zhang Jian in 1905, with garden-style courtyards and century-old halls—the first stop for understanding Nantong and the history of Chinese museums.
  9. Nantong Museum
    about 1440 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Leave the museum park heading north, cross the old town's lanes, and in about ten minutes you reach the Bell Tower on Renmin Middle Road. Built in 1914 under Zhang Jian's direction, the red-brick bell tower stands beside the old watchtower in a blend of Chinese and Western styles, the most iconic landmark of Nantong. Climb up for views over the old town's rooftops and the outline of the Hao River; the square below is a popular spot for locals, full of everyday life. Why this route: A 1914 Nantong landmark where the red-brick bell tower and watchtower combine Chinese and Western styles; climb for panoramic views of the old town and the Hao River.
  10. Bell Tower
    about 910 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
  11. Tianning Temple
    about 310 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    From the Bell Tower head north along Huancheng West Road, cross Zhongxuetang Street, and in about fifteen minutes reach Tianning Temple. First built in the Xiantong era of the Tang, its surviving Mahavira Hall is a Song-dynasty wooden structure, one of the earliest of its kind in Jiangsu. The temple's Guangxiao Pagoda, together with the Wenfeng and Langshan Zhiyun pagodas, forms the Three Pagodas of Nantong; hidden among old-town lanes, the temple keeps its incense burning, a quiet spot amid the bustle. Why this route: An ancient temple founded in the Tang with a Song-dynasty wooden hall; its Guangxiao Pagoda is one of the Three Pagodas of Nantong, a millennium of tranquility amid the city.
  12. Wenfeng Pagoda
    about 1480 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Walk from Tianning Temple to the North Hao River pier and take a boat; the cruise glides south along the eastern stretch of the Hao River, past green willows, waterside paths and old-town houses, reaching Wenfeng Park pier in about twenty minutes. Wenfeng Pagoda, built in the Wanli era of the Ming, is a five-story, six-sided brick-and-wood structure standing by the river, its reflection mirrored in the water—a classic Hao River scene. Why this route: A Ming five-story, six-sided brick-and-wood pagoda stands by the water; approach by boat along the eastern Hao River as its reflection enters the stream—one of the Hao River's most classic scenes.
  13. South Park
    about 1110 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Leave Wenfeng Park and head west along the South Hao River bank; the waterside path is shaded by trees, with the old town skyline visible across the river, reaching South Park in about twenty minutes. South Park is the quietest garden on the core stretch of the Hao River, with rockeries, waterside pavilions and zigzag bridges scattered throughout; rest on a stone bench and watch the river and passing boats—a gentle end to the day's itinerary. Why this route: The quietest garden on the core Hao River stretch, with rockeries, waterside pavilions and zigzag bridges—the best place to rest and enjoy river views after a tiring day of sightseeing.
  14. Huanxi Cultural Square
    about 950 m (straight line) from the previous stop · Sight
    Walk northwest along the Hao River bank as dusk falls and lights come on along both shores. In about 20 minutes you reach Huanxi Culture Square—the best spot for the Hao River night cruise and light show; the nearby Hao River Museum is worth a stop to learn the river's excavation history. After dark, the Hao River Night Painting live show and musical fountain light up the whole river. Why this route: the best viewing spot for the night cruise and light show, with the museum nearby to learn the moat's thousand-year history, and a dazzling scene after dark.

Things to Note

江苏南通市濠河景区
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