Around the 18th day of the eighth lunar month every year is a good time to watch the tide. During this period, the autumn is clear and the temperature is pleasant. On the seawall at the mouth of the Qiantang River, tourists gather to watch this wonder. The Haining Tide is renowned at home and abroad for its high tide, variability, fierceness and thrills. The Haining Tide occurs twice a day with a 12-hour interval between day and night. There are more than 150 good days to watch the tide in a year. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there has been a traditional custom of watching the tide on the 18th day of the eighth lunar month among the people in Haining. To watch the autumn tide in Haining, there are mainly three viewing spots: 1. Around the tide-watching pavilion under the Zhenhai Pagoda on the seawall in Yanguan Town, Haining City. Here, one can see the magnificent scene of the ‘pagoda and the straight tide’. When the tide head first arrives, there is a white line across the river surface on the horizon, accompanied by a rumbling sound, just like the dull thunder rolling on the horizon, approaching rapidly from afar. In an instant, the tide peak like a white line rushes in front of the eyes, raising a three or four-meter-high water wall standing upright on the river surface, spraying pearls and splashing jade, with a momentum like thousands of galloping horses. 2. Eight forts 8 kilometers east of Yanguan Town. Here, one can watch the wondrous scene of tide heads colliding. After the sea tide rises into the river mouth, due to the different terrain on the north and south banks, the tide speed is faster in the south and slower in the north, and the tide head is gradually divided into two sections. The rapidly advancing southern section is called the south tide; the slow-moving northern section of the tide head, as seen by tide watchers on the north bank, comes from the east, so it is also called the east tide. When the two tides meet, it is like a mountain collapsing and the earth cracking, and thousands of snow-capped peaks rise in the river, which is quite spectacular. 3. The old salt warehouse 12 kilometers west of Yanguan Town. Here, one can enjoy the’returning tide’. Here there is a ‘T-shaped dam’ 9 meters high inserted straight into the middle of the river. When the tide reaches here, the momentum has slightly decreased, but when it rushes to the head of the T-shaped dam, the tide head immediately turns back and rushes towards the riverbank and directly towards the people watching the tide on the top of the riverbank. The sudden attack of the returning tide often catches tide watchers off guard and makes them panic and lose their composure. In addition, there is a difference between day and night when watching the tide in Haining. Watching the tide during the day has a wide field of vision and a panoramic view of the raging tide, which is naturally very interesting. Watching the night tide when the bright moon is in the sky also has a unique flavor. The opening hours vary every day depending on the tide rising and falling times. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on that day.
Must-see tips: When watching the tide, pay attention to safety. Do not get too close to the shore and do not leave the area delineated by the staff to prevent being overturned by the tide.Haining Tide
Around the 18th day of the eighth lunar month every year is a good time to watch the tide. During [&[...]
