Around August 18th of the lunar calendar 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 Qiantang River Estuary, tourists gather and compete 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 for tide watching in a year. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, there has been a traditional custom of watching the tide on August 18th of the lunar calendar 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 of Yanguan Town, Haining City. Here, one can see the magnificent scene of the ‘pagoda and the tidal bore in a straight line’. When the tide head initially arrives, there is a white line across the river surface on the horizon, accompanied by a rumbling sound, just like muffled thunder rolling on the horizon, approaching rapidly from afar. In an instant, the tide head like a white line rushes in front of the eyes, and a three to four-meter-high water wall stands upright on the river surface, spraying pearls and splashing jade, with the momentum of ten thousand horses galloping. 2. Eight forts 8 kilometers east of Yanguan Town. Here, one can watch the wonderful scene of tide heads colliding. After the sea tide rises into the river mouth, due to the different terrains on the north and south banks, the tidal current speed is faster in the south and slower in the north, and the tide head gradually divides into two sections. The rapidly advancing southern section is called the south tide; the northern section of the tide head that lags behind seems to come from the east as seen by tide watchers on the north bank, 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 directly inserted into the middle of the river. At this point, the momentum of the tide 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 for 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 designated by the staff to prevent being overturned by the tide.
