Zhaobao Mountain is located at the mouth of the Yongjiang River. Although the mountain is not more than a hundred meters high, it is rich in cultural landscapes. On the mountain, there are Ao Zhu Tower, Baotuo Temple, and numerous coastal defense fortifications from the Ming and Qing dynasties. If you come with children or are interested in the military, experiencing the 4D effects of land, sea, and air battles in the military experience area is also an interesting activity. The main cultural landscapes of the scenic area are around the top of the mountain, and the paths on the mountain are easy to walk on, making climbing the mountain quite leisurely. Starting from the scenic area service department, there are three trails leading to the top near the Jia Jing Fang, allowing you to appreciate different mountain terrains. Among them, the middle trail, which leads directly to the top and passes by Weiyuan City and Baotuo Temple, is also easier to walk on, thus becoming the main path up the mountain. Not far up the mountain, you will encounter a stone tablet from the Yuan Dynasty—the First Mountain Tablet, where tourists often take photos as a souvenir of their visit. Continuing forward, you will see a thousand-year-old ancient sea wall, a relic of the Qing Dynasty’s coastal defense project. From a distance, the sea wall looks like a small Great Wall. The sea at the foot of the sea wall has long turned into ‘mulberry fields,’ and the buildings still stand today, demonstrating the superb architecture of the time. Passing through Qi Zi Ping, you arrive at the top of the mountain at Weiyuan City. This stone castle was built to resist the Wokou pirates, and during the Qing Dynasty, Weiyuan Battery achieved a victory on the maritime defense line. Also, because it is built on the top of the mountain, the entire building appears very imposing, and standing under the city seems to make one feel the smoke of war from that time. Although many of the Ming and Qing steles on the left side behind Weiyuan City were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, one can learn a lot about the history of Zhaobao Mountain by carefully pondering the content of the inscriptions. Not far ahead is Baotuo Temple, which has become a famous Buddhist place for believers due to the ‘Guanyin who did not wish to leave’ from Mount Putuo. You can pray for your friends and family here. After exiting the back door of Baotuo Temple, the scenery here is very nice. You can see Jinji Mountain across the Yongjiang River, and even the ‘command platform’ on the top of the mountain. As for the Zhaobao Mountain Bridge that spans both banks, the cable-stayed bridge is very imposing, and the economic development zone on the other side is also full of vitality. Following the trail down the mountain to the west, you can see the towering Ao Zhu Tower from a distance. This tower is not only the symbol of Zhaobao Mountain but also the highest point in Zhenhai. Today, after renovation, the Ao Zhu Tower has some exhibitions inside the tower, where you can learn about the culture of ‘excellence,’ see the statue of Guanyin, and appreciate the calligraphy of famous people in Zhenhai. However, compared to these dry displays, climbing the tower to overlook the vast sea is more tempting. If the weather is good, you can also see the distant Zhoushan Islands. In front of the Ao Zhu Tower, there is only one path down the mountain, and following the path down the mountain will bring you back to Jia Jing Fang. If you are interested in the military, the China Air Defense Expo Garden on the east side of the mountain (free, closed on Mondays) and the military experience area on the west side, not only can you see historical displays about Zhenhai’s maritime defense, aircraft, tanks, and other exhibitions, but you can also play 4D simulation projects (additional fee).
You can operate fighter jets to soar in the blue sky, drive aircraft carriers to defend the sea frontier, and drive tanks on long-distance raids… Experience land, sea and air battles in a realistic environment and satisfy your military addiction. Opening hours: Open all year round from 08:30 to 16:00. Preferential policies: Children: Free for those under 1.2 meters (inclusive) in height; half price for children between 1.2m (exclusive) and 1.5m (exclusive) in height. Elderly: Free for those aged 70 years old (inclusive) and above; half price for those aged 60 years old (inclusive) to 69 years old (inclusive). Students: Half price with student ID card (excluding adult education students and graduate students). Ningbo residents: Half price with Ningbo residence permit (issued by Zhenhai Public Security Sub-bureau). Zhenhai District residents: Free with Zhenhai District ID card or Zhenhai District outstanding scientist and technician certificate. Military personnel: Free with military officer ID card and soldier ID card. Disabled people: Free with disability certificate. Teaching staff: Free with senior teacher certificate of more than 30 years. Journalists: Free with press card. Veteran cadres: Free with veteran cadre certificate issued by Zhenhai District Party Committee. Model workers: Free with model worker certificate at or above district or city level. Blood donation volunteers: Free with Zhejiang Province Honorary Certificate for Blood Donation. Firefighters: Free with national fire rescue certificate. Supplementary note: The above information is for reference only. For specific information, please refer to the disclosure on the day at Zhaobao Mountain scenic spot.
Must-see tips: There are paid tour guides in the scenic area for explanation.
