Yancheng is a city with a time-honored past and cultural richness. Located in the coastal areas of Yellow Sea (Huanghai) on the northern wing of Yangtze River Delta, Yancheng’s history dates back to 2,100 years ago. Yancheng (Yan means salt in English) is the only city in China to be named after salt. The sea salt culture is the cultural root of this city, as Yancheng boasts the only China Sea Salt Museum to display sea salt civilization, and the national 4A-level sea salt historic sight. Yancheng is the cradle of great minds: Chen Lin, Lu Xiufu, Shi Nai’an in ancient times, and Hu Qiaomu, Qiao Ganhua, Wang Ganjun in modern times. Yancheng is also home to acrobatics, Huai Opera, and fireworks.

Yancheng is the hometown to red-crowned crane and Milu deer, with 60% of the stock of the former and 33% of the latter habiting there. Yancheng is the member of the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere Program”, and is on the list of key wetlands in the world. The Dazong Lake, Jiulongkou, Majiadang in the hinterland of the downstream in western Yangcheng, covering some a hundred square kilometers, are lagoon wetlands, with well-preserved eco-system, and is reputed as the Gold and Silver Beach and Marshes, and the Basket of Fish and Grain.

In 2015, a total of 22,820,000 visits are made to Yancheng, with a year-on-year increase of 13%, earning revenue of 22.7 billion yuan, a 14% growth. Both the visits and economic indexes are doubled than the last year of China’s 11th Five-Year plan. The increase of inbound travellers maintains the first place in Jiangsu Province. Yancheng is awarded the Most Beautiful Eco-Tourism Destination of the First Asian Golden Tourism Prize, Top Ten Green Destination, Most Beautiful China-Eco, Recreational Tourist Destination, etc. In particular, the Three Day Eco-Tour in Yancheng (enjoying the sight of Milu deer and red-crown crane and opening your mind) is included in the Top 10 Travel Route in 2015 Beautiful China. The reputation of Yancheng as a place to open one’s mind is on the rise.