Yancheng — "Salt City" — was founded in 119 BC as a salt production centre and spent two millennia generating revenue for successive dynasties through its coastal saline marshes. The salt economy has gone, but the marshes remain, transformed into one of China's most ecologically significant landscapes. The coastal wetlands along this stretch of the Yellow Sea were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their role as a critical staging point for millions of migratory birds along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, and for the winter habitat they provide to red-crowned cranes — a species whose global population numbers only a few thousand.
The Yellow Sea coastal wetlands (UNESCO World Heritage Site) are the city's primary draw for international visitors, and they are genuinely extraordinary during peak migration in spring and autumn. Guided eco-tours into the wetlands reveal not just cranes but Chinese egrets, spoonbills, and a remarkable range of shorebirds. The resident population of milu deer — Père David's deer, extinct in the wild until reintroduction — adds another layer of ecological interest. The China Sea Salt Museum is a complementary stop that gives useful context to the city's long economic history.
The food is shaped by coast and estuary. Dafeng crab, prized for its sweetness and caught in the coastal shallows, is the prestige local ingredient. Saltwater duck brined in locally harvested sea salt has a cleaner, less fatty quality than the Nanjing version. Seafood hotpot is available across the city and tends to be fresher here than further inland.
Direct high-speed rail connects Yancheng to Shanghai, and Yancheng Nanyang International Airport handles domestic and some regional routes. The city is largely off the international tourist circuit, which has the advantage of making prices modest and crowds manageable even in season.