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Sea and caves
By Li Jin (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-10-28 16:08
With so many new areas becoming the place to be, now is the time to visit
Wenling, a coastal city in East China's Zhejiang Province, becoming renowned as
a fabulous travel destination thanks to quick developments in the local tourism
industry.
About 240 kilometres southeast of Hangzhou, the provincial
capital of Zhejiang Province, the coastal city boasts unique mountain scenery,
deep limestone caves, sea views and special local fishing villages along the sea
banks.
Ranked second in China for their output of aquatic products every
year, Wenling is also famous for its varied seafood flavours. The peak time for
patrons to experience Wenling is October and early November, when the crab is in
harvest.
To enjoy the mountains and coastal scenery, however, all the
seasons, save winter, are excellent to visit the town.
Generally, there
are three sites local guides recommend to see: Changyu Caves Scenic Spot,
Fangshan Mountain and Shitang.
Changyu Cave
 Located northeast of Wenling, the site
is famous for the largest manual cutting grotto in the Guinness Book of World
Records in April 1998.
Because of the wandering mountains, the area looks
like a long and narrow island in the sea, hence the name 'Changyu' (long
island).
The total area of the scenic area reaches 16.2 square
kilometres, including the Eight Immortals Rock, Double-Gate Cave, Chongguo
Temple and Wild Mountain scenic areas.
Among them, Eight Immortals Rock
and Double-Gate Cave are famous for their wondrous caves. The groups of caves
date back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), having a history of
more than 1,500 years.
Hundreds of years of cutting, acquiring several
million cubic metres of stone, left 28 groups of 1,314 caves.
Without
natural stalactites, the cut landscape looks like old clocks, covered pans,
barrel walls, and giant animals. Lofty steep corridors, caverns with a hole in
the ceiling and dangling bridges that zigzag and change ensue a rocky
labyrinth.
Chongguo Temple, not too far away, is over 1,670 years old
with much of the building still original. From the mountain top flanking the
temple, you can enjoy the delightful scenery of the intertwined landscape, in
the distance.
Fangshan
Mountain
 As one of the most
famous destinations in Zhejiang Province, the mountain extends the North Yandang
Mountains, with 'jurassic' ancient volcano land forms the main feature to see.
Various natural scenes of slopes, cliffs, peaks, valleys, waterfalls, and brooks
blend together in arrangements that cannot be missed. It also contains a long
history of religious activities, a suitable place for science
education.
Usually, a three-day trip offers enough time to see the places
mentioned above.
Because they are in a 100-square-kilometre area, buses
are suggested as the best way to travel across the different
sites.
Getting there: Flights available from Beijing and Shanghai to
Hangzhou, Ningbo, with highways connect Wenling with Hangzhou and Ningbo. Train
routes also go to Wenling, taking 14 hours and costs 300 yuan for a soft
sleeper.
Accommodation: Wenling Hotel and Wenling International Hotel are
recommended.
Wenling Hotel
(0576) 6208888 ext 8001
Wenling
International
(0576) 6111118
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