Qiantang River Tide

Qian Tang River Overview:
The Qiantang River is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay.The lower stream of Qiantang River is known as Fuchun River, 285 mi (459 km) long in Zhejiang province. An important commercial artery, it flows NE to the East China Sea at Hangzhou. The river is also the southern terminal of the ancient Grand Canal that links five major rivers in China from north to south, enabling traffic north to Beijing from Hangzhou via the Canal. The Qiantang was previously known under the names Zhe River ("crooked river"), Luocha River, or Zhi River. It was re-named "Qiantang" (literally "Qian's pond") in honour of the kings of Wuyue (907-978), whose extensive hydro-engineering schemes in large part ensured the prosperity of the region in later centuries.

Crossing the river is the Qiantang River Bridge. It is China's first self-designed and self-built bridge, which took from April 1934 to Sept 1937 to complete. Qiantang River Bridge is comprised of its main body and the bridge approach, stretching a distance of 1453 meters (4767 feet). It is also the first modern double - layer bridge in China. The upper layer of the bridge is highway and the layer below is railway. Qiantang River Bridge is designed by the famous Chinese bridge engineer Mao Yisheng, who defied the words spoken by foreigners that it was impossible to construct a bridge in such a spot, and who made a great contribution to the Chinese bridge building industry. Looking out from the Six Harmonies Pagoda, one can get a panoramic view of the mighty Qiantang River, the majestic Qiantang River Bridge, and the surrounding landscape.

Today, the Qiantang River serves as a river hinge, playing an important role in the water-transportation between the east and the west. It is encircled by a group of economically booming cities including Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial hub, and Ningbo, one of China's leading port cities.


Qiantang River Tide
The soaring tide of the Qiantang River is such a marvelous spectacle that only the Amazon River's surging tide rivals it!

Annually, millions of people from both home and abroad flock there to watch the magnificent tide on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month (also around the Mid-Autumn Day). When the surging tide comes, the water can rise up to a height of 30 feet and the noise it generates sounds like thunder, or thousands of horses running. Various activities will also be held to celebrate the annual Tide - Watching Festival, according to local custom. In terms of its history, the custom of watching the bore tide has happened for more than 2000 years. It first appeared during the first century. Then, it became popular in the Tang Dynasty (about 7th -13th century). Yangong town in Haijing 45 km (about 28 miles) from Hangzhou is the best place to watch the Qiantang Tide.

Why is it so spectacular? On the 18th day of the 8th lunar month, the sun, the moon, and the earth are on the same line, so the gravitation that the sea receives is the biggest. It is relevant to the shape of the Hangzhou Bay, which is the entrance that Qian Tang River go into the sea. Its shape is like a horn. Much water crowd into the narrow riverway, the former water is blocked, and the latter water rush to the former water hurriedly. So they crash each other and make roar. So the grand scene comes. The height of the tide is more than 3 meters. Moreover, the tide is relevant to the gravitation of the sun and the moon. It is a periodical phenomenon in the nature.

Admission:N/A
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How to get there:The bore is visible from the banks of the river in Hangzhou, but is far more dramatic in Yanguan (Yánguan Zhèn, ???), a small town (with a picturesque old section) about 40 km (24.85 mi) northeast of Hangzhou. You can get there by bus from Hangzhou's East Bus Station (RMB 20). The most popular viewing spot in Yanguan is from the Guanchao Resort Park (Hainíng Guàncháo, ????), which costs RMB 20 to enter, but any spot on the bank is as good as another.