Salt Officer Pitfall Avoidance Guide for Tide Watching + Ancient Site Visiting, with Photo Tips

🌊 Just got back from Salt Officer! This article reveals all the secrets for tide watching and pitfall avoidance, perfect for beginners to copy!

🌟 Must-try highlights (in order of priority)

1. Qiantang River Frontline Tide: The best tide-watching spot is under Zhan'ao Tower, where the tide looks like a white ribbon stretching across the river—super stunning. The golden periods are from the 1st to 6th and 15th to 20th of the lunar calendar. Be sure to secure your spot 1 hour in advance, shoot with your phone in landscape mode, turn off stabilization, and use slow motion for better shots.

2. Haishen Temple: Known as the "Forbidden City of Jiangnan," with red walls and white marble stone carvings. The light and shadows at 3 PM create perfect conditions for ancient-style photos, and there are blessing performances on weekends.

3. Chen Ge Old Residence: Qianlong Emperor stayed here four times. The golden phoebe wood hall and luohan pine are highlights. Wearing Hanfu and experiencing the rituals adds great immersion.

4. Jin Yong Academy: A must-visit for martial arts fans! Exhibits include his works and scene recreations. Follow the guide closely to avoid just skimming through.

🚗 Transportation and Accommodation Tips

• Transportation: 40 minutes by car from Hangzhou, 1.5 hours from Shanghai is most convenient; after taking the high-speed train to Haining West Station, it’s recommended to take a taxi as the shuttle bus takes a long time.

• Accommodation: Hotels inside the scenic area (like Xuandemen Hotel) include tickets and shuttle service, convenient but book early in peak season; if on a budget, choose homestays outside the scenic area for better value.

💣 Pitfall Warnings (Learned the hard way)

• Don’t believe “there’s a big tide every day”! The tide is small except around the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar. Check the “Qiantang River Tide Forecast” before booking your trip.

• Rowing boats inside the scenic area start at 60 RMB per person and have queues; Hanfu rental is expensive, better to bring your own.

• Snacks on the ancient street are overpriced; try scallion pancakes and banquet balls outside the scenic area’s old street for more authentic flavors.

• The so-called “VIP tide-watching spots” are unnecessary; securing a spot around Zhan'ao Tower early offers just as good a view.

📸 Photo Spots & Hidden Activities

• Photo spots: Lantern shots at Gongchenmen City Wall during blue hour at dusk, wide-angle shots of the river tide from the top floor of Zhan'ao Tower.

• Hidden gems: Use the scenic area’s AR telescope to check tide height data for a full tech experience; at night, there’s Tide Dream music live by the river, with tide sounds and guitar—super soothing.

📝 1-Day Essential Itinerary

Morning: Gongchenmen → Chen Ge Old Residence → Haishen Temple for photos
Noon: Eat specialties at the old street outside the scenic area
Afternoon: Arrive 1 hour early at the prime tide-watching park → Jin Yong Academy → Return trip

The romance of Salt Officer is the tide crashing against red walls. Don’t just come for the tide—slow strolling reveals the charm of history~