Annual Tide Alert! The Complete 2025 Qiantang River Tide-Watching Guide, Don’t Miss This Stunning Wave

Every year around the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Qiantang River tide stirs up a sensation—the surging giant waves resemble a stampede of horses, a true "visual feast" of nature. Bookmark this comprehensive tide-watching guide and head straight to the scene this autumn!

📅 Precise Timing: 2025 Tide-Watching Schedule

3. Peak Season
The core tide period is from October 5 to October 10 (Lunar calendar August 11 to August 16), when the tide is at its most powerful and the wave crests are the highest. Among these, October 9 (Lunar August 18) is the traditional "Tide God’s Birthday," with the strongest tide of the year.
Additionally, September 24 (Lunar August 3) features a "double tide overlap," creating highly competitive high tides—ideal for those wanting to avoid National Day crowds.

4. Regular Tide-Watching Period
The first to sixth and fifteenth to twentieth days of each lunar month are regular high tide periods, with about 120 days annually suitable for tide watching. Traveling during off-peak times offers a better experience.

🗺️ Tide Types Map: Different Spots, Different Wonders

The Qiantang River has nine types of tides, each unique from cross tides to fish scale tides. Choosing the right spot is key!

- Yanguan Tide-Watching Park
✅ Must-See Tide Type: Frontline Tide
The original site featured in the Chinese textbook "Watching the Tide," with a straight and orderly river channel where the tide crest forms a white water wall across the river, fully embodying the "Yanguan Pagoda Frontline Tide" imagery.

- Ticket: 30 RMB
- Address: Yanguan Town, Haining, Zhejiang

- Haining Great Gap
✅ Must-See Tide Type: Cross Tide
Accessible by foot from Baili Qiantang Park, the unique terrain here causes the north and south tide waves to converge, creating a distinctive cross tide view. A hidden gem for tide watchers.

- Ticket: Free
- Address: Dingqiao Town, Haining, Zhejiang

- Xiaoshan Meinv Dam
✅ Must-See Tide Types: Returning Tide, Skyward Tide, Frontline Tide
After hitting the T-shaped dam, the tide rebounds and overlaps with the following tide to form the "Meinv Second Return." With luck, you can witness three tide scenes simultaneously—massive waves rolling in an awe-inspiring display.

- Ticket: Free
- Address: Northern Meinv Mountain, Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

- Haining Xincang (Liangjiadun)
✅ Must-See Tide Types: Cross Tide, Secondary Tide, Skyward Tide
Tides can be viewed along the river here, where the riverbed sand creates diverse tide types. However, this area is historically dangerous due to tide surges flooding the banks, so keep a safe distance from the river edge.

- Ticket: Free
- Address: Xincang Town, Haining, Zhejiang

- Near Jiashao Bridge
✅ Must-See Tide Types: Fish Scale Tide, Matrix Tide
Recently discovered unique tide types, where ripple tides overlap with frontline tides to resemble fish scales. The convergence of two ripple tides forms a grid-like matrix tide, making for spectacular aerial photography.

- Ticket: Free
- Address: From the west side of Xindongjin Sluice, Shangyu, Zhejiang to Jiashao Bridge section

🏨 Accommodation Recommendations: Watch the Tide While Relaxing

- Qianjiang Junting Hotel: Features an exclusive tide-watching platform on the second floor, allowing you to enjoy the tide without the crowds.

- Qiantang Mingyue Radisson: Some river-view rooms offer tide views right from the window, perfect for greeting the "rising tide on the river" in the morning.

- Yanguan Chaole City: The hotel connects directly to the tide-watching park, with walking access to viewing spots—saving time and effort.

⚠️ Tide-Watching Red Lines: Must-Know Safety Rules

5. Arrive 1-3 hours early and check precise tide information on platforms like "Smart Tide Management" to avoid missing the tide or waiting too long.

6. Tide speeds can reach 12 meters per second, far faster than human running speed. Always stay within safety zones marked by warning signs and avoid dangerous areas like bends and T-shaped dams.

7. During peak tides, flooding may occur. Follow instructions from on-site staff at all times and evacuate to higher ground immediately in emergencies.

8. Traffic congestion is common during tide-watching periods. If driving, start early. From Yanguan, prioritize taking the Hangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway and then transfer to buses for a more convenient and efficient trip.