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3 Days in Hai'an: Itinerary 2026
Start your first day in the old town center, where most historic sites cluster. Begin at the Hai'an Museum (9:00-17:00, free) to get context on the city's 1,500-year history. Theβ¦ πΊοΈ Day 1 Overview
Start your first day in the old town center, where most historic sites cluster. Begin at the Hai'an Museum (9:00-17:00, free) to get context on the city's 1,500-year history. Then walk south to the Confucian Temple (8:00-17:30, Β₯20) and the adjacent Qing dynasty streets.
ποΈ Old Town Highlights
After lunch, explore the Han Guizi Lane, a narrow alley lined with Ming and Qing architecture, and the nearby Seven-Bend Bridge. End the afternoon at the Hai'an Ancient City Wall remnants, which offer a glimpse into the old fortifications. These sites are all within a 15-minute walk of each other, so no transit is needed.
π Evening Food Stroll
For dinner, head to the Zhongba Road Food Street, a lively pedestrian area with dozens of stalls and restaurants. Try the local specialty, Hai'an fried dumplings (about Β₯15 for a plate of 8), and the sweet osmanthus cake. The street stays busy until 22:00, so you can take your time sampling.
π³ Day 2 Nature and Parks
Dedicate your second day to green spaces and the riverfront. Start at the Hai'an Riverside Park (open 24 hours, free), a long stretch along the Tongyang River perfect for a morning walk. Then take a taxi (about 15 minutes, Β₯20) to the Qutang Lake Scenic Area, where you can rent a paddleboat for Β₯50 per hour.
ποΈ Qutang Lake Afternoon
Spend the afternoon exploring the lake's islands and the small temple on the central islet. The park also has a tea house where you can rest with a view of the water. If you're feeling active, the 5-kilometer lakeside trail takes about 90 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace.
π Day 3 Suburban Sights
On your final day, take bus 5 from the city center to the Hai'an Silk Museum (about 40 minutes, Β₯2). The museum showcases the region's sericulture history and has live silkworm demonstrations from 9:00 to 16:30. From there, a short taxi ride (10 minutes, Β₯15) brings you to the Qingyun Mountain Taoist Temple, which offers panoramic views of the city.
ποΈ Shopping and Souvenirs
Wrap up your trip at the Wanda Plaza shopping mall, which has a supermarket and several souvenir shops. Look for locally made silk scarves (starting at Β₯80) and dried seafood from the nearby coast. The mall is open from 10:00 to 22:00 and is a 20-minute taxi ride from Qingyun Mountain (about Β₯25).
π Getting Around
Hai'an has a compact city center, so walking is often the best option for the first day. For longer distances, taxis are affordable, with most rides within the city costing Β₯10-Β₯30. Public buses run from 6:00 to 21:00 and cost Β₯2, but routes are limited; consider using a ride-hailing app for convenience.
Solid framework for a first visit, the pacing is realistic and the food street call is right. If you have any flexibility, swap the morning museum on Day 1 for the small Hanfu workshop on Xisi Street, two blocks west of the Confucian Temple. It's a family-run place where they hand-dye fabric with indigo, and the owner will let you try the stamping if you're curious, no pressure to buy. The pieces start around Β₯60 and are way more distinctive than the mall scarves.
For the Seven-Bend Bridge, go just before sunset rather than midday. The light hits the stone arches in a way that makes the whole thing glow amber, and the vendors packing up are friendlier than the daytime crowd. Also, the tea house at Qutang Lake does a decent jasmine tea, but the real move is the salted plum drink they serve cold, it's the perfect palate cleanser after the lake walk.
honestly the itinerary's pretty close to what i'd do myself, but the one thing i'd add is the morning market on Nanshi Street, just south of the old city wall. it runs from like 5:30 to 8:30, before the museum opens, and it's where the actual food scene lives, not the tourist stalls. grab a bowl of soy milk and youtiao for like Β₯5 and watch the vendors set up, way better than any restaurant breakfast.
also, for the Qutang Lake paddleboats, skip the ones near the main entrance, they're always backed up. walk ten minutes along the east shore to the smaller dock by the tea house, the old guy there doesn't care about the hourly limit and you'll have the water mostly to yourself. just bring cash, he doesn't take phone payments.
and if you're there on a sunday, the silk museum has a small workshop where retired workers hand-stitch patterns, not the demo, the actual repair shop in the back courtyard. they'll let you watch if you ask politely, and sometimes sell off their practice pieces for like Β₯20, way better souvenir than the mall stuff.
Good to see someone putting real thought into a Hai'an visit, the guide covers the big names well. One thing it misses though: rent a bike for Day 2 instead of the taxi to Qutang Lake. There's a shared bike dock right by the Riverside Park entrance, and the ride along the Tongyang River to the lake is maybe 25 minutes on a flat, mostly car-free path. Costs about Β₯3, and you'll pass the old ferry landing where you can stop for a cheap bowl of fish noodle soup at a shack that's been there since the 90s.
Also, for the silk museum, check if the mulberry orchard behind it is open when you go. It's not on any map, but the staff will let you wander through if you ask at the front desk, and in late spring the trees are heavy with fruit you can pick. The kids' school groups never go back there, so it's quiet, and the mulberries make a decent snack for the ride to Qingyun Mountain. Just don't wear white.
Shanghai hidden gems beyond the Bund?
honestly skip the bund crowds and head to the former french concession around wukang road. grab a coffee at some random lane spot, the whole area has these old lane houses that feel way more real than the skyline. also check out the rock bund art museum near the south bund, it's in this old industrial building with killer views and barely any tourists last time i was there. if u want food, go to tianzifang but skip the main alleys and wander into the side lanes, you'll find a tiny dumpling place that's like 15 yuan for 10 pieces
if you're around on a weekend morning, hit up the antique market on dongtai road before it fully gentrifies. it's mostly gone now tbh but there's still a few stalls tucked near the intersection with liuhe road, you'll find old propaganda posters and weird mao-era knickknacks for like 20 kuai. also the shanghai natural history museum in jing'an is underrated, the building itself is this wild spiral shape and the dinosaur skeletons are legit impressive, plus it's like 30 yuan entry. for a quiet evening walk i'd do the suzhou creek path near the north bund but go west from the waibaidu bridge, past the old post office building, there's a stretch where the lights hit the water just right and nobody's around
yeah if you want something totally different check out the long museum (long museum west bund) it's this massive space with rotating contemporary art, way less crowded than the power station of art. also walk the suzhou creek trail near the north bund, it's kinda rough around the edges but you get these weird views of old factories mixed with new towers