The city of Yancheng, literally "Salt City", is named after the salt harvest fields surround the city. It has Huanghai Sea to its east, Nantong and Taizhou to its south, Huai'an and Yangzhou to its west.

It features a special ecologic status in Jiangsu and is endowed with abundant resources. It is the largest city in the province with a land area of 16,931 square kilometers. It also has the longest coastline of 582 km, accounting for 61 percent of the province's total, as well as the broadest coast area, which has a large margin for exploration, and the largest intertidal zone, which, covering an area of 4,553 sq km, occupies for 67 percent of the province's total. Hence, Yancheng is an important land supply and development backup for Jiangsu and even the entire country.

Yancheng administrates Dongtai, a county-level city, three districts of Yandu, Tinghu and Dafeng, five counties of Jianhu, Sheyang, Funing, Binhai and Xiangshui, a Yancheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, and a Yannan High-tech Zone. As of 2021, the city haa a population of 6.71 million.

The city is the hometown of red-crowned cranes and Milu deer, with two national nature reserves built here on the coastal wetland. The boundless wetland, the crane dancing and the deer singing provide a choice to hide away from noise and back to nature.

Red-crowned cranes rest and play at a mud flat in Yangcheng, Jiangsu province. [Photo/yancheng.gov.cn]

Economy

Yancheng's GDP increased by 4.6 percent year-on-year to 707.98 billion yuan ($102.86 billion) in 2022. 

The city's economy expanded at a steady pace last year, with the total import and export volume reaching 20.64 billion US dollars, up 19.7 percent, and the utilized foreign capital reaching 1.18 billion US dollars, up 9 percent.

History & Culture

Yancheng started its 2,100-year-long history since it was founded as a county in Han Dynasty in year 119 BC. In later years, the city was the home of Fan Zhongyan, the 12th century statesman, and Shi Nai'an, the author of the famous novel Water Margin.

Yancheng features a special ecologic status in Jiangsu and is endowed with abundant resources. [Photo/yancheng.gov.cn]