Display of tidal power, plus dishes fit for an emperor
By Yang Jian |
June 18, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THERE'S nothing quite like a tidal bore to demonstrate the power of the sea. Haining boasts three famous spots for watching this surge of tidal power rush up the Qiantang River: Daquekou, Yanguan and Laoyancang.
The best time for watching is the 18th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when the sun, moon and earth form a propitious straight line. On that day, the tidal bore on the river rises to a maximum of 9 meters high, and overly enthusiastic onlookers have to be careful lest they get swept into the surging waters.
A tidal bore, sometimes called an aegir, is formed when the leading edge of an incoming tide forms a wave that is funneled up through a river or narrow bay, causing a surge of crashing water. In Haining, the water surge can be up to 40 kilometers an hour, creating the sound of a thousand galloping horses.
Tourists frequently gather on Qiantang Bridge to watch the start of this phenomenon of nature and then drive to Yanguan to witness what is called the "one-line tide."
First, there is a distant rumbling although the river water appears calm. As the roar gets louder, one-line tide appears. This wave, normally one to two meters, moves quickly.
Some tourists go to Laoyancang, which literally means "old salt storehouse", where there is a 660-meter-long dam, to see "turn-around tide."
When the wave reaches Laoyancang, it crashes into the dam, sending water shooting into the air.
According to ancient records, people began watching the tidal bore back in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) although it became more celebrated during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Emperor Qianlong was said to have visited Haining four times to view the tidal bore. In his wake he left legendary stories and even some his favorite dishes that are still served today in local restaurants.
Xu Zu'en, owner and chef of the Chunjiang Restaurant in Yanguan, serves cuisine he claims his ancestors once prepared for the emperor every time he came to town.
One dish, called yanqiu, features fish balls wrapped in shreds of pork skin. Xu pounds the delicate perch meat into a paste that is then kneaded into fist-size balls. He rolls the pork skin around the balls, steams them and serves with vinegar.
Xu said the emperor once praised the dish by saying "birds will become phoenix" after eating the balls.
The emperor's tastes could be quite simple, too, Xu said. Scrambled eggs was a favorite, although the art of cooking them to the perfection demanded by the monarch was something of a feat.
Xu's apprentices said he has been teaching them how to scramble the eggs for 10 years but they haven't quite perfected it yet.
"The key is the duration of cooking," Xu said. "The eggs will still be raw if the time is too short and will lost their tender taste if the time is too long."
He declined to reveal what other ingredients are used in the scrambled eggs, although the final dish is served with pine nuts and shrimp.
Haining, located 125 kilometers southwest of Shanghai, is famous as a leather-goods capital. The Haining Leather Market is the largest of its kind in China.
The city's industrial base has been diversifying into new sectors, including manufacture of solar panel cells and plastics.
As a tourist attraction, Haining is famous for the spectacular tidal bore on the Qiantang River.
Kung Fu novelist Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, was born here.
668
square kilometers
660,300
registered population
4 districts and 8 towns
Tidal Bore Scenic Area in Yanguan
Open: 8am-4:30pm
Admission: 70 to 90 yuan
How to get there:
Take a train from Shanghai South Station to Haining Train Station, then take the No.T109 bus to Yanguan.
Take a train from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Haining West Train Station. The No. T222 or T223 bus is needed to the Yanjiadi Station before having the No.T109 bus to Yanguan.
A drive along Hangpu Expressway ( G92 ) takes about 2 hours.
The best time for watching is the 18th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when the sun, moon and earth form a propitious straight line. On that day, the tidal bore on the river rises to a maximum of 9 meters high, and overly enthusiastic onlookers have to be careful lest they get swept into the surging waters.
A tidal bore, sometimes called an aegir, is formed when the leading edge of an incoming tide forms a wave that is funneled up through a river or narrow bay, causing a surge of crashing water. In Haining, the water surge can be up to 40 kilometers an hour, creating the sound of a thousand galloping horses.
Tourists frequently gather on Qiantang Bridge to watch the start of this phenomenon of nature and then drive to Yanguan to witness what is called the "one-line tide."
First, there is a distant rumbling although the river water appears calm. As the roar gets louder, one-line tide appears. This wave, normally one to two meters, moves quickly.
Some tourists go to Laoyancang, which literally means "old salt storehouse", where there is a 660-meter-long dam, to see "turn-around tide."
When the wave reaches Laoyancang, it crashes into the dam, sending water shooting into the air.
According to ancient records, people began watching the tidal bore back in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) although it became more celebrated during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Emperor Qianlong was said to have visited Haining four times to view the tidal bore. In his wake he left legendary stories and even some his favorite dishes that are still served today in local restaurants.
Xu Zu'en, owner and chef of the Chunjiang Restaurant in Yanguan, serves cuisine he claims his ancestors once prepared for the emperor every time he came to town.
One dish, called yanqiu, features fish balls wrapped in shreds of pork skin. Xu pounds the delicate perch meat into a paste that is then kneaded into fist-size balls. He rolls the pork skin around the balls, steams them and serves with vinegar.
Xu said the emperor once praised the dish by saying "birds will become phoenix" after eating the balls.
The emperor's tastes could be quite simple, too, Xu said. Scrambled eggs was a favorite, although the art of cooking them to the perfection demanded by the monarch was something of a feat.
Xu's apprentices said he has been teaching them how to scramble the eggs for 10 years but they haven't quite perfected it yet.
"The key is the duration of cooking," Xu said. "The eggs will still be raw if the time is too short and will lost their tender taste if the time is too long."
He declined to reveal what other ingredients are used in the scrambled eggs, although the final dish is served with pine nuts and shrimp.
Haining, located 125 kilometers southwest of Shanghai, is famous as a leather-goods capital. The Haining Leather Market is the largest of its kind in China.
The city's industrial base has been diversifying into new sectors, including manufacture of solar panel cells and plastics.
As a tourist attraction, Haining is famous for the spectacular tidal bore on the Qiantang River.
Kung Fu novelist Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, was born here.
668
square kilometers
660,300
registered population
4 districts and 8 towns
Tidal Bore Scenic Area in Yanguan
Open: 8am-4:30pm
Admission: 70 to 90 yuan
How to get there:
Take a train from Shanghai South Station to Haining Train Station, then take the No.T109 bus to Yanguan.
Take a train from Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Haining West Train Station. The No. T222 or T223 bus is needed to the Yanjiadi Station before having the No.T109 bus to Yanguan.
A drive along Hangpu Expressway ( G92 ) takes about 2 hours.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
