A niche city perfect for college students on a budget

Here is a travel guide for Taizhou, Zhejiang: Transportation Guide • External Transportation: For flights, you can choose Taizhou Luqiao Airport, but there are fewer flights. You can also fly to Ningbo or Wenzhou Airport and then transfer to a high-speed train, which takes about 1.5 hours. For high-speed trains, Taizhou has Taizhou West Station (Huangyan), Linhai Station, Wenling Station, etc. You can choose a station according to your itinerary. • City Transportation: The attractions are scattered, so it is recommended to drive or charter a car for convenient travel. If you don't drive, you can choose buses, taxis, or ride-hailing services. Recommended Attractions • Tiantai Mountain Area: Guoqing Temple is an ancient temple from the Sui Dynasty where you can watch monks farming and drink Zen tea in the morning. It is open from 7:00–16:00, and a visit takes about 2 hours. Tiantai Mountain Waterfall is the highest waterfall in China. You can take the waterfall group, Huixian Bridge, and Qiongtai Xiangu joint ticket route. The hike takes 4 hours. After the rain, the water volume is large, so you need to wear non-slip shoes. • Linhai Ancient City: Taizhou Fucheng Wall is known as the "Great Wall of Jiangnan." The best section is from Lanshengmen to Chaotianmen, which takes about 2 hours. The scenery is best when the plum blossoms are in full bloom in March. Ziyang Ancient Street is a living Song Dynasty commercial street where you can taste Wang Tianshun seaweed cakes and other delicacies. You can also find the old house number "Qianfo Well" and explore the former site of the People's Bank of China. • Shenxianju - Xianju: Shenxianju Scenic Area is the prototype of Li Bai's "Dreaming of Mount Tianmu." You can take the South Tianding Glass Viewing Platform, Ruyi Bridge, and Guanyin Peak route. The cable car plus hike takes about 5 hours. It is recommended to go from the South Gate to the North Gate to avoid the crowds. Potan Ancient Town has a dragon-shaped ancient street and needle-pierced boneless lanterns. After 19:00, you can see the ancient town's lanterns light up, and you can also participate in intangible cultural heritage lantern making. • Shitang: Xiaoruo Village is known as the "Chinese version of Cinque Terre." The Mazu Temple platform on the top of the mountain and the terrace of the "Yucun Xiaoxu" B&B are good places to take pictures. The light is best after 4pm on a sunny day. Millennium Dawn Park is where the first ray of sunshine of the new millennium shines. You can experience the unique seaside scenery. Recommended Food • Seafood Dishes: Sand clam noodles, home-cooked yellow croaker, and wart slug sauerkraut soup are worth a try. You can choose your own seafood at the Songmen Aquatic Product Market for processing, or you can go to Jiaojiang Garden Vegetable Market and Linhai Renmin Road Seafood Food Stalls to taste. • Featured Snacks: There are qiangao (stuffed rice cake), danqing yangwei (egg white sheep tail), ginger soup noodles, maixia (wheat shrimp), plum blossom cake, ginger juice egg, etc. Accommodation Recommendations • Designer B&Bs: Xingluo Haiye (Shitang), Shebude (Shenxianju), etc., have beautiful environments and unique designs. • Ancient City Style: Yingchunli (in Ziyang Street), Yufengli (renovated from a century-old bank), you can feel the charm of the ancient city. • Value for Money Choices: Tiantai Lujing Resort Hotel, Linhai Z - hotel, etc., are economical and convenient. Itinerary Planning • Three Days and Two Nights: On the first day, visit Guoqing Temple in the morning, go to Tiantai Mountain Waterfall in the afternoon, and stay in Linhai at night. On the second day, visit Taizhou Fucheng Wall and Longxing Temple, and in the afternoon, drive to Shitang to see the sunset in the colorful Xiaoruo Village. On the third day, visit Millennium Dawn Park and Jinshatan before returning. • Five Days and Four Nights Deep Tour: On the basis of three days and two nights, add a full-day hike in Shenxianju and a night tour of Potan Ancient Town. You can also add a half-day tour of the old city of Jiaojiang to visit the 349 Submarine Base, etc. Precautions Shitang Scenic Area is restricted during holidays, and you need to transfer to a shuttle bus. Ask about the price of seafood food stalls and choose old shops with clear price tags. Shenxianju is prone to fog on rainy days, so check the weather forecast in advance. The joint ticket for Tiantai Mountain Scenic Area is valid for 2 days, so you can arrange your itinerary reasonably. Accommodation in Linhai is tight on weekends, so you need to book 2 weeks in advance.