Get to know Nantong
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- Administrative area
- Prefecture-level city · 地级市
- Part of
- Jiangsu
- Chinese name
- 南通市
- Local areas
- 7 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 8,544.10 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 7,726,635
- Administrative seat
- Chongchuan District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
On September 26, 2004, the first World Metropolitan Development Forum was held in Nantong.
Tourism
The Hao River, known as the Emerald Necklace of Nantong, surrounds the city with a total length of 15 km. Most city scenery lines this river.
Popular tourist sites include Langshan ("Wolf Hill"), which is around 110 meters high. On top of the hill is a Buddhist temple dedicated to a Song dynasty monk. Because of the monk's legendary powers over water demons, sailors pray to him for protection on their voyages.
Explore Nantong
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Langshan (Nantong) 狼山
Nantong Museum 南通博物苑
Nantong Textile Museum 南通纺织博物馆
Haohe River Scenic and Historic Spot 濠河风景名胜区
Yuantuo Cape 圆陀角
Xiaoyangkou Coastal Birdwatching Area 小洋口沿海开放观鸟区
Shuihui Garden 水绘园
Tongzhou District 通州区
Chongchuan District 崇川区
Haimen District 海门区
Rudong County 如东县
Qidong 启东市
Rugao 如皋市
Hai'an 海安市
Places to explore around Nantong
Langshan hillside and summit pagoda, Nantong · 南通狼山 Photograph date recorded by the source: 24 August 2022, 08:28:10.Langshan (Nantong)狼山
Langshan, or Wolf Hill, stands in southern Nantong near the Yangtze. It belongs to a group of five hills that form a distinct landscape at the river’s lower reaches.
Read the place guide →
Nantong Museum building and reflecting pool · 南通博物苑馆舍与水池 Photograph date recorded by the source: 2 June 2010.Nantong Museum南通博物苑
Nantong Museum combines historic museum buildings with a garden beside the Haohe River. Founded by Zhang Jian, it presents both local history and natural-history material.
Read the place guide →
Nantong Textile Museum · 南通纺织博物馆Nantong Textile Museum南通纺织博物馆
Nantong Textile Museum examines the links between cotton cultivation, hand weaving and the city’s later textile factories. The main galleries compare traditional tools and products with the development of machine production in…
Read the place guide →
Haohe River Scenic and Historic Spot · 濠河风景名胜区Haohe River Scenic and Historic Spot濠河风景名胜区
The Haohe follows the moat around Nantong’s old city, creating a water circuit lined with gardens and cultural landmarks. Wenfeng Pagoda and Nantong Museum provide two contrasting stops: a vertical religious landmark and Zhang…
Read the place guide →
Yuantuo Cape · 圆陀角Yuantuo Cape圆陀角
Yuantuojiao is Qidong's broad estuary coastline at the southeastern end of Jiangsu, where the Yangtze reaches the sea beside extensive tidal flats.
Read the place guide →
Xiaoyangkou Coastal Birdwatching Area · 小洋口沿海开放观鸟区Xiaoyangkou Coastal Birdwatching Area小洋口沿海开放观鸟区
Xiaoyangkou's coastal birdwatching areas in Rudong overlook a migration landscape of tidal feeding grounds, protected resting habitat and shore-side woodland.
Read the place guide →
Garden pavilions beside the lake at Shuihui Garden, Rugao · 如皋水绘园湖畔楼阁 Source-recorded photograph date: 2015-01-08 05:48:44.Shuihui Garden水绘园
Ming garden in Rugao built up by the Mao family, home of the writer Mao Xiang and Dong Xiaowan, with the boat-shaped Shuiming Tower on Xibo Pond.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Nantong local specialties
南通市特色美食 · 15 specialties to discover
Haimen braised goat 红烧海门山羊肉AI illustration · AI 示意图
Expect a pronounced goat aroma, tender meat and a rich sauce, with skin or connective tissue adding a softer, gelatinous texture.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Linzi steamed rice cake 林梓潮糕AI illustration · AI 示意图
Linzi chaogao is soft and gently sweet, with a moist steamed interior. Nuts, fruit or other inclusions can give individual versions a different bite.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Nantong oyster fritters 南通蛎岈饼AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
A crisp, savoury shell gives way to soft oyster and vegetables. The interior can be hot even after the exterior cools.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Nantong pickled-greens and broad-bean soup 南通盐齑豆瓣汤AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Soft, floury beans contrast with the greens' sharper, salty taste. The result is a homely soup rather than a thick sweet bean dessert.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
First Delicacy Under Heaven 天下第一鲜
First Delicacy Under Heaven (天下第一鲜) is a folk nickname for the hard clam (文蛤, wenge), a speciality of Nantong (南通), which faces the Yellow Sea to the east and the Yangtze to the south; it is also the name of a Nantong clam dish.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Clam Cakes 文蛤饼AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Clam Cakes (文蛤饼) are small pan-fried cakes of chopped hard clam meat, a well-known snack of Nantong (南通) in Jiangsu.
Read the dish guide →
Long-Snout Catfish in White Sauce 白汁鮰鱼AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Long-Snout Catfish in White Sauce (白汁鮰鱼) is a Nantong (南通) fish dish with a milky-looking, thick broth and a pronounced wine aroma.
Read the dish guide →
Haimen Goat Meat 海门山羊肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Haimen Goat Meat (海门山羊肉) is associated with autumn and winter meals in Haimen (海门), Nantong (南通). Red braising is its classic preparation: the meat becomes glossy red, tender and aromatic.
Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (15)
- Haimen braised goat · 红烧海门山羊肉
- Linzi steamed rice cake · 林梓潮糕
- Nantong oyster fritters · 南通蛎岈饼
- Nantong pickled-greens and broad-bean soup · 南通盐齑豆瓣汤
- First Delicacy Under Heaven · 天下第一鲜
- Clam Cakes · 文蛤饼
- Long-Snout Catfish in White Sauce · 白汁鮰鱼
- Haimen Goat Meat · 海门山羊肉
- Rugao Dong Candy · 如皋董糖
- Xiting Crisp Layered Biscuits · 西亭脆饼
- Langshan Chicken · 狼山鸡
- Tongzhou Red-Braised Lamb · 通州红烧羊肉
- Lusi Seafood · 吕四海鲜
- Rugao Dried Radish · 如皋萝卜干
- Nantong Bamboo-Pole Noodles · 南通跳面
More dishes from across Jiangsu are in the Jiangsu food guide.
Counties & districts in Nantong
7 areas belong directly to Nantong.
7 areas
Tongzhou District 通州区
Tongzhou District (simplified Chinese: 通州区; traditional Chinese: 通州區; pinyin: Tōngzhōu Qū), formerly known as Tongzhou City (1993–2009) or Nantong County (1912–1993), is one of three urban districts of…
Explore the area →DistrictChongchuan District 崇川区
Chongchuan District (simplified Chinese: 崇川区; traditional Chinese: 崇川區; pinyin: Chóngchuān Qū) is one of three urban districts of Nantong, Jiangsu province, China.
Explore the area →DistrictHaimen District 海门区
Haimen (simplified Chinese: 海门; traditional Chinese: 海門; pinyin: Hǎimén; lit. 'sea gate', Qihai dialect: [haɪ.məŋ], Shanghai: [hɛ̝.məŋ]) is a district of Nantong, Jiangsu province.
Explore the area →CountyRudong County 如东县
Rudong County (simplified Chinese: 如东县; traditional Chinese: 如東縣; pinyin: Rúdōng Xiàn) is under the administration of Nantong, Jiangsu province, China, and lies on the Yellow Sea coast.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Qidong 启东市
Qidong is a county-level city under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nantong in southeastern Jiangsu province, China.
Explore the area →County-level cityRugao 如皋市
Rugao is a county-level city under the administration of Nantong, Jiangsu, China, located in the Yangtze River Delta on the northern (left) bank of the river.
Explore the area →County-level cityHai'an 海安市
Hai'an is a county-level city under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nantong, in eastern Jiangsu province, China.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 南通市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Langshan (Nantong) and Nantong Museum are about 6 km apart in a straight line. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Jiangsu →More in Jiangsu
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Nantong — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1368375609.
Photo: Langshan (Nantong) · Zhou Guanhuai · Zhou Guanhuai — Nantong_Langshan_Scenic_Spot_(Wolf_Hill).jpg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
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Photo: Nantong Museum · Peter Potrowl · © Peter Potrowl · CC BY 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Nantong Textile Museum · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Haohe River Scenic and Historic Spot · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Yuantuo Cape · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Xiaoyangkou Coastal Birdwatching Area · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Shuihui Garden · Howhowforever · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.