คู่มือท่องเที่ยวWestern Liaoning

Almost every year around the Mid-Autumn Festival, the entire wetland turns fiery red, from the pier all the way to the horizon. Vast expanses of red beneath a clear blue sky are dizzying at a single glance.

1. Rail: Direct trains on the Beijing–Harbin Railway all stop at Xingcheng. The journey from Jinzhou to Xingcheng takes about 1 hour, and from Beijing or Shenyang to Xingcheng only about 5 hours.

2. Road: Coaches run to Xingcheng from Beijing, Huludao (Jinxi), Jinzhou and Shanhaiguan.

The Northeastern dialect is very strong in western Liaoning, especially Jinzhou dialect, which sounds lively and spirited, with high tones and a distinctive lilt. However, Mandarin is widely understood locally, so you will have no problem communicating in it.

Jinzhou has a temperate monsoon climate, and the best time to visit is May to September.

Xingcheng's winters are long, lasting until the end of April. The best times to visit are mid-May to mid-June and late August to mid-October.

Red Beach is the main attraction in Panjin. In April the reeds are a tender red; from September to mid-October they turn a vivid red, and this is also when the local Chinese mitten crabs are plump and large, making it the best season to visit. In March and October you can also see flocks of birds gathering here.