I first learned about Yuexi Town in 2014. A documentary screened on CCTV, China’s biggest television network, presented some breathtaking sunrise panoramas across the country in celebration of the National Day on October 1. One section of the documentary is about a spectacular sunrise view in Yuexi, a coastal town in Ninghai in eastern Zhejiang.  

Not long after viewing the documentary, I visited Yuexi. It was a day in a seasonal transition from deep autumn to early winter. There were flowers everywhere. A river dam looked wonderful with a riot of flowers. A closer look revealed that the town boasted a large area full of dark rocks from a volcano eruption of about 2 million years ago. The volcano topography is quite unique in Zhejiang.  

What turned Yuexi into what it is today happened in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The town changed its name to Yuexi in the Tang Dynasty. A Buddhist monk named Wang Gan arrived at the town from Tiantai Mountain, home to various Buddhist sanctuaries. He was fascinated by the natural beauty of Yuexi but shocked by the poverty of local residents. He looked around and decided to build a temple in a scenic mountain beside the village. After the temple was built, he raised funds to help villagers. Today, the mountain is called Wanggan Mountain, named after the Buddhist monk. 

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the government set up a military barracks in town to execute the government policy that no ships should come into China or leave China. Soldiers patrolled the coast regularly. Another ancient landmark of Yuexi is a beacon tower also built in the Ming. It was part of a military defense system designed and set up by General Qi Jiguang in a bid to combat Japanese pirates. 

On the campus of Yuexi Primary School stands a stone monument in commemoration of Choi Bu (1454-1504), a Korean government official who landed in Yuexi after floating 14 days on the say due to a shipwreck in a storm. He and some members of the crew were rescued. Choi then traveled across China from the south to the north from February to July 1488 before he went back home through a land route across the Korean Peninsula. The Korean government official is well known for his account of what he experienced in China. 

What makes Yuexi famous today is more than its beautiful sunrise and historical landmarks. The small town is a model of rural development. Yuexi operates a 2,666-hectare tidal-flat aquaculture project, which is the largest in Ninghai County. There are about 30 development projects under construction or on the drawing board. The projects are designed to make an 8-square-kilometer AAAA scenic tourism attraction. Visitors will be able to view the famous sunrise, revisit the Yuexi-centered history and historical landmarks, and enjoy rural pleasures such as cuisine, rural lifestyle, etc. 

The Wanggan Mountain is now the centerpiece of tourism attractions in Yuexi. On the mountain top is a viewing platform which is the vantage spot for having a spectacular view of sunrise. Outdoor sports enthusiasts can camp there at night for the convenience of viewing sunrise next morning. Also from the viewing platform a visitor can take a panoramic view of the tidal flats, the sea, and the town. Yuexi Town offers a lot of pleasures to tourists.