Discovering Lianyungang: Where Mountains and Sea Shape a City

International

An urban culture initiative highlights how geography, history and everyday places define Lianyungang’s identity

Lianyungang, a coastal city in eastern China, has long been shaped by the meeting of mountains and sea. From the mythic landscapes linked to Journey to the West to its role as the eastern terminus of the New Eurasian Land Bridge, the city occupies a distinctive place in China’s cultural and historical landscape.

Since August 2025, the Publicity Department of the Lianyungang Municipal Committee has been presenting Reading the City, an urban culture initiative that explores architecture, place names and long-established local brands. The programme invites both residents and visitors to rediscover the city through its streets, landmarks and everyday settings, connecting lived spaces with historical memory.

Stories rooted in the mountains

Huaguo Mountain is widely regarded as the cultural birthplace of Journey to the West and is closely associated with themes of exploration, resilience and imagination. In recent years, Lianyungang has developed immersive visitor sites such as the Water Curtain Cave and the Seventy-Two Caves, transforming literary references into tangible experiences. Nearby, the Eastern Han Dynasty cliff carvings at Kongwang Mountain offer a quieter perspective on the city’s past, reflecting its long-standing role as a meeting point of belief systems, artistic expression and cultural exchange.

A coastline shaped by exchange

Along the coast, Lianyungang’s curved bays and protected wetlands serve as an important stopover for migratory birds, underlining the region’s ecological value. Historically, the city functioned as a key link between land and sea routes, from early Silk Road connections to modern transport corridors. This maritime heritage continues today through the Port of Lianyungang, which maintains shipping links with nearly 1,000 ports in more than 160 countries and regions. Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the port connects historical patterns of exchange with contemporary global trade.

Through initiatives such as Reading the City, Lianyungang presents itself as a place where geography informs identity, and where mountains and sea continue to shape how history, culture and daily life intersect.