If you enjoy exploring offbeat kind of places, Yangshan Deep-Water Port 洋山深水港 will not disappoint. Getting there is pretty exciting, too. The drive takes you across one of the world’s largest bridges, and huge wind turbines loom out in the sea along the way. Approaching the islands, you’ll see tall gantry cranes off in the distance loading and unloading mega container ships. It’s all pretty cool to see, especially for landlubbers like me who are unfamiliar with such things.

Yangshan Port is situated on a set of rocky islands 20 miles off shore in the Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai. Yangshan Port was built to accommodate deep birth container ships (~ 50 feet) and expansion of Shanghai’s port system. It’s way out in the bay because the ports along Shanghai’s shore are too shallow to accommodate the larger container ships.

Getting to Yangshan Port

There is no public transportation that I know of, so going out there is pretty much all by car. We drove from the Pudong district of Shanghai without much traffic, and it took us nearly 90 minutes.

The drive over the Donghai Bridge takes around 20 minutes. Once you get to the island, look for brown signs leading to the Yangshan Shenshui Sightseeing Excursion Area 洋山深水港观光游览区. There you’ll find the visitor’s center, restaurant and entrance to the walking path that leads up to viewing decks.

What to Do

Enjoy a nice hike, take lots of pictures, and have a picnic under the pagoda or gazebo for some shade cover.

A well-paved path made mostly of stairs leads you up along the rocky formations and across the highway entrance to the main observation deck overlooking the harbor port. Take the path up to the pagoda to enjoy the view from the first observation platform, then enjoy the downhill climb and pass an interesting shrine tucked in the valley just above the roadway tunnels. Informational signs scattered throughout tell the story of the geological formations and noteworthy landmarks.

The main viewing deck sits atop one of the small peaks with a large antenna tower that overlooks the harbor port. Benches are scarce along the path, but you can stop at a few lookout points to catch your breath and take in the scenery. Helpful hint: before starting your walk, which can easily take an hour, stop at the toilets and get plenty of water and snacks from the small shop at the visitor’s center.