EN Plan a trip

PreeChina › Shandong › Yellow River Delta (黄河口)

A wide brown river with a flat shore line, a moored barge and a long dock on the left, under a blue sky with thin white cloud

Shandong · Where the Yellow River Meets the Bohai Sea

Yellow River Delta (黄河口)

Wetland, reed beds and brown river water at the mouth of the Yellow River in Dongying, a young delta that is still growing into the Bohai Sea.

Quick Facts

The Short Version

What it isThe mouth of the Yellow River and the wetland of its delta, with a protected wetland area
WhereDongying, on the Bohai Sea coast of northern Shandong
How it formedThe river reached its current course in 1855 and has dropped silt into the sea since. Its mouth has shifted about fifty times and has been in its present position since 1976
Protected areaThe Yellow River Delta wetland was fully designated as a national-level protected area in 1992
Time neededHalf a day to a full day, mostly on boardwalks and boats
ListedA national 5A scenic area

Why Go

A Delta Still Being Built

1. A river that carries a landscape

The Yellow River carries a great deal of silt, and at its mouth the load settles into a delta that builds slowly into the Bohai Sea. The water is brown and thick, and the horizon is long and level, with wetland and reeds on the shore.

The river has changed its course many times in history, and its current course dates to 1855. The mouth itself has moved dozens of times since then.

2. A wetland for birds

The wetlands of the delta are a habitat for birds that breed here and for birds on migration along the East Asian flyways. The Oriental stork breeds in the protected area, and the Siberian crane and Saunders's gull are among other protected species that depend on it.

In autumn the red seepweed plants colour the salt flats in a carpet of red, which is the well-known seasonal sight of the delta.

Two white tour boats on the brown water of the river mouth in front of a low reed bank and a blue sky
Tour boats on the river mouth.
A broad flat stretch of brown rippled water out to a level horizon under a deep blue sky
Open silt-laden water out to the horizon.
A wide pale brown river curving through green wetland banks seen from above, with small channels on the left bank
The river from above, with wetland on either bank.
A satellite image of a river delta with a pale tongue of silt-laden water spreading into the green sea, and farmland and salt pans on the land at left
A satellite view of the delta mouth, with silt spreading into the sea.

Practical

Things Worth Knowing

Go in autumn for the red flats

The seepweed colours the salt flats in autumn.

Bring binoculars

Bird watching is a main reason to visit, in the migration seasons.

Take a boat

A boat to the river mouth gives the clearest sense of where river becomes sea.

Dress for wind

The delta is flat and open. Wind and sun are strong.

Nearby

Other Stops on the Same Trip

City guide

Dongying (东营)

The prefecture city that administers the delta, founded in 1983 after the discovery of an oil field.

Spot · Shandong

Mount Tai (泰山)

The sacred mountain further inland, on the same Shandong route.

A full day.

Where to Base

Dongying (东营)

The delta is reached from Dongying, a city founded in 1983 near the Shengli oil field. Many visitors treat it as a day trip, or combine it with Jinan and Mount Tai on a Shandong route.

A day for a river mouth and a wetland: go in autumn or in the bird migration seasons, take the boat and bring binoculars.

Photo Credits

Related

Keep Exploring Dongying

Attractions in and around Dongying

Plan a Shandong Route That Includes the Yellow River Delta

Share the travel dates and interests, and our local team will build the route around the Yellow River Delta, with Jinan and Mount Tai.

Plan This as a Private TourSee Private Tour Prices