Plan at a glance
An independent night boat product
The “Dayun Yangzhou” moving performance boat is the main night product. It suits visitors who want to see Yangzhou's ancient canal from the water, reduce a long old-town walk, or connect an evening meal on Dongguan Street with a water experience. The night boat visit focuses on the boat, boarding, duration, queueing, and views; the daytime riverfront walk is a separate activity.
The night route takes about 60 minutes. A common route starts around Dongguan Ancient Ferry, passes Puhading Garden, Jiefang Bridge, Yuejin Bridge, and the South Gate site area, then returns. The actual wharf and departure arrangement can change, so confirm the boarding point and return direction before joining the queue.
Ticket, hours, and waiting
The adult ticket is CNY 168 per person. The main arrangement is on-site purchase, with night departures usually running or filling between 18:00 and 21:00. If you want the lights after dark, around 19:00 is a useful planning reference, not the only guaranteed departure.
Queues can exceed 1 hour on weekends and holidays. If you have dinner, a train, or another reservation, allow time for waiting, boarding, getting off, and leaving the area. A 60-minute cruise is only the time on the water.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Double-deck boats and views
Double-deck boats are common around Dongguan Ancient Ferry. Bianyi Gate Square may also have different boats and more departure choices. The upper deck usually gives a more open view. Visitors who prefer the forward-left view can ask for that general position, but seats depend on the day's crowd and staff arrangements.
The upper deck requires stairs and is more exposed to wind and rain. With children or older adults, choose comfort, warmth, and safe boarding before insisting on a particular view.
What you see at night
The route can pass Puhading Garden, Jiefang Bridge, Yuejin Bridge, the South Gate site area, and the lights along both banks. From the water, bridges, reflections, and the sequence of old-town buildings appear differently than they do on foot.
Passing a riverside attraction does not mean you have visited its grounds. If you want to enter Dongguan Street, Puhading Garden, or another attraction, plan its walking route and ticket separately after getting off.
Who is it for?
The boat suits first-time visitors who want a compact night view of the canal, and groups that prefer not to walk long distances through the old town. Photographers should expect a moving boat, reflections on windows, and uncertain seating rather than a fixed camera position.
With children or older adults, check the waiting time, boarding steps, and night temperature. Visitors who dislike queues or may feel uncomfortable on a boat can walk along the river instead, but walking and cruising offer different views and should not be treated as the same experience.
Build your day
Dongguan Street dinner plus the boat
Visit Geyuan or Dongguan Street in the afternoon, eat near the street, and walk to the confirmed wharf with plenty of time to queue. After the cruise, take a short riverfront walk or go directly to a taxi pick-up point. Decide the return direction before boarding.
If you board near Dongguan Street's east gate, the street and wharf connect easily, but dinner should finish with enough time for walking, finding the queue, and waiting. Leave at least one extra queue cycle rather than arriving just before a planned departure.
A one-hour water experience
If you have already completed the day's other attractions, schedule the boat within the 18:00–21:00 night window. On arrival, confirm the wharf, boat type, and purchase line. Board according to staff instructions, spend about 60 minutes on the route, and then go directly to your transport or the nearby riverside.
This works for visitors who want to limit walking, but the full door-to-door time is much longer than the cruise itself. Leave a buffer before any restaurant booking or train connection.
Separate the daytime walk and night cruise
You can walk at Dongguan Ancient Ferry or Bianyi Gate during the day and take the boat at night. Splitting the two activities helps avoid midday heat and makes a long queue easier to handle.
The riverfront walk and the boat experience have different routes. Choose one wharf as your meeting point, confirm where you will get off, and plan the return before boarding.
Get there
Dongguan Ancient Ferry area
Take Tourist Route 1 or 2, or buses 25 or 52, and get off near “Dongguan Ancient Ferry” or “Dongguan Street.” Walk to the wharf area and look for the day's queue entrance and departure information. Do not identify the boarding point from the river on a map alone.
Walking through Dongguan Street after dinner adds time. If your group is spread across the street, meet at a clear gate, archway, or point outside the wharf before joining the queue.
Bianyi Gate Square and driving
Bianyi Gate Square may have more departures and is relatively easier for parking. After parking, you still need time for ticketing, queueing, boarding, and returning to the vehicle after the cruise. Confirm whether the boat will return you to the same general area.
Old-town roads can be busy at night, so public transport or a short taxi ride is often easier than looking for a space after the cruise. If you drive, decide the parking and exit route before boarding.
Know before you go
Ticket and departure arrangements
The adult ticket is CNY 168 per person. On-site purchase and rolling departures are the main arrangement. On weekends, holidays, and popular night periods, confirm the price, boarding wharf, next departure, and full-boat rules before paying.
Departure times and boarding points may change with operations. Use 18:00–21:00 as the night planning range. A particular time, wharf, or boat is not a fixed promise.
Waiting, warmth, and photography
Waiting can exceed 1 hour. Carry water in summer, bring a light layer in spring and autumn, and prepare for wind over the water in winter. The upper deck gives a wider view but is more exposed; enclosed windows are more comfortable but may reflect light.
Keep your body inside the boat and leave boarding paths clear. When photographing bridges and lights, choose a stable place to sit or stand rather than competing for one particular seat.
Different wharf arrangements
Dongguan Ancient Ferry and Bianyi Gate Square can both be involved in boat operations, but the boat types and departures may not be identical on a given day. Confirm your purchase point and boarding point, especially if you are coming from dinner on Dongguan Street.
Daytime river walking, a daytime short boat, and other performances are separate products. Read the product name, route, and time before boarding if several options appear on site.