As the prefecture with the largest land area and longest coastline of Jiangsu Province, Yancheng City enjoys rich and unique resources of land, sea and wetland. Yancheng City's total wetland area is 455,300 hectares, accounting for 75% of the wetland of the province; the supratidal zone area is 1,677km2, accounting for 64.6% of identical area of the province; the intertidal zone is 1,610km2, accounting for 60.8% of identical area of the province. The total exploitable area of coastal wetland affiliated to Dongtai, Dafeng, Sheyang, Binhai, Xiangshui and other counties (cities) reaches 1,300km2.

Yancheng City is rich in coastal port resources. The sea area bordering Yancheng is in the middle section of coastal Jiangsu Province. The 582km coastline of the city accounts for 56% of Jiangsu Province. The city has a deep-water coastline of 70km. Most notably, the coastal section south of Sheyang River Mouth, entitled as "Golden Seashore", is extending to the sea at more than 10km2 per year, serving as the largest and the most promising land reserve of Jiangsu Province. Yancheng City has a sea area of 18,900km2, including internal water area of 12,100km2, and territorial sea area of 6,753km2. The coastal sea area is the only inland sea area of China where there is no red tide. Chenjiagang Port along the coastline is 27nm from Lianyungang Port and 59nm from Rizhao Port, boasting logistical superiority. With a Grade II navigation course, Chenjiagang Port is a Class II opening up port. To the north, Dafeng Port is 210nm from Qingdao Port and 120nm from Lianyungang Port; to the east, Dafeng Port is 460nm from Nagasaki Port, Japan, and 465nm from Busan Port, South Korea; to the south, Dafeng Port is 620nm from Keelung Port, Taiwan, and 280nm from Shanghai Port. It is a Class I opening up port of China. Located in the middle section of coastal Jiangsu Province, and embraced by Lianyungang Port and Changjiang River Mouth, Binhai Port faces Japan and South Korea across the sea. With the distance of 1.215nm between the -10m contour and the shoreline, and the deep water extending smoothly to the sea, Binhai Port is in one of the sections with the best water depth of coastal Jiangsu Province, suitable for constructing 50,000 ton~100,000 ton quay berth. Sheyang Port has an annual transportation capacity of 5,300,000 tons thanks to the 5 multi-kiloton wharfs and the completion of inland river branches.

Yancheng City is endowed with rich oil and natural gas resources. With confirmed oil and natural gas reserve of 80,000,000,000m3, and an estimated total reserve of 200,000,000,000m3, Yancheng City is the largest oil and gas field of the coastal regions of east China. The coastline area and offshore area of the city is the place where the 100,000km2 Yellow Sea sedimentary basin of oil reserve is found, ranking No. 2 among the sea oil and gas sedimentary basins of China, and holding great exploration and exploitation potentials.

Yancheng City is also rich in ecological tourism resources. The east part of the city, a key wetland preserve of the world, has the largest coastal wetland on the west rim of the Pacific and the edge of the Asian continent. As a member of human and natural biological circle of the UN, the wetland preserve is home to the first wild elk preserve of the world and a national rare bird preserve. The west part of the city is the hinderland of Lixiahe region. Dazonghu Lake, Jiulongkou, and Majiadang together have a water area of close to 100km2, classic for lagoon-type marsh region. With its well-preserved natural ecological environment, this region lives up to the reputation of "golden wetland and silver marsh". The city has 49 tourist attractions, including 2 national nature preserves, 1 national class 5A scenic area, 10 class 4A tourism scenic areas, and 15 class 3A tourism scenic areas.