Beihai

Beihai is located on the Beibu Gulf in the southern part of Guangxi province, on the southwestern coast of China. It faces Southeast Asia across the sea, with southwest China immediately behind. It borders Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao and Vietnam by land and sea. It was built as a city in 1950.

In the Qin dynasty and Han dynasty, Beihai had been the important port that connected China and eastern and southern Asia. It was one of the beginning ports of the "Silk Road on Sea". It became a colony and an open trade port after the Qing court signed the Yantai trading Agreement with British government in year 1876. In Dec. of 1949, Beihai was liberated. Now, Beihai has been one of the 14 open littoral ports in China and it has grown into a trading center in Guangxi province - with a history of trading with Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma.

One of the most valuable resources and advantages in Beihai is tourism. The sea areas here are not polluted, the air here is fresh and the 10 kilometers' beaches are clean too. Also, in the spring, summer and autumn, people can take seawater bath. In winter, Beihai is a good place to spend a holiday at a summer resort. The harbor feels best in the morning when the fresh catches arrive, and there's a fabulous fish market here selling every type and part of sea life imaginable.

Climate

You can enjoy your trip to Beihai at any time of the year. Located in the southern subtropical zone and surrounded by sea at three sides, Beihai has a sub-tropical maritime monsoon climate with typhoon as the main meteorological disaster.

Average annual temperature: 22.4C with the highest of 37C and the lowest of 2C.
Annual rainfall: 1,659 mm.
Yearly sunshine: 2,186 Hours.
Best time to visit: All year round.
Best time to swim: Spring, summer and autumn.

Attractions

The main scenic spot in Beihai are the statue in the square, the aquatic products center, Baihutou Beach, Weizhou Island, Dashi Attic, Wenchang Tower, Dongpo Pavilion and the relics of the White - dragon Pearl City, etc. Beaches and islands constitute the biggest attraction in Beihai. The Silver Beach is the ideal place for beach-lovers to relax and soak up the sun. On the volcanic Weizhou and Xieyang Islands you'll find an atmosphere of tranquility and mystery.

Silver Beach

Silver Beach lies to the south of Beihai, stretching 24 kilometers west and varying in width from 30 to 300 meters. It is named Silver Beach because of its soft and silvery quartz sand. Known as one of the best beaches in China, it attracts numerous sea-lovers with an average seawater temperature of 23C all year round. The beach is lined by loose row of guesthouses and villas built in different styles.

Transportation: Take bus No. 3 from the city center.

Ticket Price: Charge Free.

Mangrove Forest

The mangrove is the only species of tree in the world that can grow in the swampy ground along the coast. A special species of forest vegetation-the mangrove tree-grows in the tidal zones lying between land and sea in China's subtropical areas. Its seeds remain hanging on the mother tree until saplings appear. Some then fall into the mud and take root, while others are carried to other areas by seawater. The mangrove tree has a marvelous speed of reproduction and growth. By and by the tree roots and branches mix up, creating a kind of natural beauty.

Transportation: Take the bus from Beihai, about two hours' drive.

Dining

Restaurants and bars are numerous in Beihai. Food of Yue, Cuan, Xiang, Lu, Zhe provinces etc. and Muslim, western-style food are all available. In Beihai, you can enjoy western-style food of pure flavor and also can taste traditional snack of peculiar flavor. Fresh seafood of Beihai is plump and living, especially in the fresh seafood stalls close to the beach and sea. Customers can choose varieties of fishes, shrimps, shellfishes and crabs bred in the ponds. Eating at the seaside is a real pleasure especially when you are holding wineglass in the breeze, listening to the waves, enjoying seafood, watching sea surface and bathing in the sea breeze. There are some cheap, hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurants beside the ferry terminal.

A special Chicken Rice Food, made of local chicken, is one of the specialties. Salted fish is also one particularly tasty dish that local people eat almost everyday. Clams, shrimp and flying fish are major ingredients for the traditional seafood dishes of Beihai. More exotic foods include shark's fins and sea cucumbers, for which Beihai actually has the country's largest breeding farm.

source: CRIENGLISH.com