Climate

Climate at Penglai is mild, moist and cool for the average temperature of 11.9 degrees centigrade and rainfall of 606.2 millimeters. The temperature, however, changes dramatically at night so the travelers are advisable to have heavy clothes ready against catching cold. Since precious relics of historic values are kept there, either indoor smoking or graffito is prohibited in the park. No spitting or littering.

Tips

The best time to tour the park is between 8 and 10 in the morning or 3 and 5 in the afternoon. Also enjoyable is a walk along the beaches in the early morning for sunrise sight or a swim in the bathing beach in the evening. On the sides of streets or at street corners, KTV, barbecue and local flavor dishes are available.

Transport

Those departing for other places may go the long distance bus station where buses for Yantai, Qingdao, Jinan, Weifang and Longkou are ready for service. At the harbor, steamers are available for Changdao Island, Dalian and Lushun.Buses of different sizes go to major cities in China. Scheduled passenger-cargo ships go to Lushun and Dalian. For railway and air services, Penglai relies on the railway station and airport in Yantai City, 70 kilometers away from Penglai. As the nearest tourism city to Penglai, Yantai has bus service scheduled for Penglai every twenty minutes. The different sized buses provide convenient transportation. Looking across the sea are Changshan Islands chain and Dalian City, which are connected to Penglai with sea routes. For securing ship transportation, booking steamer tickets in advance are advised.

Souvenirs

The typical souvenirs at Penglai are Yaya calabash, straw-woven crafts, shell carving crafts, pearl necklaces, etc. They are available in shops.

Local Specialties

Traditional marine products include shrimps, grilled fillets, shredded fish, scallops, dry sleeve-fish, laver, dry abalone. Penglai is rich in such rare marine products as prawns, sea cucumbers, abolaones, scallops, oysters, etc. Other special products include Hongfushi apples, Bali pears and peanuts.

Local Dishes

On top of the list is "Penglai little noodle", manually pulled, called locally as "plunged noodle". The noodles are slim, pliable but strong, boiled in fish soup flavored with sauce, agaric, balm, aniseed, and Bunge prickly ash. A bowlful is about 50 grams and is of unique seafood taste. Another local dish is "donkey meat", red in color, transparent, fragrant, fresh and tasty, good to eat with liquor. It is available in restaurants both in urban and rural areas. Besides, there is a Penglai feast called "eight immortals feast", which has prawns, sea cucumbers, scallops, sea crabs, red snails and other sea treasures as materials, cooked into eight assorted cold dishes, eight hot dishes and a hot soup. The eight assorted cold dishes are shaped respectively lifelike in each of the eight cimelias used by the eight immortals crossing the sea. The hot dishes, too, are delicately cooked, reflecting scenery of spots in Penglai. More delicious is the soup, cooked with eight fresh seafood in boiled chicken soup. The "eight immortals feast" is the reserved food for banquets at top-grade restaurants and hotels in Penlai.

(Text: china-sd.net; Photo: baidu.com)

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