Guangxi Beihai Travel Information - China Travel Tour Guide

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Guangxi Beihai

Location: located between 10850' - 10947' east longitude and 2129' - 2155' north latitude; south part of Guangxi province and northeast bank of Beibu Gulf

Urban Population: 400,000

Area: 3,337 sq km

Climate: sub-tropical maritime monsoon climate with sunlight of 2009 hours and typhoon as the main meteorological disaster

Average Temperature: 22.9C with the highest of 37.1C and the lowest of 2C

History

After the 1876 Sino-British Treaty of Yantai, eight Western nations (UK, US, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium) set up embassies, hospitals, churches, schools, and maritime customs. Today, 15 of these western buildings remain in Beihai. It officially became an international tourist spot in 1982.

Food and Drink

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.

Accommodations

Beihai has 284 hotels including training centers. Of all the hotels, there is not only five-star hotel like Shangrila hotel, but also three-star hotels like Furama, Liyuan, Honghua etc. Two-star hotels are in great numbers. Some of these are gorgeous, some with graceful yard and some are by the seaside. All hotels provide graceful enviroment, complete facilities and offer good service.

Shopping

The commercial center of the city is in the middle part of Beibu Gulf Road. There are not only Hualian mansion, Qidong mansion, Xingli shopping square, Guotong shopping center etc. but also South Pearl Palace, Hengtong Jewelry, East Asia Jewelry, Wenbang Jewelry shops etc..

Beihai aquatic products market is a large-scale wholesale commercial market which mainly sells native products like marine pearl, seafood etc.. Besides, there are njmerous orinate stores on Zhongshang Road, Liberation Road. Rambling around the old street, choosing articles along the stores, you will have a special mood.

Recreation

Tourism recreation of Beihai is multifarious and colorful. In night clubs, karaoke, disco ball, performances of famous singers and models are extraordinary splendor. Body building, bowling, table tennis etc., you can choose whatever you like.

Beach sports, sea sports, water skiing of high ladder are very interesting. Tourists from home and abroad always can experience such fresh, vigorous and exciting recreations both in body and in mind.

Basics

Beihai is located at the southern end of Guangxi and the northeastern bank of the Beibu Gulf. Together with Hepu County, Haicheng district, Yinhai District and Tieshan Port District it administers, it covers a total area of 3,337 sq.kilometers of which urban area is 957 sq .kilometers. Its population is 1.36 million, among them, the urban population is of 500,000.

As early as 2000 years ago, Beihai was active in China's foreign economy and port trade. Even from the Han and Tang times, it was one of the famous starting ports of the marine silk route, establishing its stutus as an important port city in southern China in modern and contemporary history.I n April 1984, Beihai was approved by the State Council as one of the fourteen coastal cities further opened to outside world.

Beihai has a good geographical surrounding. Backed by the great southwest region of China, it faces the Southeast Asia, with Guangdong Province, Hainan Island, Hong Kong, Macao and Vietnam closed by.

Beihai is one of the nearest ports from China mainland to the port cities in Southeast Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe and thus is the most convenient gateway to sea for Beihai's southwest region and part of the areas in southern and central China.

Today, Beihai's geographical advantages are becoming more and more important in the economic development of China's southwest region, and Asia Pacific region as well.

Beihai is rich in natural resources such as sea ports, fresh water, land, tourism, marine products, mincrals, oil and natural gas, especially in those of comprehensive subtropical resources. Beihai has a coastal line of 500 kilometers, with several gulfs and port areas of excellent natural cnditions. Along the coast, over 200 berths can be built for 10.000 to 50.000 ton ships, and another 24 for 100.000 to 200.000 tonnage.

The land in Beihai, about 70% of the city proper being smooth and plain, has a very high geological bearing reserve. It is good for large scale land development and industrial projects. Beihai is affluent in fresh water reserves.

Statistics show that the total reserve of the fresh water resource of the whole city is 11.88 billion cubic meters with an annual usable reserve of 4.3 billion cubic meters, which is 5 times the present annual water supply in Hong Kong.

The Beibu Gulf on the border of Beihai is one of the four noted fishing grounds in China. The city benefits from the sea not only in fishery but also in pearls farming. It is the hometown of the world famous Southern Pearls.

For tourism industry, Beihai has beautiful beach, islands and mangrove forests. The Silver Beach is known as the "First Beach In China". Beihai Silver Beach has been approved by the State Council as one of 11 State Tourism and Holiday Zones.

Guan Tou Ling Scenic Area