Once a stopover on the ancient Marine Silk Route, the port of Beihai has become a great place to take it easy and hit the beach, and it's an excellent jumping-off point for further tropical adventures on Hainan Island and in Vietnam, both of which are accessible via boat. As for Beihai itself, its combination of white sand beaches, great seafood, tree-lined streets and European colonial-style architecture make for a low-key getaway to rival Hainain's Sanya, but with fewer crowds and less hype. 

Situated at the base of a peninula jutting into the Gulf of Tonkin (Beibu Wan in Mandarin), Beihai's harbor—once the haunt of South China Sea pirates—comes alive early, as a fleet of fishing boats brings the day's catch to market. If you've partaken in Beihai's relaxed but vibrant nightlife, you might prefer to wait to see what the boats brought in on your plate at one of the city's excellent seafood restaurants.

When it comes to beaches, the white sands of Silver Beach and the nearby volcanic islands of Weizhou and Xieyang offer some of the best swimming, snorkeling, body surfing and diving opportunities. Explore a mangrove lagoon, catch a boat to a nearby island, lounge on the beach and then check out Wenchang Pagoda or tour Beihai Submarine World.

Beihai is, like much of China, booming, with new construction taking place at an impressive rate, but at its heart it remains a laid-back seaside town perfect for rest and relaxation.
 

Beihai's recorded history goes back some 2,000 years to the time of the Marine Silk Route. Rival to the legendary inland Silk Road. China sought trade connections across the ocean for centuries, with the high point coming under the Yongle Emperor with the voyages of 15th Century Ming Dynasty admiral Zheng He, whose "treasure fleet" ventured as far as India, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, Australia and, perhaps, the Americas.

Beihai played its role in China's burgeoning overseas trade, while also proving a popular port of call for less reputable adventurers--Behai harbor and its surrounding waters were long the haunts of South China Sea pirates.

However, China's offical seafaring days were cut short by the Yongle Emperor's successors, who saw outside influence as a threat to their power and banned overseas trade all together, leaving it to smugglers, pirates and, increasingly, European explorers intent on cracking open the rich markets of an inward-turned China.

Though the Qing Dynasty continued to follow the isolationist ways of the late Ming, they quickly lost their ability to keep China's doors shut as Europe's colonial powers used their superior weaponry to force concessions from Beijing. So it was that Baihai became an open port following a treaty with the United Kingdom. Eight Western nations (Belgium, Portugal, Italy, France, US, UK, Germany, Austrai-Hungary) established embassies, schools and hospitals in the city to further trade relations. 

Following the Second World War and civil war in China, the communist party once again closed China off, and Beihai languished until 1984, when Beihai was named one of China's fourteen open coastal cities, allowing it to connect with Southeast Asian trading partners and begin to flourish anew. It was also named an official tourist destination, and tourism has grown alongside shipbuilding, pearl culture and other industries.
 

Beihai has pleasantly warm to hot weather all year around with average annual temperatures ranging between 17°C - 22°C (63°F - 72°F). Summers are hot and humid with lots of rain and an average July temperature of 29°C (84°F). Winters are mild, frost-free and short with an average temperature of 12°C (54°F). Spring sees occasional flooding.