Its pristine beaches, sleepy coastal town feel and great location make Qinhuangdao a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the nearby metropolises of Tianjin, Beijing and Chengde. It has long been a favorite getaway for government officials, factory bosses and bigwigs from neighboring cities.
Qinhuangdao is divided into three districts, Beidaihe, Haigang and Shanhaiguan. Over the last couple of years the local government has made great efforts to spruce up the town with the expectation of receiving more than 2 million tourists during the Olympics. So now is a great time to go and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and have some fun in the sun while the renovations are still fresh.
History
Qinhuangdao (Qin Emperor's Island), was named after emperor Qin Shihuang (221-206 BC), China's original emperor. Towards the end of his life, the ailing emperor journeyed to this area in search of a pill to augment his longevity. Finding no such miracle cure for old age, Emperor Qin sent a pair of likely fellows out to sea to beg the gods to grant Qin the gift of immortality. Knowing full well that they could never complete the task, and not wanting to bear the wrath of an angry emperor, the two set forth on their journey and were never heard from again.
Later, in 1898, the city was declared a seaport, thanks to its large ice-free harbor. This brought about its developed from a small fishing village into one of the biggest ports in northern China. Primary exports are soybeans, peanuts and coal, but the town's economy relies heavily on the fishing and tourism industries.
Climate
The best time to visit the area is from May to October. But this period should be shortened from June to August if you want to appreciate the nearby sights and beaches. The yearly average temperature is about 10°C (50°F), with moderate humidity.
Standard rooms at three and four-star establishments are pretty easy to come by for between RMB 200 and 400. The Qinfa Hotel is a pretty decent budget choice with standard rooms and breakfasts for RMB 200. There aren't any five-star places in town, but the Great Wall does have nice four-star rooms for a bit over RMB 500 a night. Prices fluctuate depending on the time of year.
Qinhuangdao is a coastal town, so seafood is naturally the specialty. Restaurants serving delicious fresh seafood can be found all over Qinhuangdao and the surrounding towns. Large plastic tubs filled with at the entrances of restaurants basically serve as menus, where you can choose the fish, crab or lobster for your dinner. Classier places have real fish tanks indoors, but the same method of ordering applies.
Beidaihe is known for its good shellfish, especially crab, lobster, cuttlefish, pike and scallops. Both Bao'er Lu and Haining Lu have numerous seafood restaurants. Near the Guesthouse for Diplomatic Missions, Kiessling's (Qishilin Canting), is an Austrian chain restaurant that serves Chinese food and a selection of Western dishes.
In Shanhaiguan the best restaurants are to be found on the town's main street, Dajie, that is divided into north (Bei), south (Nan), east (Dong) and west (Xi) branches from a central intersection. The most well-known restaurant, Wangyan Lou (Wangyan Lou Fandian), is in the southwest of the town, at the intersection of Guancheng Xilu and Guancheng Nanlu. This place has a good selection of seafood at fairly reasonable prices.
Getting Around
The base rate for taxis in Qinhuangdao is RMB 5, which is relatively cheap. Shanhaiguan is about 17 km from downtown Qinhuangdao and 30 km from Beidaihe. There are many buses running between them. Bus No. 6 can take tourists from Beidaihe Railway Station to Qinhuangdao Railway Station directly.
To and From Qinhuangdao
Air
Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport is about 13 km from downtown and there are flights to and from Shanghai, Nanjing, Dalian, Yantai, Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang weekly.
Train
There are four main railway stations in Qinhuangdao—Qinhuangdao Railway Station, Shanhaiguan Railway Station, Beidaihe Railway Station and Changli Railway Station. The four railway stations nearly cover all the main tourist spots in Qinhuangdao.
Qinhuangdao is the fortress on the way from north to northeast China. Trains to north China (Beijing and Tianjin) leave from Qinhuangdao Railway Station while trains to northeast China (such as Shenyang) leave from Shanhaiguan Railway Station. Trains running between Qinhuangdao and Beijng all make a stop at Beidaihe Railway Station.
There are many special tour trains running from Beijing to Beidaihe and Shanhaiguan during summer vacation time in recent years. Shanhaiguan is about 312 km from Beijing. Dozens of trains running from Beijing towards the Shenyang direction all stop off at Shanhaiguan Railway Station.
Bus
There are long-distance buses from Qinhuangdao to nearby cities everyday. Beidaihe Haibin Bus Station has buses to Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde, Zhenzhou and Shijiazhuang. Qinhuangdao Bei Huan Lu Bus Station also has buses to Shijiazhuang daily, taking about six hours.
Ferry
Qinhuangdao Harbor is an ice-free harbor and it is also the largest energy resources export harbor worldwide. There are passenger ferries running between Dalian and Qinhuangdao weekly, taking about 14 hours.
In Qinhuangdao, pearls of highly variable quality are used to make a variety of interesting products, including pottery, necklaces and bracelets. Do not expect everything to be genuine, bargain hard, and be suspicious if bargaining works too well.
In Shanhaiguan, you will also find pearl products, and various local handicrafts. The street market on Nan Dajie is worth checking out, as is the clothes market (Yifu Shichang).
In Beidaihe, shellwork and other handicrafts, although not of the highest quality, can be bought from markets on the beach front.
Festivals
The Old Dragon Head section of Great Wall hosts an annual festival held in June. There are races up the wall, performances from actors dressed in Ming and Qing Dynasty costume and enough fireworks to shame the average 4th of July display. This is easily the best time to visit the area, although it can get a bit crowded.