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Beihai Travel Guide 2026

Guangxi's southern coastal gem on the Gulf of Tonkin, famous for Silver Beach, volcanic Weizhou Island, and a 1.4-km colonial-era Old Street lined with qilou arcades and pearl shops.

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Beihai (北海, Běihǎi) is Guangxi province's premier coastal city, sitting on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tonkin with a subtropical climate, 24 kilometers of white quartz sand beach, and a pace of life that feels a world away from China's inland megacities. It is famous for three things: Silver Beach (银滩, Yín Tān), one of the finest beaches in China with sand so fine and white it squeaks underfoot; Weizhou Island (涠洲岛, Wéizhōu Dǎo), China's largest volcanic island, ringed by basalt cliffs and banana plantations and home to a 19th-century Catholic church built by French missionaries; and the Old Street (老街, Lǎo Jiē), a 1.4-kilometer stretch of qilou (骑楼) arcade buildings from the colonial treaty-port era, now filled with pearl shops, seafood stalls, and the smell of grilled oysters. Beihai was forced open as a treaty port in 1876 after the Yantai Treaty, and the legacy of that period — British, French, and German consulate buildings, a missionary hospital, a Customs House — still stands in various states of preservation. Today Beihai is a domestic tourism magnet, but foreign visitors are still rare, making it one of the last genuinely relaxed Chinese coastal cities where you can walk a near-empty beach in the morning and eat freshly caught crab by the water at night. Two to three days is enough for the main sights; budget roughly ¥100-200 per day for mid-range comfort.

Worth visitingYes, if you want a Chinese beach destination that is not Sanya — less polished, more character, and genuinely historic. Weizhou Island alone justifies the detour.
Recommended days2-3 days (Beihai city + Silver Beach); 4-5 days if including Weizhou Island overnight
Best time to visitOctober-December and March-May (avoid July-September — typhoon season and punishing humidity)
Daily budget$25 (backpacker) / $75 (mid-range) / $180+ (luxury)
Family friendlyYes — Silver Beach is shallow and safe for children, the Ocean Window aquarium is kid-oriented, and seafood restaurants accommodate families easily
Solo friendlyYes — safe, walkable, and the seafood markets are perfect for solo grazers
AirportBeihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) — 25 km east of the city, with direct flights from Shanghai (3h), Guangzhou (1.5h), Chengdu (2h), and seasonal flights from Southeast Asia. Airport shuttle bus ¥20 to the city center (40 min).
High-speed railYes — Nanning (1.5h, ¥60-90), Guilin (4h, ¥140-180), Guangzhou (5h, ¥200-260). Beihai Railway Station is in the city center.
LanguageMandarin with a strong Cantonese-influenced local dialect (北海话); English is rare outside international-brand hotels
CurrencyCNY (¥) — Alipay and WeChat Pay accepted at most shops and restaurants; cash still useful at seafood markets and small stalls
Time zoneChina Standard Time (UTC+8)
Last updated2026-06-18

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Silver Beach · Weizhou Island · Old Street · Food & Seafood · Getting Around · Where to Stay · Itineraries · Weather · Tips & Warnings · Emergency Contacts · FAQ

Why visit Beihai? Is it worth going?

Beihai is not Sanya, and that is exactly the point. Sanya on Hainan Island is China's most famous tropical beach destination — developed, expensive, and increasingly crowded with domestic resort tourism. Beihai is its quieter, more interesting northern cousin: a small coastal city (population roughly 1.7 million in the urban area) with a genuine historic core, a working fishing port, and a beach that is honestly better than anything Sanya has to offer. Silver Beach (银滩, Yín Tān) is 24 kilometers long, composed of exceptionally fine white quartz sand that sparkles in sunlight and makes a distinct squeaking sound under your feet — the quartz content is over 98%, among the highest of any beach in the world. The water is warm, the slope is gentle, and outside of the July-August domestic school holidays, you can walk for an hour and see maybe a dozen other people. The second reason to come is Weizhou Island (涠洲岛, Wéizhōu Dǎo). It is China's largest volcanic island, formed by eruptions roughly 7,000 years ago, and it is genuinely stunning: black basalt sea cliffs plunging into turquoise water, lava-tube caves you can walk through, coral reefs accessible by snorkeling directly from the beach, and a landscape of banana plantations punctuated by a Gothic Catholic church built by 19th-century French missionaries. The island is 25 kilometers across — you can bike around it in a day — and it feels like a different country from the mainland. The third reason is the Old Street (老街, Lǎo Jiē), a 1.4-kilometer stretch of qilou (骑楼) arcade buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Qilou are a distinctive Southeast Asian-Chinese hybrid architectural form: two or three stories tall, with the ground floor recessed behind a colonnaded arcade that provides shade and shelter from tropical rain. Beihai's Old Street is one of the best-preserved qilou streets in China, and walking it at dusk, with the old street lamps flickering on and the smell of grilled oysters drifting from side alleys, is the most atmospheric experience the city offers. Beihai is not a luxury destination. The infrastructure is adequate but not polished. English is scarce. The seafood is outstanding and cheap, but most restaurants have picture menus at best. This is a city for travelers who want a Chinese beach town that still feels like a real place rather than a resort compound.

What is the history of Beihai: from fishing village to treaty port to pearl capital?

Beihai's history falls into three distinct chapters, and understanding them transforms how you see the city. Chapter one: the pearl era. Long before Beihai was a city, the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Tonkin were famous across East Asia for Hepu pearls (合浦南珠, Hépǔ Nánzhū), harvested from the Pinctada maxima oyster. The Hepu pearl beds, centered on the area around modern-day Beihai, supplied the imperial courts of the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) and were so valuable that the region was designated Hepu Commandery specifically to administer the pearl trade. Pearl divers worked without equipment, holding their breath for minutes at a time, and the profession was dangerous enough that temples along the coast were built to honor divers who died. Beihai still calls itself the "Pearl City" (珠城, Zhū Chéng), and the pearl motif appears everywhere: on manhole covers, in the Beibuwan Square sculpture, on souvenir packaging. Whether the pearls sold on Old Street today are genuinely local is a separate question — most are freshwater cultured pearls from Zhejiang — but the heritage is real. Chapter two: the treaty-port era. In 1876, after the Yantai Treaty (烟台条约) between Britain and the Qing dynasty, Beihai was designated a treaty port (通商口岸, Tōngshāng Kǒu'àn), one of several Chinese coastal cities forcibly opened to foreign trade. The British established a consulate in 1885 in a handsome two-story colonial building that still stands; the French and Germans followed. A Customs House was built, a missionary hospital opened, and the Old Street qilou arcades were constructed to serve the foreign trading community. Beihai in the 1890s was a small but cosmopolitan port, with European merchants, Chinese traders, Vietnamese fishermen, and a steady flow of goods through the Gulf of Tonkin. The treaty-port period ended with the Japanese occupation in the late 1930s and the Chinese Civil War that followed, but the architectural legacy survived. Chapter three: the modern revival. After 1949, Beihai became a backwater fishing port, overshadowed by Nanning and the industrial cities of inland Guangxi. It was not until the 1990s that the city reinvented itself as a domestic tourism destination, leveraging Silver Beach and, later, Weizhou Island. The 2000s brought a real-estate boom — you will see apartment towers along the coast, many of them second homes for wealthy northerners fleeing winter cold — and the 2010s brought high-speed rail, connecting Beihai to Nanning in 2015 and to the national HSR network shortly after. Beihai today is a city in transition: part fishing port, part beach resort, part real-estate speculation, all held together by a climate that draws Chinese snowbirds from November to March.

What is the geography and climate of Beihai?

Beihai sits at roughly 21.5 degrees north latitude — about the same as Havana, Cuba — on a peninsula that juts into the Gulf of Tonkin (北部湾, Běibù Wān). The city is flat, low-lying, and surrounded by water on three sides: the gulf to the south, mangrove-lined tidal flats to the east, and the fishing-port waterfront to the west. Weizhou Island lies 36 kilometers to the south, visible from the mainland on clear days as a low dark silhouette on the horizon. The climate is subtropical maritime, which means warm year-round, humid summers, and mild winters. The key thing to understand is the rhythm of the seasons: October through December is the golden window — daytime highs of 23-29°C, low humidity, clear skies, and the sea still warm enough for swimming from the accumulated summer heat. January and February are the "cold" months — 14-20°C, which is cool for swimming but pleasant for walking and sightseeing, and this is when the snowbird migration from northern China peaks. March through May is warm (18-30°C) and generally pleasant, though April can bring intermittent rain. June through September is the long, sticky summer: 27-33°C, humidity above 85%, and the typhoon season. Beihai gets hit by one or two typhoons most years between July and September; they are usually weaker than the storms that batter Guangdong and Hainan further east, but they bring torrential rain and rough seas that shut down the Weizhou Island ferry for days at a time. The honest climate downside: the humidity is relentless from May through September. Clothes do not dry. Cameras fog up. The air feels like a warm wet towel on your face. If you are not comfortable with tropical humidity, do not come to Beihai in summer. Come in November, when the sky is blue, the breeze is dry, and the oysters are at their plumpest.

How to get to Beihai: flights, high-speed rail, and ferry connections

Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) is 25 kilometers east of the city center. It is a small regional airport handling domestic flights from Shanghai Pudong (3 hours, ¥600-1,200), Guangzhou (1.5 hours, ¥400-800), Chengdu (2 hours, ¥500-900), Chongqing (1.5 hours), and Kunming (1.5 hours), plus seasonal flights from Southeast Asian cities including Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The airport shuttle bus runs to the city center (¥20, 40 minutes, roughly every 30 minutes from 07:00-21:00). A DiDi or taxi costs ¥50-70 and takes 30-40 minutes. High-speed rail is the more common way to arrive. Beihai Railway Station (北海站) is right in the city center, a 10-minute walk from Beibuwan Square. Direct D-class trains serve Nanning East (1.5 hours, ¥60-90 second class), making Beihai an easy add-on to any Guangxi itinerary. From further afield: Guilin (4 hours, ¥140-180), Guangzhou South (5 hours, ¥200-260), and Guiyang (6 hours, ¥240-300). There is no direct HSR to Hanoi or Vietnam — the Nanning-Pingxiang border crossing is served by slower trains from Nanning. Buy tickets on the 12306 app (Chinese-only) or Trip.com (English) 3-7 days ahead. The Weizhou Island ferry departs from Beihai International Passenger Terminal (北海国际客运港), about 6 km south of the city center near Silver Beach. Ferries run 3-6 times daily depending on season and weather; the crossing takes 70 minutes on the fast ferry (¥240 one way as of June 2026) or 90 minutes on the slower ferry (¥150). Buy tickets via the official WeChat mini-program "涠洲岛船票" or through your hotel. The ferry is canceled in rough weather — if a typhoon is forecast, do not schedule a tight connection to a flight. During the October Golden Week and summer holidays, ferry tickets sell out 3-5 days in advance.

How to get around Beihai: buses, DiDi, bike share, and Weizhou Island transport

Beihai does not have a metro — it is a small city and does not need one. The bus network is the backbone of public transport: most routes cost ¥1-2, and the key routes for visitors are Bus 3 (Beihai Railway Station to Silver Beach, ¥2, every 10-15 minutes), Bus 5 (city center to Qiaogang Seafood Market and the ferry terminal), and Bus 17 (circular route through the Old Street area and Beibuwan Square). Route signage is Chinese-only. Pay with Alipay transport QR code or exact change. DiDi is widely available and inexpensive. A ride within the city center costs ¥8-15; from Beihai Station to Silver Beach is about ¥18-25; from the city center to the ferry terminal is about ¥12-18. Most drivers do not speak English — have your destination written in Chinese characters or enter it directly in the app. Shared electric scooters (Meituan yellow and Hello blue) are everywhere in the city center, costing ¥2 for the first 15 minutes plus ¥0.5 per additional 5 minutes. They are the best way to explore: Beihai is flat, the streets are wide, and scooting along the coast road between Silver Beach and the Old Street area with the sea breeze in your face is one of the city's simple pleasures. You need a Chinese phone number to register for the scooter apps. Taxis are abundant with a flagfall of ¥7 for the first 2 kilometers and ¥1.8 per kilometer after that. Insist on the meter — some drivers at the railway station and ferry terminal will try to negotiate a flat fare. A ride across the entire city should not exceed ¥40. On Weizhou Island: there are no DiDi or taxis. The island transport options are: rental electric scooters (¥60-80 per day, the best option — the island is 25 km across and scootering is the standard way to explore), tourist shuttle buses (¥20 per ride, ¥100 for a day pass covering the main scenic spots), and bicycles (¥30-40 per day from guesthouses, a good option in cooler months). The roads are paved but narrow, and there are almost no cars. Bring your passport to rent a scooter — operators are required to register foreign renters with the local police station.

What are the top attractions in Beihai, ranked and described?

1. Silver Beach (银滩, Yín Tān). Free. A 24-kilometer arc of white quartz sand on the Beibu Gulf, stretching from the Qiaogang area in the west to the Daguansha area in the east. The sand is the attraction: over 98% quartz content, fine as powdered sugar, so reflective in sunlight that it appears silver-white. When you walk on dry sand, it produces a high-pitched squeaking sound — a phenomenon called "singing sand" that occurs on only a handful of beaches worldwide. The water is warm (22-29°C depending on season), the slope is so gentle you can wade 50 meters out and still stand, and the beach is clean by Chinese standards. Facilities: public showers (¥10), changing rooms, beach-chair and umbrella rentals (¥30-50 per day), jet ski rentals (¥100-150 per 15 minutes), and parasailing (¥200-300). The beach is busiest in July and August and during the October Golden Week; come at 07:00 on a November morning and you might have a kilometer of sand entirely to yourself. The downside: the beachfront is backed by a line of mostly mediocre hotels and seafood restaurants, and the development is not attractive. Do not come here for a resort-town aesthetic. Come for the sand and the water. 2. Weizhou Island (涠洲岛, Wéizhōu Dǎo). ¥98 island entry ticket (buy at the ferry terminal or online). China's largest volcanic island and, in my opinion, the single best reason to make the trip to Beihai. The island was formed by multiple volcanic eruptions around 7,000 years ago, and the landscape is dramatic: black basalt cliffs on the southern coast, red volcanic soil in the interior, lava-tube caves you can walk through (the Crocodile Mountain Scenic Area has the best examples), and coral reefs in the shallow waters off the eastern beaches. The island is roughly 25 kilometers in circumference — you can circumnavigate it by scooter in about 2 hours with stops. Key spots: Crocodile Mountain (鳄鱼山, Èyú Shān) for the volcanic crater and sea-cliff views, the Catholic Church (天主教堂) in Shengtang Village, the Shiluokou (石螺口) and Dishuicun (滴水村) beaches for swimming and snorkeling, and the Wucai Tan (五彩滩) lava platforms where volcanic rock has been eroded into a patchwork of colors. Snorkeling gear rents for ¥50-80 per day from beach vendors; the reefs are not world-class but you will see tropical fish, sea urchins, and the occasional sea turtle. The island has roughly 1,500 permanent residents and dozens of guesthouses, ranging from basic farmhouse rooms (¥100-150) to boutique courtyard hotels (¥400-800). Stay overnight — the day-trippers leave on the 16:00 ferry and the island transforms into a quiet, star-lit place where the loudest sound is the surf. 3. Beihai Old Street (北海老街, Běihǎi Lǎo Jiē). Free. A 1.4-kilometer pedestrian-only street running roughly east-west just inland from the old port, lined with qilou (骑楼) arcade buildings dating from approximately 1883 to the 1920s. Qilou are a distinctive architectural hybrid that spread through Southeast Asian port cities in the colonial era: two or three stories, with the ground floor set back behind a covered arcade supported by columns, creating a shaded walkway that protects pedestrians from tropical sun and sudden rain. The Beihai version is well-preserved, with plaster facades decorated in a mix of Chinese motifs (phoenixes, dragons, flowers) and European neoclassical details (pilasters, pediments, arched windows). Today the ground floors are occupied by pearl shops, seafood-snack stalls, souvenir vendors, and a handful of small cafes and bars. It is touristy — embrace it. The street is at its best from 17:00 to 20:00, when the old street lamps come on, the temperature drops, and the oyster-grilling stalls in the side alleys fire up their charcoal. Allow 1-2 hours for a slow walk with snack stops. 4. Golden Bay Mangrove Forest (金海湾红树林, Jīnhǎi Wān Hóngshùlín). ¥105 combined ticket (wetland park + shuttle bus). A 2,000-hectare protected mangrove wetland on the eastern edge of Beihai, where the mangroves form dense green tunnels over tidal creeks and the mudflats teem with fiddler crabs, mudskippers, and wading birds. The park has elevated boardwalk trails through the mangroves, a small visitor center with exhibits on mangrove ecology, and scheduled demonstrations of traditional mudflat harvesting (the local fishermen wade into the mud at low tide and dig for clams and sandworms with hand tools). The best time to visit is at low tide — check tide tables online or ask at the park entrance — when the mangrove roots are fully exposed and the bird-watching is best. Bring insect repellent; the mangroves breed mosquitoes. Combine with Silver Beach (they are adjacent) for a nature-focused morning. 5. Weizhou Island Catholic Church (涠洲岛天主教堂). Free. Built between 1853 and 1880 by French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society, this Gothic Revival church in Shengtang Village is constructed from coral rock and volcanic stone quarried on the island, giving it a distinctive pinkish-grey color unlike any European church. The interior is simple — wooden pews, a painted altar, stained-glass windows added in the 1990s — but the setting is extraordinary: banana groves on three sides, the sea visible from the churchyard, and a small congregation of island Catholics who still attend Mass here on Sundays. The church survived the anti-religious campaigns of the Cultural Revolution because local villagers protected it. There is a small museum in the adjacent building with photographs of the early missionary period. Combine with a scooter loop of the island. 6. Beihai Underwater World (北海海底世界, Běihǎi Hǎidǐ Shìjiè). ¥148 as of June 2026. A large aquarium at the eastern end of Silver Beach, built around a 360-degree walk-through shark tunnel and a series of themed exhibit halls covering tropical reef fish, jellyfish, sea turtles, and a surprisingly detailed section on Beihai's Hepu pearl-farming heritage with live pearl-oyster displays. It is not on the level of the aquariums in Osaka or Singapore, but it is well-maintained, educational, and a solid rainy-day backup. Allow 1.5-2 hours. The pearl exhibition in particular is worth the visit: you learn how pearl oysters are seeded, how long they take to produce a pearl (2-3 years), and how to distinguish cultured from natural pearls. 7. Qiaogang Seafood Market (侨港市场, Qiáogǎng Shìchǎng). Not a formal attraction but the essential Beihai food experience. Qiaogang is a neighborhood developed in the 1970s to house ethnic Chinese refugees returning from Vietnam, and it retains a distinct Vietnamese-influenced food culture. The market itself is a wet market in the morning and a seafood feast zone by evening: you buy fresh seafood from the market stalls (crabs ¥40-80 per jin, shrimp ¥30-60, oysters ¥3-8 each, various reef fish ¥20-60) and take it to one of the surrounding restaurants where they cook it to order for ¥15-30 per dish. The restaurant owners speak Mandarin; pointing at seafood and holding up fingers for quantity works. A feast for two — three types of seafood, a vegetable dish, rice, and beer — costs roughly ¥120-200 total. 8. Former Consulates & Customs House. Free. Scattered around the Old Street area and the old port, the treaty-port-era foreign buildings are under-visited and worth seeking out. The British Consulate (1885) near the Old Street western end is the best preserved, now a small museum with period photos and exhibits on Beihai's treaty-port history. The French Consulate building (1887) is nearby but partially occupied and not open to the public — you can photograph the exterior. The German Consulate (1905) has been converted into a small cafe. The Customs House (1883) is a colonnaded neoclassical building that now houses a government office. None of these are major sights on their own, but together they tell the story of Beihai's brief, intense colonial chapter, and walking between them is a pleasant way to spend a late afternoon.

Where to stay in Beihai: neighborhoods and typical prices

The Silver Beach area (银滩片区) is the most popular choice for beach-focused visitors. Hotels cluster along the coast road (Yintan Avenue) running parallel to the beach, ranging from mid-range Chinese chains (Jinjiang Inn, GreenTree Inn, ¥200-400 per night) to the Crowne Plaza Beihai Silver Beach (¥800-1,200), the city's top international-brand hotel directly on the sand. Staying here puts you steps from the beach but a 15-20 minute DiDi ride from the Old Street and the city center. The beachfront hotels fill up in July-August and during Golden Week; book 1-2 weeks ahead for those periods. The Old Street / city center area is the best base if you prioritize walkability and atmosphere over beach access. The streets around Beibuwan Square and the Old Street have the densest concentration of budget and mid-range hotels (¥150-350), plus a handful of small boutique guesthouses in renovated qilou buildings on the quieter side streets off Old Street. The Old Street area puts you within walking distance of the consulate buildings, the night food stalls, and the city's best morning market (Nanwan Market, a 10-minute walk from the eastern end of Old Street). The trade-off: Silver Beach is a 20-minute bus or DiDi ride away. Qiaogang (侨港) is an interesting third option: a residential neighborhood with a strong Vietnamese-Chinese food culture, between the city center and Silver Beach and adjacent to the ferry terminal. Accommodation here is mostly small guesthouses and budget hotels (¥100-250), and the area has the best concentration of affordable seafood restaurants in Beihai. This is the best choice if your priority is food and you plan to take the ferry to Weizhou Island early in the morning. On Weizhou Island: accommodation ranges from basic farmhouse rooms (¥100-150, shared bathroom, fan only) to mid-range guesthouses (¥250-500, private bathroom, air conditioning, scooter rental included) to a few boutique courtyard hotels clustered around Dishuicun and Shiluokou villages (¥500-1,000). Book island accommodation at least a week ahead for weekends and holidays — the number of rooms is limited and the ferry capacity constrains supply. Most guesthouses will pick you up from the island ferry dock if arranged in advance. For backpackers, the Beihai Old Street International Youth Hostel (¥50-70 per dorm bed) is the most established option, in a converted qilou building on a side alley off Old Street. A second hostel near Silver Beach (Silver Beach Youth Hostel, ¥45-60 per dorm bed) is newer and closer to the water.

What to eat in Beihai: fresh seafood, sandworms, and Vietnamese-influenced snacks

Beihai's food identity is built on three pillars: fresh seafood from the Gulf of Tonkin, the Vietnamese-influenced cooking of the Qiaogang community, and a handful of local specialties you will not find anywhere else in China. The seafood is the headliner, and the Qiaogang model — buy it yourself from the wet market, take it to a cookshop next door — is the way to do it. Here is what to look for at the market stalls: flower crabs (花蟹, huā xiè), sweet-fleshed and plentiful from September to December, ¥40-80 per jin (500g); mantis shrimp (皮皮虾, pí pí xiā), ugly but delicious, best salt-and-pepper fried (椒盐, jiāo yán), ¥30-60 per jin; oysters (生蚝, shēng háo), small and intensely briny compared to Atlantic oysters, best grilled with garlic and vermicelli (蒜蓉粉丝烤生蚝), ¥3-8 each depending on size; groupers and snappers (石斑鱼, shí bān yú), steamed whole with ginger and scallions, ¥30-60 per fish; and sea urchin (海胆, hǎi dǎn), steamed with egg custard, ¥10-20 each when in season (spring and autumn). The local delicacy that divides visitors is sandworm (沙虫, shā chóng). These translucent, worm-like marine creatures live in the intertidal sand flats and are harvested by local fishermen at low tide. They are typically dried and then rehydrated and stir-fried with garlic and vegetables, or served in a clear broth. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet, the texture is slightly crunchy, and most Chinese visitors to Beihai consider them a must-try. I will be honest: they look exactly like earthworms, and the mental hurdle is significant. If you are adventurous, try them stir-fried — the garlic and chili disguise the appearance. If you are not, nobody will judge you. A sandworm dish costs ¥50-80 at most restaurants. Vietnamese influence shows up in Qiaogang (侨港), the neighborhood built for ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam in the 1970s. The signature dish here is Vietnamese-style rice noodle rolls (卷粉, juǎn fěn): thin steamed rice sheets wrapped around minced pork, wood-ear mushrooms, and shrimp, served with a sweet-tangy fish-sauce dip, shredded cucumber, and crushed peanuts. A plate of three costs ¥8-12. The Qiaogang breakfast stalls serving these from 06:00-10:00 are among the best cheap eats in Guangxi. Also from the Vietnamese tradition: iced coffee with condensed milk (越南冰咖啡, ¥10-15) — strong, sweet, and exactly what you want on a hot Beihai afternoon. Other local foods worth seeking out: shrimp paste (虾酱, xiā jiàng), a pungent fermented condiment used to flavor stir-fried vegetables; grilled squid stuffed with sticky rice (糯米鱿鱼筒, ¥15-25), a street-food specialty of the Old Street area; and coconut cake (椰子糕, yēzi gāo), a steamed dessert of coconut milk and glutinous rice flour, served chilled, ¥5-8 for a box. For vegetarians: Beihai is easier than inland Hunan but still requires attention. Seafood restaurants are naturally accommodating — steamed vegetable dishes, stir-fried greens (通菜, tōng cài — water spinach — is the local staple, ¥15-25), rice, and tofu are available everywhere. The Vietnamese noodle rolls can be ordered without meat (素卷粉, sù juǎn fěn, ¥6-8). Coconut cake is naturally vegan. The phrases "wǒ chī sù" (我吃素, I eat vegetarian) and "bùyào ròu" (不要肉, no meat) are essential. A printed vegetarian card in Chinese is recommended.

What are good itineraries for Beihai and Weizhou Island?

Weekend beach escape (2 days): Day 1 — Arrive by morning HSR or flight. Check in near Silver Beach. Afternoon on Silver Beach: swim, walk, rent a beach chair and do nothing. Evening: head to Qiaogang Seafood Market. Buy crabs, shrimp, and oysters from the market stalls, take them to a cookshop, eat with cold beer. Day 2 — Morning: visit Beihai Old Street before the tour groups arrive (by 08:30). Walk the full 1.4 km, photograph the qilou architecture, stop at a pearl shop to understand the Hepu pearl story. Late morning: the former British Consulate and the surrounding treaty-port buildings. Lunch: Vietnamese noodle rolls in Qiaogang. Afternoon: Golden Bay Mangrove Forest (2 hours, best at low tide). Evening: a final seafood dinner, then depart. Beihai + Weizhou Island (3-4 days): Day 1 — Settle in, Silver Beach, Qiaogang seafood dinner. Day 2 — Early ferry to Weizhou Island (take the 08:00 ferry). Rent a scooter at the dock. Morning loop of the volcanic scenic spots: Crocodile Mountain for the crater views, Wucai Tan for the eroded lava platforms. Lunch at a village restaurant (seafood noodles, ¥20-30). Afternoon: the Catholic Church, then snorkeling at Shiluokou Beach. Stay overnight on the island. Day 3 — Sunrise from the eastern cliffs (Wucai Tan is the best sunrise spot), then a slow morning exploring the banana-plantation interior by scooter. Afternoon ferry back to the mainland (14:00 or 16:00). Evening: one last seafood feast in Qiaogang. Day 4 — Old Street, treaty-port buildings, depart. This is the ideal Beihai trip. The island overnight is essential — the day-trippers miss the quiet evening and the early morning, which are the best parts. Beihai as part of a Guangxi loop (5-7 days): Fly into Nanning (1 day for the Guangxi Museum and Zhongshan Road food street), HSR to Beihai (1.5 hours). 2 days Beihai + 2 days Weizhou Island, then HSR to Guilin (4 hours) for 2-3 days of karst scenery and the Li River. Fly out of Guilin. This loop covers Guangxi's three distinct landscapes — the subtropical coast, the volcanic island, and the karst peaks — and makes a strong one-week trip.

What is the monthly weather and the best time to visit Beihai?

January: 14-19°C, cool, dry, the low season. The beach is too cold for swimming but perfect for walking. Snowbird season peaks — hotels are busier than you would expect but prices are reasonable. February: 15-20°C, similar to January but slightly warmer. Spring Festival crowds descend if the holiday falls this month — book everything in advance and expect higher prices. March: 18-23°C, warming up. Occasional rain. The start of the spring shoulder season. Good value — prices are low and crowds are thin. April: 22-27°C, warm and increasingly humid. Intermittent rain. The water is warm enough for swimming by mid-month. Qingming Festival (early April) brings a brief domestic travel spike. May: 25-30°C, hot, humid, the start of the summer rainy season. Thunderstorms are common but usually short. The Labour Day holiday (first week) makes the beach and ferry chaotic — avoid it. June: 27-32°C, fully summer. High humidity, frequent afternoon downpours. The Dragon Boat Festival falls in June some years. Hotel prices are lower than July-August. The sea is at its warmest. July: 28-33°C, peak summer, peak domestic tourism. The beach is packed with Chinese families on school holidays. Humidity above 85%. Typhoon risk begins. Ferry tickets to Weizhou Island sell out 3-5 days ahead. August: 27-32°C, similar to July. Typhoon season peaks — expect one or two storms affecting ferry schedules. The humidity is exhausting. I would not choose to visit in August, but if you must, book everything ahead and build buffer days into your itinerary. September: 26-31°C, still hot, still humid, typhoon risk continues through mid-month. Late September begins the transition to autumn — the humidity starts to drop and the crowds thin significantly. October: 23-29°C, the start of the golden window. The humidity breaks, the skies clear, the sea is still warm from the summer. BUT: the first week is the National Day Golden Week. Beihai is a major domestic holiday destination and every hotel on the mainland and the island sells out at inflated prices. If you come in October, come after October 7. November: 19-25°C, the single best month. Dry, sunny, mild, the sea still warm enough for a quick swim. No crowds. Low prices. The seafood is at its autumn peak — crabs are full, oysters are plump. This is when I would come. December: 15-21°C, cool, dry, the start of the snowbird season. Swimming is for the brave, but everything else — walking, eating, exploring — is comfortable. Christmas is not a public holiday in China and Beihai does not decorate for it.

What practical information do I need: visa, money, internet, and language?

Visa-free entry: As of June 2026, citizens of 45+ countries can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days. Confirm your eligibility with the nearest Chinese consulate before booking. Beihai is not in a special economic zone with separate entry rules — standard Chinese visa policy applies. Money: CNY (¥). ¥100 ≈ US$14 as of June 2026. Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted at most shops, restaurants, hotels, and the Weizhou Island ferry ticket office. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard in the app before you travel. Cash is still important in Beihai — seafood-market vendors, street-food stalls, scooter rental operators on Weizhou Island, and small guesthouses often prefer cash. ATMs at ICBC, Bank of China, and Agricultural Bank of China around Beibuwan Square accept foreign cards. Carry ¥300-500 in cash. Tipping is not customary. Internet and VPN: China blocks Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, X, and most Western sites. Install and test a VPN before arriving in China — ExpressVPN, Astrill, and Mullvad are the most reliable options as of mid-2026. A Chinese SIM card (¥100-200 for 30 days with 30-50 GB of data) from China Mobile or China Unicom at the airport or a Beibuwan Square service hall is recommended. The phone number is useful for DiDi registration and ferry ticket purchases. eSIM data-only plans (Airalo, Nomad) work but do not provide a Chinese phone number. Language: Mandarin is spoken everywhere, though the local Beihai dialect (北海话, Běihǎi huà) is a Cantonese-influenced variant that sounds nothing like standard Putonghua. English is rare outside the Crowne Plaza and a handful of Western-oriented cafes on Old Street. A translation app (Pleco, Baidu Translate) is essential. Key phrases: nǐ hǎo (你好, hello), xièxie (谢谢, thank you), duōshǎo qián (多少钱, how much), zhè ge (这个, this one — for pointing at seafood), wèishēngjiān zài nǎlǐ (卫生间在哪里, where is the bathroom). Save your hotel address, the ferry terminal, and "涠洲岛" (Weizhou Island) in Chinese characters on your phone.

What tips, warnings, and things should I avoid in Beihai?

1. WATCH THE FERRY WEATHER. The Weizhou Island ferry is canceled when winds exceed Force 6 on the Beaufort scale (roughly 40 km/h). This happens most often during typhoon season (July-September) but can occur in any month. Always check the ferry status the night before, and never book a same-day flight out of Beihai after a planned ferry return — build a buffer day. The WeChat mini-program "涠洲岛船票" shows real-time ferry status. 2. TYPHOONS ARE REAL. Beihai gets hit by one or two typhoons most years, typically July through September. The effects: ferry cancellations for 2-4 days, heavy rain, strong winds, and sometimes power outages in rural parts of Weizhou Island. Your hotel will advise on precautions. If a typhoon is forecast during your stay, get off the island immediately — once the ferry stops, you are stuck until the weather clears. Check the China Meteorological Administration typhoon tracker online. 3. SUMMER HUMIDITY IS BRUTAL. Not dangerous in the way Changsha's heat is dangerous — Beihai never reaches 38°C — but the 85%+ humidity from June through September means you will be perpetually damp. Clothes do not dry. Electronics fog. If you are prone to heat rash or simply hate humidity, come between October and April. 4. PEARLS ON OLD STREET ARE LARGELY NOT LOCAL. The "Hepu pearls" (南珠) sold in Old Street shops are almost entirely freshwater cultured pearls from Zhejiang province, not genuine Hepu saltwater pearls. Real Hepu pearls are extremely expensive (thousands of yuan for a single high-quality pearl) and sold through specialized dealers, not tourist shops. Buy pearl jewelry on Old Street if you like the look and the price (¥50-300 is typical for a necklace), but do not believe you are buying a genuine local product. 5. WEIZHOU ISLAND SCOOTER SCAMS. When renting a scooter on the island, photograph any existing damage before you ride away. Some operators will claim you caused pre-existing scratches and demand compensation. Reputable guesthouses can recommend honest rental operators — use their contacts rather than approaching touts at the ferry dock. 6. SILVER BEACH IS NOT CANCUN. The beach is beautiful but the beachfront development is functional at best, ugly at worst — a line of concrete hotels, seafood restaurants with plastic tables, and unfinished apartment towers from the real-estate boom. The water is clean but not Caribbean-clear. If you come expecting a tropical paradise, you will be disappointed. Come for a real Chinese beach town with real character, and you will leave happy. 7. THE OLD STREET AFTER 21:00 GETS SKETCHY AT THE EDGES. The main stretch is safe and well-lit, but the side alleys at the far eastern and western ends attract drinkers and the occasional aggressive tout after dark. Stay on the main pedestrian street after 21:00. 8. DO NOT EAT RAW SEAFOOD FROM MARKET STALLS. The seafood in Beihai is fresh and generally safe, but it is not sushi-grade. Eat it cooked. The garlic-grilled oysters, steamed fish, and salt-and-pepper shrimp are all cooked to order and safe. Raw oysters, sashimi-style fish, and marinated raw crab from market stalls carry a risk of food poisoning — skip them. 9. SWIM BETWEEN THE FLAGS AT SILVER BEACH. The designated swimming zones are marked with red and yellow flags and have lifeguards on duty (roughly 08:00-18:00 in summer, shorter hours in winter). The water is generally calm — the Gulf of Tonkin is shallow and protected — but rip currents can form near the headlands at either end of the beach. Stay in the flagged zones. 10. BOOK THE FERRY IN ADVANCE. During July-August, October Golden Week, and Spring Festival, Weizhou Island ferry tickets sell out 3-5 days ahead. The ferry caps daily visitors to the island, and during peak periods, tickets are released in batches on the WeChat mini-program. Ask your hotel to help with the booking or monitor the mini-program yourself. Do not leave the ferry booking until the day before during peak season — you will not get on.

What are the emergency contacts and health information for Beihai?

Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Fire: 119. Traffic accident: 122. Tourist complaint hotline: 12301 (national). These numbers work from any phone. English-speaking operators exist in theory but Mandarin is the practical reality. Your hotel front desk is your best first call — they can translate and coordinate. Hospitals: Beihai People's Hospital (北海市人民医院) is the main public hospital, located in the city center near Beibuwan Square. It has an emergency department and some English-speaking doctors, particularly in the internal medicine department. The Beihai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (北海市中医院) is a secondary option. For serious medical emergencies — major trauma, cardiac events, complicated fractures — evacuation to Nanning (1.5 hours by HSR) or Guangzhou (5 hours by HSR) may be necessary. Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical evacuation is essential. There are no international-standard private clinics in Beihai. On Weizhou Island: the island has a small health clinic (涠洲岛卫生院) in Nanwan Village that can handle minor injuries, cuts, and basic illnesses. For anything serious, you need to get back to the mainland — if the ferry is running, that means a 70-minute ferry ride plus a 30-minute transfer to Beihai People's Hospital. If the ferry is not running, you are dependent on a medical evacuation boat or helicopter, which is expensive and slow. This is the single biggest risk of staying overnight on the island — serious medical emergencies in bad weather are difficult to manage. Travelers with medical conditions should consider whether the island overnight is worth the risk. Tap water is not potable. Bottled water is ¥2-3 per bottle everywhere. Most hotels provide complimentary bottled water and a kettle. Air quality in Beihai is among the best of any Chinese city — consistently good to moderate thanks to the sea breeze and the absence of heavy industry. The annual average AQI is roughly 40-60. Sensitive visitors generally do not need a mask.

Top attractions

Silver Beach (银滩, Yín Tān)

A 24-km stretch of fine white quartz sand on the Beibu Gulf, consistently ranked among China's top beaches. The sand has a high quartz content that makes it glisten silver-white in sunlight and squeak when you walk on it. Free public access with lifeguards, showers, and beach-chair rentals (¥30-50/day).

Weizhou Island (涠洲岛, Wéizhōu Dǎo)

China's largest volcanic island, 36 km south of Beihai in the Gulf of Tonkin. Formed by volcanic eruptions 7,000 years ago, the island has black basalt sea cliffs, lava-tube caves, coral reefs, banana plantations, and a 19th-century Gothic Catholic church. The ferry takes 70-90 minutes (¥150-240 one way). Island entry ticket ¥98 (essentially a mandatory park fee).

Beihai Old Street (北海老街, Běihǎi Lǎo Jiē)

A 1.4-km pedestrian street lined with qilou (骑楼) arcade buildings — a hybrid Chinese-European architectural style brought to Southeast Asian treaty ports in the 19th century. Built between 1883 and the 1920s, the street is now a mix of pearl shops, souvenir stalls, seafood restaurants, and small cafes. Best visited at dusk when the old street lamps come on. Free.

Weizhou Island Catholic Church (涠洲岛天主教堂, Wéizhōu Dǎo Tiānzhǔ Jiàotáng)

Built by French missionaries between 1853 and 1880 using coral rock and volcanic stone, this Gothic Revival church in Shengtang Village is a startling sight among banana groves. It survived the Cultural Revolution and still holds services for the island's small Catholic community. Free entry.

Golden Bay Mangrove Forest (金海湾红树林, Jīnhǎi Wān Hóngshùlín)

A protected coastal wetland with 2,000 hectares of mangrove forest on the eastern edge of Beihai. Boardwalk trails wind through the mangroves; local fishermen demonstrate traditional net-casting and mudflat harvesting. ¥105 entry including the wetland park. Best at low tide when the mudflats are exposed and migratory birds feed.

Beihai Underwater World (北海海底世界, Běihǎi Hǎidǐ Shìjiè)

A large aquarium on the eastern end of Silver Beach with a walk-through shark tunnel, tropical fish displays, and a pearl-exhibition hall explaining Beihai's famous Hepu pearl (南珠, Nánzhū) farming tradition. ¥148 as of June 2026. Good for families with children or rainy-day backup.

Former British Consulate (英国领事馆旧址, Yīngguó Lǐngshìguǎn Jiùzhǐ)

A two-story colonial building from 1885, one of the best-preserved treaty-port era structures in Beihai. Now a small museum with period photographs and exhibits on Beihai's treaty-port history. Free entry, tucked away near the Old Street area. The adjacent former French and German consulate buildings are less well preserved but still standing.

Beibuwan Square (北部湾广场, Běibù Wān Guǎngchǎng)

The central plaza of modern Beihai, dominated by a large sculpture of a pearl and shells (a nod to Beihai's pearl-farming heritage). Surrounded by shopping malls, banks, and local restaurants. The square fills with locals in the evening for dancing, roller-skating, and street food. Free.

Frequently asked questions

Is Beihai worth visiting for foreign tourists?
Yes, if you want a Chinese beach destination with character rather than polish. Beihai is not a resort town — it is a real coastal city with a fishing-port history, a treaty-port architectural legacy, and a beach (Silver Beach) that is genuinely world-class in its sand quality. Weizhou Island is the clincher: a volcanic island with basalt cliffs, banana plantations, a 19th-century Catholic church, and a pace of life that feels like stepping back 30 years. Beihai works best as a 3-4 day coastal break within a larger Guangxi or southern China itinerary. It is not a first-time-China destination; it is a perfect addition for second-time visitors who have seen the marquee cities and want something quieter.
How many days do I need in Beihai?
Two full days for Beihai city only (Silver Beach, Old Street, Qiaogang food, the consulates, Golden Bay). Four to five days if including Weizhou Island with an overnight stay — which I strongly recommend. The island deserves at least one full day and one night; the day-trip rush (ferry in, scooter loop, ferry out) misses the quiet evening and the sunrise, which are the best parts. A well-paced 4-day itinerary: Day 1 Beihai mainland, Day 2 ferry to Weizhou Island early, Day 3 morning on the island then afternoon ferry back, Day 4 Old Street and departure.
How do I get to Weizhou Island and how much does it cost?
Ferries depart from Beihai International Passenger Terminal (北海国际客运港), about 6 km south of the city center. The fast ferry takes 70 minutes (¥240 one way as of June 2026); the slower ferry takes 90 minutes (¥150). There is also a mandatory island entry ticket of ¥98, bought at the ferry terminal or online. Total round-trip cost: roughly ¥430-580 per person including entry. Ferries run 3-6 times daily depending on season and weather. Book via the WeChat mini-program "涠洲岛船票" or through your hotel. During summer holidays and October Golden Week, book 3-5 days ahead. The ferry cancels in rough weather — check the night before.
What is the best time of year to visit Beihai?
November is the single best month: dry, sunny, 19-25°C, warm sea from the accumulated summer heat, no crowds, low hotel prices, and the seafood at its autumn peak. October (after the Golden Week holiday, i.e., October 8-31) and March-May are also good. Avoid June-September: high humidity, typhoon risk, ferry cancellations possible, and July-August are peak domestic tourism with crowded beaches and sold-out hotels. Avoid the first week of October (National Day Golden Week) and the first week of May (Labour Day) when prices spike and every hotel and ferry sells out.
Can I swim at Silver Beach?
Yes, and it is excellent for swimming. The water is warm (22-29°C depending on season), the slope is gentle enough that children can wade safely, and the designated swimming zones have lifeguards on duty during daylight hours. Swim between the red and yellow flags. The swimming season runs roughly April through November; December-March the water is cool (18-22°C) and most Chinese visitors stay on the sand, but the water is swimmable by northern European standards. The beach has public showers (¥10), changing rooms, and beach-chair rentals (¥30-50 per day).
What is there to do on Weizhou Island?
Scooter around the island (25 km circumference, 2 hours with stops), explore the Crocodile Mountain volcanic crater and lava-tube caves, visit the 19th-century Catholic Church in Shengtang Village, snorkel at Shiluokou and Dishuicun beaches (gear rental ¥50-80/day, tropical fish and occasional sea turtles visible), photograph the eroded lava platforms at Wucai Tan at sunrise, eat fresh seafood at the Nanwan village restaurants, walk through banana plantations, and in the evening, sit on a beach with a beer and watch the stars. The island is quiet, rural, and genuinely beautiful. Stay overnight — the day-trippers leave at 16:00.
Is Beihai family-friendly?
Yes, more so than most Chinese cities. Silver Beach is shallow and safe for children, with lifeguards, showers, and beach-chair rentals. The Underwater World aquarium is kid-oriented with a walk-through shark tunnel and touch pools. The Golden Bay Mangrove boardwalks are stroller-accessible. Seafood restaurants accommodate families easily — most have round tables, high chairs on request, and mild dishes available. The main challenges: the summer humidity is hard on young children, the ferry to Weizhou Island can be rough (bring motion-sickness medication), and the island roads are unpaved in places, making strollers difficult. Beihai works best for families with children age 5 and up.
Can I use Alipay and WeChat Pay in Beihai?
Yes, at most businesses. Hotels, larger restaurants, the ferry terminal, Silver Beach facilities, and supermarkets all accept mobile payment. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard before you travel. However, Beihai has more cash-only situations than tier-1 cities: seafood-market vendors, street-food stalls, scooter rental operators on Weizhou Island, small guesthouses, and some Old Street shops prefer or require cash. Carry ¥300-500 in cash. ATMs at major banks around Beibuwan Square accept foreign cards.
What is the best seafood experience in Beihai?
The Qiaogang model: go to Qiaogang Seafood Market (侨港市场) in the late afternoon, buy live seafood from the market stalls — crabs (¥40-80/jin), shrimp (¥30-60/jin), oysters (¥3-8 each), a whole fish (¥30-60) — and take it to one of the cookshop restaurants surrounding the market. They cook it to order for ¥15-30 per dish. Specify how you want each item cooked: salt-and-pepper for shrimp (椒盐, jiāo yán), garlic-grilled for oysters (蒜蓉烤, suàn róng kǎo), steamed with ginger and scallions for fish (清蒸, qīng zhēng), stir-fried with chili for crab (香辣炒, xiāng là chǎo). A seafood feast for two with beer costs roughly ¥120-200 total. Pointing and holding up fingers works if you do not speak Mandarin.
Is Beihai safe for solo travelers?
Yes. Violent crime is very rare. The main risks are natural: typhoon-season ferry cancellations, summer humidity, and the remote location of Weizhou Island (limited medical facilities). Beihai is walkable and the buses are safe. Solo women should exercise standard caution at night on the quieter stretches of Silver Beach — the main beach area near the lifeguard station is well-lit and populated, but the far eastern and western ends of the 24-km beach are isolated after dark. The Old Street is safe until about 21:00; after that, stay on the main pedestrian drag.
What language do they speak in Beihai?
Mandarin (Putonghua) is spoken by everyone under 60. The local dialect (北海话, Běihǎi huà) is a Cantonese-influenced variant that is nearly unintelligible to other Mandarin speakers, but locals switch to standard Mandarin for outsiders. English is rare — the Crowne Plaza, a couple of Old Street cafes aimed at Western tourists, and occasionally younger staff at the Underwater World have basic English. A translation app and Chinese-character notes for your destinations are essential. Fewer than 5% of Beihai residents speak functional English.
Do I need to book Weizhou Island accommodation in advance?
Yes, especially for weekends and holidays. The island has roughly 200 guesthouses and small hotels, and during July-August and the October Golden Week, they fill completely. Book at least one week ahead for peak periods, 2-3 days ahead for weekdays in the shoulder season. Use Trip.com (English) or Meituan (Chinese). Most guesthouses will pick you up from the ferry dock if arranged in advance — contact them via the booking platform's messaging system. If you arrive without a booking in peak season, you may find yourself on the 16:00 ferry back to the mainland.
Can I visit Vietnam from Beihai?
Not directly. Despite being closer to Hanoi (roughly 400 km as the crow flies) than to Nanning, there is no direct ferry or flight from Beihai to Vietnam. The nearest Vietnam border crossings are at Dongxing (东兴, 200 km west by bus, roughly 3.5 hours) and Pingxiang (凭祥, 300 km northwest, via Nanning). Beihai is not a practical gateway to Vietnam. If you want to combine Beihai with Vietnam, fly from Nanning to Hanoi (1 hour) after finishing the Beihai leg of your trip.
What should I pack for Beihai?
Swimwear (obviously), sunscreen (reef-safe if you plan to snorkel on Weizhou), a wide-brimmed hat, insect repellent (essential for the mangroves and the island evenings), light breathable clothing year-round, a light jacket or sweater for winter evenings (December-February temperatures drop to 14-18°C), sandals that can get wet, comfortable walking shoes for the Old Street and the volcanic trails on Weizhou, motion-sickness medication for the Weizhou ferry (the Gulf of Tonkin can be choppy), a VPN pre-installed on your phone, a translation app with offline Chinese, and cash (¥300-500). If visiting in summer, pack extra shirts — you will sweat through them.
Is Beihai a good place to buy pearls?
It is a good place to learn about pearls but a complicated place to buy them. The pearl exhibition at the Underwater World and the small pearl museum near the Old Street explain the Hepu pearl (南珠) tradition well. However, the vast majority of "Hepu pearls" sold in tourist shops are freshwater cultured pearls from Zhejiang, not genuine Hepu saltwater pearls. Real Hepu saltwater pearls are rare and expensive — ¥500-5,000+ for a single high-quality pearl. If you want pearl jewelry as a souvenir, buy from Old Street shops in the ¥50-300 range and treat it as costume jewelry rather than an investment. For genuine Hepu pearls, you need a specialist dealer recommended by a local contact. The Beihai Pearl Market (北海珍珠城) near Beibuwan Square has a wider selection and marginally better transparency than the Old Street shops.
What is the single best thing to do in Beihai?
Spend a night on Weizhou Island. Take the morning ferry, rent a scooter, explore the volcanic cliffs and the Catholic church and the banana plantations, swim at a near-empty beach in the afternoon, eat seafood at a village restaurant as the sun sets, and wake up early to watch the sunrise from the Wucai Tan lava platforms. The day-trippers get a rushed version. The overnight is what makes it a memory. If you do only one thing in Beihai beyond Silver Beach, make it a Weizhou Island overnight.

References

  1. Beihai Government — Official Portal
  2. Wikipedia — Beihai
  3. Travel China Guide — Beihai
  4. China Discovery — Beihai Travel
  5. Wikitravel — Beihai
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