Located in Hebei Province, Qinhuangdao is a famous port in the north of China. In 215 BC, China's first emperor Qin Shihuang visited there, hence the name Qinhuangdao (in Chinese, the island of Qin's Emperor). As one of the first outstanding tourist cities in China, it is rich in tourism, including the time-honoured great walls, famous summer resort Beidaihe River and the gorgeous Changli Golden Beach.
Location: The city is in the northeast of Hebei Province. It faces the Bohai Sea, and is about 280 km (174 miles) from Beijing, 220 km (137 miles) from Tianjin and 483 km (300 miles) from Shijiazhuang.
Physical Features: The city is located at the plain area in front of Yanshan Mountain. The land slopes down from north to south, comprising of the northern mountainous area, hilly area, basin area, river plain and coastal area.
Area: 7,812.4 sq km (3,016.4 sq mi)
Zip Code: 066000
Area Code: 0335
Nationalities: Han, Manchu, Hui, Chaoxian, Mongolian, Zhuang
Products: corn, rice, wheat, sweat potato, peanut, apple, pear, grape, hawthorn, honey peach, Chinese chestnut, walnut, seafood.
Climate
Qinhuangdao has a temperate monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 10°C (50°F). In the coldest month, January, the temperature averages -5°C (23°F); whilst in the hottest month, July, the mean temperature is around 23.6°C (74.5° F). The average annual precipitation is 736.3 mm.
Best Time to Visit: May to October is the best time to visit Beidai River; June to August for other places in the city; spring and autumn are the best seasons for bird watching.
Attractions
Great Walls: Shanhaiguan Pass, First Pass under Heaven, Laolongtou Great Wall, Meng Jiangnü Temple
Coastal Resort: Beidaihe River Scenic Area, Nandaihe River Scenic Area, Emerald Island, Golden Beach
Historical Sites: Sites of Temporary Palace of Qin Shihuang, Site of Guzhou Kingdom
Others: Xin'ao Ocean World, Safari Park , Changshou Mountain, Geziwo
Transportation
Airport: Qinhuangdao Shanhaiguan Airport is about 13 km (8.1 miles) from the city center. It operates regular flights from/to Shanghai, Nanjing, Dalian, Yantai, Shenzhen, Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. There are airport shuttle buses between the airport and the Civil Aviation Mansion in the city center. From the Civil Aviation Mansion, visitors can take bus No. 34 to the Beidaihe River Scenic Area.
Railway Station: There are four railway stations in the city: the Qinhuangdao Railway Station, Shanhaiguan Railway Station, Beidaihe Railway Station, and Changli Railway Station.
Qinhuangdao Station and Beidaihe Station have been closed for renovation since October 2010. Visitors who are planning to visit the Beidaihe River Scenic Area or hoping to get to Qinhuangdao by train, can get off at Longjiaying Railway Station or Changli Railway Station. From Longjiaying Railway Station to Beidaihe Scenic Area take bus No. 38 to Qinhuang Xiaoqu, and walk to the west gate of Qinhuang Xiaoqu to take bus No. 34 to Beidaihe Haibin Long-distance Bus Station. It is reported that the Beidaihe Railway Station will reopen in July 2011.
If you get to Changli Railway Station, you can go to the long-distance bus station next to the railway station to take buses to Qinhudangdao City. The station operates regular trains to/from Taiyuan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Harbin, Hangzhou, Xuzhou, Tianjin, Baotou, Xian, Changchun, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, and Shijiazhuang.
Visitors who wish to visit the Shanhaiguan Pass should go to Shanhaiguan Railway Station. There are regular trains from/to Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun,
Long-distance Bus Station:
Qinhuangdao Long-distance Bus Station operates regular coaches to neighbouring cities, including Baoding, Chengde, Shijiazhuang, Beijing, Tanggu, Shenyang, and Jinan. The buses to Shijiazhuang depart at 08:00 and 08:15, and arrive around 14:00.
Coaches to/from Beiing, Tianjin, Chengde, Zhengzhou, and Shijiazhuang are also available at the Beidaihe Binhai Long-distance Bus Station.
Visitors arriving in Beijing by plane and wish to go to Qinhuangdao can take the airport express bus from the Beijing Capital International Airport. The journey takes 4 hours and costs CNY 130. Departure time from Capital Airport: 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18;00, 19:00, 21:00; from Qinhuangdao: 05:00, 06:00, 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 17:00.
Ferry: There are ferries from Qinhuangdao to Korean Inchon International Ferry Terminal. The ferries depart every Wednesday and Sunday, and an economy cabin ticket is CNY 900 per person.
Buses: Public buses are very convenient in the city. Visitors can get direct buses between the famous attractions.
Travel Tips
Food: The seafood in Qinhuangdao is worth a try. The famous dishes are: Crab Roe and Fish, Steamed Red Porgy, Pepper Shrimp Shred, and Fry and Roast Prawn.
Famous Snacks: Sesame Mutton, Hui's Green Bean Cake, Zhao's Jiaozi, Sitiao Steamed Stuffed Bun, Changli Grape Topped with Caramel Sugar, Qinhuang Chicken, and Great Wall Boluo Cookie.
Shopping: Arts and Crafts made of shells are major souvenirs in the city. Large shopping malls: Qinhuangdao Mall, Jinyuan Mall, Liangman Shopping Square, Hualian Mall and Jindu Shopping Square. There are also many shops near the Beidaihe River Scenic Area and Nandaihe Scenic Spot.
During Your Trip: If you visit Qinhuangdao in the Summer, avoid going at weekends, because it will be very crowded either in the scenic area or in buses. If you go with a group of three or four, you are strongly recommended to rent or hire a car to travel around which costs around CNY 100 per day.
