A Concise History of the City: From the Maritime Silk Road to Striving for Maritime Greatness
Beihai, a coastal city named the “Pearl City,” carries the genetic imprint of two millennia of maritime civilization. As early as the Han Dynasty, Hepu Port served as one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, witnessing the convergence of civilizations through the exchange of silk from the Central Plains with Persian agate and Roman glass. After opening as a treaty port in 1876, the legendary commercial sagas beneath the arcades of Beihai’s Old Street have endured to this day. The relics of British, French, and German consulates, alongside the bustling life around the Twin Wells, jointly etch the city’s memory of “living by the sea.”
As one of China’s first batch of coastal open cities, Beihai’s openness has never waned. From the whistles of 10,000-ton vessels at Tieshan Port to the emergence of the “6+2” maritime industrial clusters such as photovoltaic glass and offshore wind power, the city is now writing a modern chapter of “continuous ship traffic and thriving commercial missions” in its role as a pivotal hub of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Geography and Climate: Nature’s Gift at 21° North Latitude
Located at the southern tip of Guangxi, Beihai is shaped by its peninsular terrain surrounded by the sea on three sides, forming the graceful arc of the 24-kilometer Silver Beach. The volcanic rocks of Weizhou Island and mangrove wetlands together weave an ecological tapestry. Bathed in a subtropical monsoon climate, the city enjoys an annual average temperature of 22.6°C, with mild winters and cool summers. Boasting a negative oxygen ion concentration of up to 5,000/cm³ in the air, it earns the title of “China’s Largest Natural Oxygen Bar.” Its perpetually pleasant climate has made Beihai a top destination for “migratory” travelers from northern China, while also nurturing abundant seafood and tropical fruits.
Beihai on the Tip of the Tongue: A Symphony of Freshness from Deep Seas to Backstreets
- Qiaogang Flavor Street: Beihai’s Interpretation of Vietnamese Taste Buds
- Vietnamese Rice Rolls: A collective memory of overseas Vietnamese descendants in Qiaogang Town. These thin rice sheets, steamed from rice milk, wrap minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, and dried shrimp, then drenched in a tangy-sweet sauce—a perennial breakfast queue magnet.
- Crab Roe Noodles: A broth simmered with crab roe and tomatoes imparts a golden hue to the rice noodles, while a squeeze of lime juice awakens the flavors in a lively dance.
- Sweet Soup Scene: Locust flower powder, Chinlown herbal soup, chicken feces thistle rice cakes… Beihai locals use brown sugar syrup to temper the humidity across seasons, with ice-kissed sweet soup stalls bustling every night.
- Seafood Extravaganza: From the Sea Opening Festival to Street Stalls
- Weizhou Island’s “16-Year-Old” Seafood: During the annual Sea Opening Season, fishermen dub freshly matured seafood as “16-year-olds”—a metaphor for peak freshness. Steamed grouper, salt-and-pepper mantis shrimp, and sashimi-grade sipunculus worms (sandworms) represent the ocean’s unadulterated gift to the palate.
- Waisha Island’s Danka Cuisine: From Danka boat porridge, bean curd stewed with sand crab sauce, to steamed flower crab with silken egg custard, the Danka people have encapsulated a millennium of fishing ballads in their kitchen hearths.
Must-Visit Destinations: A Dialogue Between Sea and City Across Time and Space
- Silver Beach: Unlocking China’s “Number One Beach” in Countless Ways
- Tide Sculpture Light Show: As night falls, the 66-meter-tall “Tide” sculpture pulses with music-synchronized colors, while lasers project galactic illusions across the sand.
- Marine Sports Paradise: Jet skis slice through azure waves, windsurfers chase the setting sun, or take a helicopter tour to savor the grandeur of “Ten Li Silver Beach” from above.
- Weizhou Island: Whispers Between Volcanoes and Coral Reefs
- Crocodile Mountain Volcanic Park: Trek along boardwalks through volcanic crater ruins, where marine erosion landforms and emerald vegetation create scenes straight from a geology textbook.
- Dripping Sands Cliff: Coral stone cliffs drip with water droplets that transform into golden threads at sunset, as fishermen cast lines and tourists splash in the waves below—a shared slice of coastal paradise.
- Nanwan Street: Nestled in colorful seaside houses, the Instagram-famous “16-Year-Old Seafood” restaurant offers terrace seating where diners watch fishing boats glide home against a backdrop of sunset hues.
- Maritime Silk Road First Port: A Time-Traveling Tapestry of Commerce and Life
- Panoramic Interactive Performance: Actors in Hanfu robes weave through docks, trading houses, and bazaars, inviting visitors to haggle over prices or even get “drafted” into a caravan crew.
- Seaboard Promenade Light Show: When moonlight and electric beams simultaneously illuminate the harbor, it feels as though Han Dynasty merchant vessels and modern cruise ships are sailing through overlapping timelines.
- Qiaogang Town: A Culinary Landmark of Overseas Chinese Culture
- Fishing Port Morning Market: At 5 AM, fishermen lay out freshly caught mantis shrimp and squid on dockside stalls, where prices hover at half of downtown rates.
- Hezai Street: Deep-fried Shuihe (steamed rice cakes), Xiazaihe (shrimp rice cakes), and Jiwuhe (glutinous rice cakes) sizzle in oil vats—a ritualistic “morning feast” for Beihai locals.
Cultural Codes: From Hakka Fortresses to Tianfei Beliefs
- Quzhang Hakka Earth Fortresses: Nestled in the mountains of Hepu County, these rammed-earth complexes merge defensive structures with ancestral halls, bearing witness to the pioneering spirit of Central Plains migrants.
- Weizhou Island’s Sanpo Temple: A Hakka variation on Mazu worship thrives on this volcanic isle. During temple fairs, devotees parade deities through streets as fishing ballads and firecracker blasts resonate across sea and sky.
Urban Reverberations: A Symbiosis of “Migratory Birds” and Makers
Today’s Beihai serves as both a haven for “migratory elderly” and a utopia for digital nomads. Along Silver Beach, makerspaces pulse with the energy of youth reinventing coastal life through coffee and code, while Qiaogang’s Overseas Vietnamese Gourmet Association live-streams Vietnamese rice rolls to global audiences. This city’s inclusivity declares a truth: to embrace all rivers is to embody the essence of Beihai.
Epilogue
Beihai—a city that wears history on its sleeve and serves the ocean in a bowl. Here, every grain of sand whispers Silk Road tales, and every noodle roll carries the briny kiss of sea breezes. When the tides of an ancient port harmonize with the neon glow of modernity, this “Pearl City” unfurls its eternal maritime charm to the world, authentically, unapologetically Beihai.
