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IN March 2009, Chinas top 10 seaside tourist cities were unveiled in an online survey conducted jointly by sohu.com, a leading Chinese Internet portal, and Enjoy World, a popular electronic tourist magazine. Tourism experts, journalists, independent travelers, and more than one million netizens voted Sanya, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Zhuhai, Rizhao, Xiamen, Beihai, Dalian, Haikou and Ningbo as their favorite seaside destinations.

Traditional Resorts

Of the 10 cities, Sanya, Haikou and Qinhuangdao are traditional destinations for millions of urbanites seeking to escape the summer heat of inland cities.

Sanya and Haikou on Chinas southernmost island province of Hainan are often compared to Hawaii, given a tropical climate and landscape that make them unlike any other Chinese seaside locale. Apart from marine sightseeing and recreational activities, golfing has boomed in recent years at both summer resorts. Sanyas Yalong Bay Golf Club, in particular, has distinguished itself by hosting a number of international professional tournaments, leading to its selection by the American golf magazine, Golf Digest, as one of the top 10 greens in China.

However, it is their exotic tropical scenery that lures millions of inlanders, with Sanyas Jianfeng Ridge rainforest and Yalong Bay, and Haikous Dongzhaigang mangrove forest standing out as their emblematic natural tourism destinations.

Jianfeng Ridge, 90 kilometers north of Sanya city proper, has the largest tropical primeval rainforest in China, home to 75 percent of the plant species and 85 percent of wildlife species found on Hainan Island. Experts claim that the biotic integrity and diversity of the vegetation coverage is comparable to that of the Amazon River. Towering ancient trees, sprawling climbers and gurgling streams can be seen everywhere, as well as the ethereal mists that drift over the forest park. Now the park offers several ecological and adventure sightseeing routes.

Twenty-five kilometers southeast of the city lies Yalong Bay, where a rolling green terrain hugs a body of calm and azure-blue sea. A visibility of more than 10 meters in depth allows visitors to seewell-preserved corals and colorful tropical fish. The silver sands of the bay are fine, making a soft beach for the sunbather, and the local climate is also congenial.

The 4,000-hectare Dongzhaigang Mangrove Forest sits 30 kilometers from downtown Haikou. During high tides, the dense woods are submerged in water, exposing only their crowns. Tourists can take a boat cruise through the forest of crowns.

Qinhuangdao is located 280 kilometers from Beijing in the northeastern tip of Hebei Province; it is embraced by a 124-km-long coastline of the Bohai Sea. Qinhuangdao beaches are known for their fine sand, ample sunshine and gentle waves, and most of them are clustered in Beidaihe and Nandaihe.

In the late 19th century, people of the upper classes and Westerners began to build villas at Beidaihe, and by 1949, 719 of them had been erected, including 483 built by foreigners in various alien architectural styles. In addition, Beidaihe also has a well-preserved 19th-century railway station constructed by the British. Old photos testify to the popularity of the summer resort for foreigners residing in China, and it is said that even rickshaw boys were able to speak a few words of English.

Ningbo in Zhejiang Province lies 300 kilometers from Shanghai. The city is the birthplace of the 7,000-year-old Hemudu Culture, the starting point of the Marine Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and also one of the three foreign trade ports of that time (the other two being Yangzhou and Guangzhou). Ningbo is famed for its Buddhist heritage; the Asoka Temple houses the pearl-like cremated remains of Sakyamuni; Xuedou Mountain is a Buddhist center in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces; and the Baoguo Temple is the oldest wooden structure south of the Yangtze River.

Ningbo is also the cradle of Chinese merchants. Compared with their Wenzhou counterparts, Ningbo merchants are more inclined toward big endeavors, and one-fourth of Shanghais shrewd business tycoons are said to be natives of Ningbo. Shipping magnate Bao Yugang (Sir Yue-kong Pao, 1918-1991) was an iconic Ningbo businessman. Ningbo is also an original hometown of many overseas Chinese; more than 300,000 people of Ningbo origin reside in more than 50 countries and regions around the world.

Xiamen in Fujian Province sits on the southeastern coast, and its Gulangyu Islet epitomizes the refined urban culture of the city. The 2-sq-km islet is separated from Xiamen by the 600-meter-wide Lujiang River, but can be reached by a five-minute ferry ride.

Gulangyu is nicknamed Piano Islet. There are more than 700 pianos for a local population of 20,000, averaging one for every ten families. Many of the families are dynastic pianists, and have produced some of the best pianists and musicians domestically and internationally, such as pianists Yin Chengzong and Kong Xiangdong, and conductor Chen Zuohuang. The municipal music school, concert hall, symphony orchestra and piano museum are located on this islet. On holidays, family piano concerts are often held, and it is not uncommon for three generations to play together.

New Holiday Resorts

Rizhao, Zhuhai and Beihai are latecomers compared with the aforementioned seaside resorts.

Rizhao is 800 kilometers from Beijing in the southern part of the Shandong Peninsula. In terms of commercial prosperity and service facilities, it pales beside its big brother Qingdao on the northern coast of the peninsula. However, it is a convenient getaway from urban bustle and has the same climate and beaches. When the traditional seaside resorts around Beijing become crowded, many Beijing urbanites go to Rizhao.

Rizhao also offers good prices for a seafood feast. Wangjiazao is a popular seafood catering community with many eateries to choose from. Locals too go there for seafood delicacies, as a meal averages a reasonable RMB 30 per person.

Zhuhai, on the southern coast of Guangdong Province, is close to Hong Kong and Macao. It is one of the earliest special economic zones in China, and, as a new seaside resort, is characterized by tranquility, cleanliness and fresh air. The city has an attractive long coastline, with 146 islets.

Marine hot springs are whats unique to Zhuhai. The Ocean Spring Resort, 30 kilometers from city proper, is currently the most frequented holiday destination of the city. According to the operator, the high-quality, crystal-clear spring originates deep in the sea, and is rich in minerals and trace elements.

Beihai is a small and relatively young city on the southern coast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Like Rizhao and Zhuhai, it is also a place for repose with fresh air and fine beaches. The best known is Silver Beach, though many outsiders prefer Weizhou Island, the largest island in Guangxi and the youngest volcanic island in China. Weizhou features beautiful tropical vegetation, fantastic lava terrain, and a wonderful land topography as a consequence of sea erosion and sedimentation. The sea is so clear that the sunlight pierces through and reveals the seabed. Weizhou has 16,000 residents, and interestingly, a third of them are Catholics.