Beihai travel guide

Beihai is bordered by the sea on its north, south and west sides, so the main way to get in and out is by air, while within the province buses are the main mode of transport.

Beihai Airport is 24 km from the city centre and has direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and other cities. A taxi to the airport generally costs around ¥60.

Beihai Railway Station is located at the junction of Beijing Road and Zhanqian Road in the city centre. At present, high-speed trains and EMUs run directly to Beihai from Guangzhou, Dali and Kunming. Visitors from other cities need to travel first to Nanning or Guilin, then change to a train for Beihai.

Beihai Nanzhu Coach Station is Beihai's largest long-distance bus station, located on East Beibu Gulf Road. Daily direct luxury express buses run to and from Nanning. Other buses go to Guilin, Wuzhou, Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Shenzhen, Liuzhou, Yulin, Qinzhou, Dongxing, Hepu and more.

Waterways are also one of the main ways to enter and leave Beihai, with connections to Haikou, Guangzhou, Weizhou Island, Tokyo and Singapore.

Beihai's sea routes: the Beihai–Ha Long Bay–Haiphong–Hanoi route is China's first sea-based international tourism route, and it pioneered the practice of travelling abroad without a passport. Setting sail from Beihai, you can reach Vietnam's Ha Long Bay in 10 hours.

Tickets for destinations across China can be booked at Beihai up to 12 days in advance.

The small-item luggage storage counter at the Passenger Transport Center only accepts bags until 17:30 each day.

Beihai Bus No. 3 passes many attractions, including Beibu Gulf Square, the International Passenger Port, Beach Park and Yinwan (Silver Beach). It is a popular choice among sightseers.

1. Be mindful of the weather and avoid sailing in rough conditions.

2. Book boat tickets in advance during public holidays.

3. Bring motion sickness medication.

The Danjia (boat-dwelling) fishing folk once lived mostly on small boats, making the vessel their home. Their boats were so small they were likened to eggs, hence the name “Dan” people. Along the Beihai coast there are broadly three types of Dan people: the Oyster Dan, who make their living harvesting oysters and fishing; the Pearl Dan, who mainly harvest pearls and also fish in shallow waters; and the Fishing Dan, who live by catching fish.

City buses are all unmanned, so fares are paid on board. An important stop is the one on Sichuan South Road beside Baoyi Building, on the west side of Beibu Gulf Square, which provides direct links to Qiaogang Town and Yinwan.

The Beibu Gulf is one of China's four major fishing grounds. Beihai's cuisine centres on seafood. Beibu Gulf seafood includes crab, sea cucumber, scallops, abalone, shark fin, sandworm, grouper, stingray, squid, cuttlefish, prawns and a wide variety of shellfish. Not trying the seafood means you have not really been to Beihai.

Beihai's flavours are mainly Cantonese, though there are also quite a few restaurants that specialise in Sichuan cuisine.

Waishayu Island, once famous for its seafood street stalls, has been developed into the Waishayu Seafood Island, but prices there are high. It is better to head to the street stalls or restaurants across from Yinwan, where the seafood is both fresh and cheap.

When staying in Beihai, be sure to stay by the sea. For independent travellers, it isn't hard to find a good guesthouse near the sea that is also affordable.

Around Yinwan there are many resorts and hotels with full facilities.

Pearls and seafood products are likely to be the souvenirs that tempt almost everyone who visits Beihai. The variety on offer and the huge range of prices are unmatched anywhere in China. Unfortunately, the chance of being ripped off is high, yet even when people know this, many find it hard to resist their appeal.