Qinhuangdao is a beautiful coastal city known for its freezing-free nice port,historical town of Shanhaiguan and summer resort Beidaihe.Located in the northeast of Hebei Province with Bohai Sea on the south,Mt.Yanshan on the north,Liaoning Province on the east and Beijing and Tianjin to the west,Qinhuangdao joins Northeast China and North China as a transportation connection in the middle of Round Bohai Sea Economic Rim.Qinhuangdao covers a total area of 7812.4 square kilometers and has a population of 2.73 million.
In 215 BC,China’s first emperor Qinshihuang arrived in Jieshi (ancient name of Qinhuangdao) on his fourth eastern inspection and sent Lusheng and Han Zhong out to the sea to look for the immortal for him.Qinhuangdao thus got its name.Qinhuangdao is the only city in China that was named after an emperor.
Qinhuangdao has a long history of tourism.In 1898,the Qing Dynasty government opened Qinhuangdao as a commercial port and made Beidaihe a summer resort for foreigners.Well-known people came to Qinhuangdao from home and abroad in large numbers.In 1954,a great man Mao Zedong stood here watching the sea and wrote the immortal poem entitled “Langtousha Beidaihe”,which made Qinhuangdao known more widely.In 1979,the State Council confirmed Qinhuangdao a class A open up tourist city.In 1984,the State Council approved Qinhuangdao one of the first cities opened to the outside world.In 1998,Qinhuangdao was honorably entitled one of China’s first excellent tourist cities.
Qinhuangdao enjoys pleasant climate,splendid landscape and beautiful scenery with the Great Wall running through to make a world-known tourist resort.The coastline stretches 126.4 kilometers.Over 40 scenery areas such as the First Pass Under Heaven,the Old Dragon’s head,the Pigeons’ Nest,the Golden Beach,Emperor Qinshihuang’s Immortal-seeking Seaside,Mt.Zushan Scenic Area,Qinhuangdao Wildlife Park and Shanhaiguan Customs Museum,joining up to become a tourist system of the Great Wall,the beaches and ecological tours.The best liked among them are splendid tours of the Great Wall culture,beach holidays,historical surveys,bird-watching,celebrity villas,National Geology Park,mountain sightseeing and sports tours ,together with local culture tours of Shanhaiguan Great Wall Festival,Lady Mengjiang Temple Fair,Sea-watching Fair and Changli Dry Red Wine Festival.Shanhaiguan and the Old Dragon’s Head,together with Beidaihe Beach are both elected “Top 40 Tourist Destinations of China”.Till 2003,the National Tourist Administration has granted 4 A titles to Shanhaiguan scenic areas (including the Old Dragon’s Head,the First Pass Under Heaven,Lady Mengjiang Temple and the Horn Hill),Xin’ao Marine World,the Wildlife Park,Nandaihe Amusement Center,Jifa Agricultural Sightseeing Park,Yansai Lake and Longevity Hill,the largest in number in Hebei Province.
Qinhuangdao has developed sufficient tourist functional services.56 star hotels,over 400 health resorts,180 thousand beds for visitors,78 travel agencies,96 designated hotels and shops and over 4500 tour buses can well satisfy tourist demands of eating,living,traveling,shopping and entertainment.Qinhuangdao receives over 8 million tourists a year.Tourism has become a backbone industry and a new economic growth point.
Qinhuangdao is home of fruits well known in northern China.Widely liked are crabs and prawns,Changli grapes,Shanhaiguan cherries and wild Chinese gooseberries,as well as chestnuts and walnuts.
Qinhuangdao enjoys sufficient transportation.State highways No.102 and No.205 and railways of Beijing-Shenyang,Beijing-Qinhuangdao,Datong-Qinhuangdao and Qinhuangdao-Shenyang express railway join in the city.The Beijing-Qinhuangdao expressway shortens the trip to Beijing to only 2 hours.Shanhaiguan Airport has flights to Beijing,Guangzhou,Shanghai and some other big cities.Passenger ship liners are in service from Qinhuangdao to Dalian,Yantai and Inchon of Korea.The developed transport network makes tours simple and easy in Qinhuangdao.
Qinhuangdao is building itself as a Great Wall seaside park to become a city strong in tourism.A pearl shining gloriously at Bohai Sea coast,Qinhuangdao will offer its visitors more splendid tours and wonderful holidays.
