So many places in the sun

By Lin Qi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-21 14:02

Hui'an nu, known for their striking beauty and colorful costume, is an attraction at the Chongwu beaches of Quanzhou, Fujian province. Luo Wengang

China's coastline offers a variety of seaside escapes, each of which has its own unique attractions.

Chengshantou

The sands of time have made this one of China's most historical beaches. Located at the eastern end of the Chengshan mountain range in Rongcheng, Shandong province, it was also known as "the end of heaven" (Tianjintou) in ancient times, because it was the first place from which the sunrise could be seen in the country. Consequently, ancient inhabitants believed it was the home of the sun god.

Ying Zheng, or Qinshihuang (the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty), made two visits here in 219 BC and 210 BC and the area today is host to a multitude of Qin Dynasty (BC 221-206) relics. Among the most famous of these is Shihuang Temple, which was built as a temporary palace for his second visit. Local residents later reconstructed it, and today, it is the only temple commemorating the First Emperor.

Atop Chengshantou's highest peak once stood a stone monument inscribed with: "End of heaven, east gate of Qin". The emperor commissioned prime minister Li Si to etch the verse. However, the stele that people see today is a replica, as the original stone at some point splintered and fell into the sea.

Thousands of seagulls flock to nearby Hailu Island to mate every spring.

It takes about 90 minutes from Weihai to Rongcheng by bus or train.

Golden Beach Nature Reserve

Located in Hebei province's Changli, this beachscape is known as the place "where the sea and desert kiss".

More than 40 sand dunes, the highest of which is 40 m tall, trace the shoreline. Visitors here can go "sand sledding" - taking a cable car to the dunes' peaks then zipping back down on a bamboo ski-board.

Day-trippers can also take in panoramas of the beachscape from hot-air balloons or helicopters - or they can even skydive over the dunes.

The reserve is also home to a variety of flora and fauna. These include 68 bird species under State-level protection, the rare "living fossil" wenchang fish (Branchiostoma) and the famous Saunders' Gull (Larus saundersi).

Drivers in Beijing can take Jingshen (Beijing to Shenyang) or Jintang (Tianjin to Tangshan) highways and then follow the 102 or 205 expressways.

Chongwu Beach

This beach in Fujian province's Quanzhou city is known for the lovely local ladies who stroll its shores, known as Hui'an nu.

Depictions of these beauties gazing out at the sea, awaiting the return of their husbands' fishing vessels, are common subject matters in local stone carvings, the area's signatory handicraft medium.

These women are well known for their incredible costumes, which feature large hats fashioned from yellow leaves, dappled scarves, tiny blouses that expose their bellies, silver belts and flared black pants.

In Chongwu village, a small stone Ming dynasty (1368-1644) garrison, houses lining narrow alleyways keep their doors wide open all day long. Women shell oysters in the settlement's courtyards.

Visitors can reach the place by bus or motorcycle from Quanzhou.

Yintan

The name of this shoreline in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region's Beihai translates as "Silver Beach". The word comes from the way the sun reflects off its white sands.

The strand here is flat and the waves are mild and devoid of sharks. Also, the area's clean air is said to cure chronic diseases.

In the middle of the beach is the Fairy Bridge, which is also at the center of local legend. Folklore contends a Japanese monk journeyed to China to study Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). As his boat approached this strand, he saw a brilliant rainbow spanning the beachscape, on which sat elderly people and beneath which rested throngs of snakes and tortoises. He rushed toward the rainbow, but it disappeared before he could reach the shore; all that was left was the stone bridge.

The best time to visit this spot is from March to November. Holidaymakers can catch buses or taxis from downtown Beihai.

(China Daily 08/21/2008 page15)