Weihai's three second acts

"I used to ride my bike to town to sell fruit," she says. "It was time-consuming, and the prices were low. Now I sell at my doorstep — picked in the morning, sold out by noon."

Visitors can also try northeastern Chinese cooking at a restaurant run by 47-year-old Jiang Fei, who moved to Weihai from Jilin province 20 years ago. The establishment is about the size of a family apartment and specializes in authentic iron pot stew.

Chicken, fish and ribs slow-cook in a large iron pot, soaking up savory flavors that have won over numerous diners. Business has grown with the flow of tourists to Likoushan, Jiang says, and weekends and holidays are busiest.

A short distance away lies a tea garden, the centerpiece of the tea tourism in Likoushan. Green tea doesn't typically grow this far north, but the garden's manager, Yu Xiaona, says it is made possible with access to premium tea-producing resources. The garden includes tea fields, a tea culture area and a spot for birdwatching.

A half-hour drive from Likoushan can bring visitors to Huancui's coast. Here, a sports ground jutting into the sea has become a favorite spot for leisure and fitness. It was once a loading dock at Weihai's old port, first built in 1918.

After the port relocated in 2013, the original harbor sat idle. In recent years, the city has renovated the area while preserving as much of its heritage as possible, including the century-old trestle bridge and the ruins of the pier.

Today, the 118,000-square-meter complex, roughly the size of five of the world's largest container ships laid side by side, holds soccer pitches, basketball courts and running tracks, with the city at its back and the sea in front.

For visitors, the experience is a blend of history and modern leisure. They can jog along the waterfront track, join a pickup game of basketball or soccer, or stroll the old pier and bridge, taking in wide ocean views where cargo was once loaded.

From the singing sea of Sanggou Bay to the quiet renewal of Likoushan, a 1,001-kilometer coastal highway weaves together a story of high-quality development in Weihai.

Fisheries and tourism, ecology and community, sea and valley — together they make Weihai a premier destination for travelers seeking natural beauty and rural charm at the eastern edge of China.

zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn