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Out with visions of litter-strewn tidal froth, in with images of bathing beauties playing beach volleyball in the name of world peace. From Beihai's Silver Beach to Hainan's Yalong Bay, southern China went down with a serious dose of the Californias.
There is a Chinese film called Haixian (Seafood). The unremarkable plot has long since faded , but what stuck was the picture it painted of a very different kind of seaside haunt. Set in an out-of-season holiday town somewhere in northern China, Haixian was all piers and promenades, squawking seagulls and swarthy sea dogs. The protagonists' collars were invariably turned up against the cold as they stared out at a lonesome grey ocean.
This is an alternative tale of the Chinese seaside, a story of temperate sun, chilly seas and cabernet sauvignon. There are no surfboards or six-packs. It is a humble offering of buckets and spades, locally brewed beer and the mysterious aroma of fish and chips. If Hainan takes its lead from the US west coast, Yantai's spiritual twin town is probably Skegness.
Yantai's connection to the seaside outposts of Europe is, in fact, more than spiritual; imperial history has a lasting legacy here. Seized by the British as a spoil of the second opium war, Yantai – or Chefoo, as it was then – became a favourite retreat for the traders and top hats of Queen Victoria's foreign bandits, and much of their architecture remains.
Hainan Island Beaches
FROM Holiday Beach on its northern shore to the crystal white sands of Yalong Bay at the island's southern edge, Hainan is rich in that tropical holiday fundamental -- magnificent seaside beaches! Whether located within bustling cities or adjacent to world-class resorts or in remote and deserted locales along the east or west coastlines, Hainan beaches offer fine sands, clear waters and the perfect setting for fun and relaxation.
Beach connoisseurs may like to know that an estimated 50% to 60% of Hainan's 1,580 km coastline is made up of beaches that are between 600 m and 1,000 m wide. These beaches have a slope of about 5º. Seawater temperatures here average between 18º C and 30º C to ensure excellent swimming and beach activities for 12 months of the year.