Table of contents
Open Table of contents
Silver Beach (银滩, Yintan)
Silver Beach is Beihai’s headline attraction and justifies the name. The beach runs for approximately 24km along the western edge of Beihai city, with a finer and more accessible public section near the Silver Beach Park. The sand here is genuinely silver-white — composed largely of quartz fragments — and unusually fine-grained. Combined with the generally warm, clear water of the Beibu Gulf (swimming season roughly April-November), it produces a beach experience that easily matches or exceeds most of what you’ll find in Hainan.
Entry: The main beach area (Silver Beach Park) is free. The park facilities (changing rooms, showers, umbrella/lounger rental) have small fees.
Beach conditions: Water temperature comfortable from May to October. The best swimming and clearest water is typically in September-October after the summer rains have settled. August can see jellyfish in the water.
Crowds: Summers are busy (July-August), particularly on weekends when domestic tourists arrive from Nanning. Weekdays and the shoulder months of May and October are much quieter.
Beach facilities: Umbrella and lounger rental approximately ¥20-30 per person per half-day. Changing rooms with showers available (¥5-10). Cold drink vendors are abundant. Formal seafood restaurants line the road behind the beach.
The whole beach strip: Beyond the main public park section, the beach extends for kilometres in both directions. Walking north or south from the main area you’ll find less developed stretches where local families picnic and children play — these sections are often more pleasant than the main tourist zone.
The Old Street (珠海路, Zhongshan Road Old Street)
In the early 20th century, Beihai was designated a treaty port and became an active commercial hub with a small but significant foreign merchant community. The legacy is the “Western Building” style of the Old Street — two-to-three-storey shophouses with European neoclassical facades, colonnaded ground-floor walkways, and a particular blend of Qing Chinese and colonial tropical architecture that you also find in the shophouses of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore.
Zhongshan Road (中山路): The main historic street is about 1.5km long and lined on both sides with buildings from the 1880s-1930s era. Unlike many Chinese “old streets” that have been thoroughly renovated for commercial tourism, this one still has a significant number of genuinely inhabited and functioning buildings alongside the heritage restoration. The ground floors are occupied by tea shops, seafood restaurants, souvenir stalls, and pharmacies; the upper floors are a mix of residential and small business uses.
Best visited: Early morning (before 9am) when the light is good, the food stalls are active, and the tourist crowds haven’t arrived. Come back in the late afternoon for the golden-hour photography.
Free to walk through. The surrounding streets of the Old Town have more colonial-era buildings worth exploring if you wander off the main street.
Weizhou Island (涠洲岛)
About 50km offshore by ferry, Weizhou Island is one of China’s youngest islands geologically (formed by volcanic activity relatively recently in geological terms) and one of its most visually striking. The island’s volcanic origins are visible everywhere: black basalt rock formations on the coast, dramatic cliff faces, and soils that support a different vegetation than the mainland. The surrounding water is exceptionally clear by Chinese coastal standards, with coral reefs along parts of the coast.
Getting there: Ferries run from Beihai North Ferry Port (北海北海客运码头) to Weizhou. Journey time: approximately 1.5-2 hours. Tickets: ¥100-130 one-way. Multiple daily departures (roughly 8am-4pm depending on season); check current schedules as they vary. Round-trip same-day travel is technically possible but a 2-night stay is much more rewarding.
On the island: The island has a good range of accommodation from budget guesthouses (¥120-200 per night) to mid-range hotels (¥250-500). Electric scooter rental is the primary transport option for exploring (¥50-80 per day). Key sights include the Shiluokou volcanic rock formations on the south coast, the old church at Shengtan Village (a reminder of early Catholic missionary presence), and the snorkelling spots at Five Color Beach.
Entry: The island charges a scenic area fee of approximately ¥100 per person, valid for your stay.
Seafood in Beihai
Beihai’s seafood is the main culinary draw, and with good reason. The Beibu Gulf fishery produces excellent prawns, crab, clams, squid, and fish, and the seafood restaurants here are more affordable than coastal destinations in Guangdong or Zhejiang.
Night seafood market: The cluster of restaurants on Haijiao Road (海角路) near Silver Beach operates primarily in the evening. The standard approach is to choose your seafood from tanks or fresh displays, then negotiate the price and cooking method. Expect to pay ¥50-150 per person for a good spread including beer. Watch for common tourist-area overcharging — agree on price before sitting down.
Beihai specialities:
- Whole steamed crab (清蒸螃蟹): The local swimming crab is excellent — price per jin (500g) varies by season and size, typically ¥40-80
- Grilled oysters (烤生蚝): Massive local oysters cooked on charcoal with garlic butter, ¥3-5 each
- Prawn in salt and garlic (盐焗虾): A local preparation that concentrates the prawn’s natural sweetness
- Conch soup (海螺汤): Slow-cooked with vegetables, a local breakfast staple
Fish porridge (海鲜粥): The Cantonese-style rice congee with fresh seafood is a Beihai breakfast institution. Stalls serving it open from 6am near the market areas; ¥15-25 per bowl.
Getting to Beihai
By High-Speed Train:
- From Nanning: approximately 1-1.5 hours, tickets ¥45-70. Multiple daily services.
- From Guilin: approximately 2.5-3 hours, tickets ¥120-180.
- From Guangzhou: approximately 3.5-4 hours, tickets ¥200-300.
Beihai has two train stations: Beihai Station (central, older services) and Beihai North Station (new high-speed station, slightly further from the centre). Most high-speed services use Beihai North.
By Air: Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY) has connections to major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Kunming. Domestic routes are increasing.
Getting around: The city is spread out and taxis/Didi are the most practical transport. Electric scooter rental is popular with longer-stay visitors (¥50-80 per day). The main attractions (Old Street, Silver Beach) are about 10km apart.
Where to Stay
Near Silver Beach (recommended): Hotels and guesthouses along or near the beach road, ranging from budget (¥120-200) to mid-range resorts (¥300-600). The Sheraton Beihai and comparable properties offer the best beach access at ¥500-1,200 per night.
Near Old Town: The area around Zhongshan Road has several guesthouses in converted traditional buildings, 150-350 yuan per night. More atmospheric but further from the beach.
Budget: Hostels and budget hotels near the train station area, 80-180 yuan per night.
Best Time to Visit Beihai
October-December: The best combination of warm temperatures, clear water, and reduced crowds. Excellent swimming through November.
March-May: Spring visit, comfortable temperatures, fewer visitors than summer.
July-August: Peak season — beaches are crowded and prices are higher. Still enjoyable but very busy.
January-February: Cooler (18-22 degrees), less ideal for swimming but fine for exploring Old Town and Weizhou Island.
Practical Tips
Beihai is genuinely warmer than Guangzhou in winter — subtropical climate means mild winters that attract retirees from northern China. If visiting January-March, the beach is not for swimming but the weather is pleasant.
Sunscreen: The UV radiation on the Guangxi coast is intense. High-factor sunscreen is non-negotiable for beach days.
Haggling: Expected at seafood stalls and market vendors. Not expected at fixed-price restaurants or chain hotels.
Language: Local dialect (Cantonese-adjacent) is spoken alongside Putonghua. Mandarin is widely understood. English is more limited than in larger cities.
Beihai’s charm lies in what it hasn’t yet become. It has the ingredients for a great coastal destination — the beach, the seafood, the colonial history, the offshore island — without the overdevelopment that has consumed parts of Hainan. Visit in 2026 before it changes further.