Things to do in Běihǎi
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Silver Beach
This is what most Chinese tourists come to Běihǎi for: Silver Beach, a long stretch of silvery-yellow sand with so-so waters, about 8km south of the city centre. There's a host of midrange, doll's-house-lookalike hotels and a number of places to eat, serving expensive but very fresh seafood. Take bus 3 (Y2) from the central bus station; it runs until 10pm.
reviewed
-
B
Aquarium
If the popular Zhongshan Park is too rocking with senior citizens disco dancing, then head northeast to the more derelict part of town and the northern waterfront where you will find little Haibin Park (Hǎibīn Gōngyuán). Inside the park is an expensive aquarium . Two buildings house seven spacious exhibition halls filled with tanks of strange and colourful fish. Most of the exhibits feature local marine life from the Gulf of Tonkin (Běibùwán).
reviewed
-
C
British Consulate Building
Just to the southeast of Zhongshan Park as Wenming Lu intersects with Beijing Lu, stands the former British Consulate Building , within the grounds of the No 1 Middle School (一中; Yīzhōng). Dating from 1885, the imposing building is a lovely two-storey cream-coloured edifice with verandahs and shutters, flanked by palm trees. A further traditional building can be seen just to the rear, next to the newly built white-tile church.
Bus 2 from the train station stops right outside. Nearby Zhongshan Park is a pleasantly green park with several amusement rides for children.
reviewed
-
Běijīng Jiǎoziwáng
For a much-needed dumpling fix, come here for platefuls of dumplings in all shades from lamb (羊肉饺子; yángròu jiǎozi; 20/jīn), to mushroom (香菇饺子; xiānggū jiǎozi;/jīn), pork and chives (猪肉韭菜饺子; zhūròu jiǔcài jiǎozi;/jīn) and beyond.
reviewed
-
D
Beihai Christ Church
The small Beihai Christ Church with its Chinese bibles for sale on the ground floor and small, modern upstairs chapel. Between No 1 and No 3 Zhuhai Xilu was the former site of the Sanhuang Temple (三皇庙; Sānhuáng Miào), alas no more.
reviewed
-
E
Seafood Market
In the northern section of Yunnan Lu, close to the wharf is Běihǎi's large seafood market . This is the place to come if you need to get your hands on dried squid or any other seafood. Buses 2 and 8 from in front of the bus station pass by the market.
reviewed
-
F
Dexing Restaurant
Ensconced on the south side of Beibuwan Sq, this huge restaurant is the place for the full-on Chinese dining experience, as it's packed by 09:00 by punters crowding in to hoover up dim sum (点心; diǎnxīn) and other Cantonese favourites.
reviewed
-
G
Coffee Garden
If you need a pleasant alternative to the seafood restaurants, this smart restaurant has views over the hotel swimming pool to the Beibu Gulf, polite staff and a menu that embraces Wild Mushroom Soup, American Beefburger and other popular Western fare.
reviewed
-
Former Post Office
Zhongshan Lu is also worth a wander. Dating from 1896, the attractive former post office now serves as a simple museum devoted to relics of the Qing dynasty postal system; no English captions.
reviewed
-
Xīnhuá Bookstore
Inside a multistorey department store opposite the central bus station; you can buy a city map (地图; dìtú; Y5) here.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Old Town Coffee, Bar and Restaurant
Serves Chinese and Western food, fresh coffee (Y18) and beer (Y6), and has free wi-fi and English-speaking staff. Look out for the 'Backpacker' sign.
reviewed
-
Old Town
Běihǎi's enchanting old town used to be a trading hub of old Běihǎi but is now a sleepy home of the city's older residents, who while away the hours playing mah jong and Chinese chess. It spreads east away from Sichuan Lu, with recently restored 19th-century qilou buildings (Chinese arcade houses) straddling the streets and alleys.
A few buildings of note include the attractiveformer post office, which now serves as a simple museum devoted to relics of the Qing-dynasty postal system; and the Maruichi Drugstore, a site in the disguise of a pharmacy that allowed the Japanese to carry on espionage activities in the 1930s, which now houses a tiny national security museum (…
reviewed
-
Gāodì Coffee
Housed in an elegantly decorated red brick building, this cafe specialises in Vietnamese coffee (from Y30).
reviewed
-
I
Aussino
The wine cellar is housed in a beautifully renovated, open-roofed building. It stocks an impressive selection of European wines. No English sign. Look for the misspelt 'Aussino Waild Wines' sign on the east end of the street.
reviewed
