At the north end of Old Street, the arcades of the colonial buildings lean over the pavement, their plaster blotched and peeling, while souvenir stalls and coffee shops fill the ground floors below. It is the clearest single place to see what Beihai's treaty-port past left behind, and it is also where the city's evenings happen.
Beihai suits travellers who are happy to build a day around the water, the sand and the street food, and who do not mind that the sea here is murky rather than blue. It is a port city on the Gulf of Tonkin with a long shoreline, a compact downtown core, and a handful of sights that reward a slow pace rather than a checklist.
This guide covers the specific places worth your time in the city, with practical notes on how to combine them, and a one-day plan that strings the best of them together.
Top things to do in Beihai
1. Old Street
Old Street is the original site of the first Western trade centres in Beihai, and its fame rests on the old colonial buildings that line it, many of them visibly rotting away. By day it works as a relaxed pedestrian zone of souvenir stores and a few coffee shops; by night the bars open and it becomes the busy centre of the city's nightlife.
Take bus 3 from Beibuwan Square for ¥2, but note that these buses usually do not run after 21:30, so plan your return if you intend to stay for the evening.
2. Silver Beach
Silver Beach lies a few kilometres outside town and is known for its grey-white quartz sand. Do not expect clear blue water: the quartz sand makes the water appear quite murky, though it is considered safe for swimming.
If you can stay after dark on a clear night, the moonlight reflecting off the quartz sand is the sight worth waiting for, and seaweed growing close to the shoreline can add fluorescence to the water. Stay close to the crowd to avoid mosquitoes. If you head through the abandoned parking lot ringed with neo-Roman columns, you can reach a stretch of the same beach that is free.
3. Beihai Jinhaiwan Mangrove Forest Ecotourism Area
This ecotourism area in Yinhai District covers mangrove forest that is home to a wide variety of birds and sea creatures, and it includes a museum about the Tanka people, the boat-dwelling Han subgroup who have traditionally lived on their boats.
It sits on the south coast, east of Silver Beach, and bus no. 18 will get you there. It is open 07:30–19:30, and the ¥90 ticket includes a sightseeing vehicle, which is useful given the size of the area.
4. Underwater World
Underwater World combines an oceanorama with an exhibition centre of shellfish and coral, and it is worth the time for anyone interested in aquariums. It holds over a thousand kinds of coral and shellfish, a large collection of fish, sharks and turtles, and a ten-metre tall column-style aquarium.
There is also a substantial section on China's naval history, including an exhibit on the Ming Dynasty Muslim eunuch Admiral Zheng He with a detailed comparison between his treasure ships and the vessels of Christopher Columbus. The ¥100 entrance fee is steep, but it is not difficult to spend two to three hours inside, particularly if one of the centre's English-speaking Chinese tour guides is available. The complex also has a commercial wing for buying genuine pearls. The adjacent 4D Cinema charges ¥25 for a 15-minute film and has no English subtitles, so treat it as optional.
5. Night markets
Locals in Beihai enjoy staying up late, and wandering the streets of food and market stalls is one of the best ways to spend an evening here. Several public parks stay open late, and many locals head to them at weekends to drink, dance and meet friends.
Pair a night market with Old Street, which is at its liveliest after dark, and keep an eye on the time if you are relying on bus 3 to get back.
6. Cinema around Beibuwan Square
There are at least three cinema locations around Beibuwan Square, two of them at the top of shopping malls. The first is at the crossing of Changqing Road and Hai'an Road on the third floor; the second is at Beibuwan Middle Road and Hai'an Road on the fifth floor; the third is on Beibuwan Middle Road on the fourth floor.
The first two are very new, while the last is slightly older. This is a sensible fallback for a rainy afternoon, given that rain is heaviest and most frequent from June to September.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Old Street while it is still a relaxed pedestrian zone, looking at the colonial buildings and the souvenir stores before the bars take over. Have coffee there rather than rushing on.
Afternoon: Take bus 3 towards Silver Beach and stop at Underwater World on the way, allowing two to three hours for the aquariums and the naval history section. Continue to Silver Beach afterwards and walk the quartz sand; if you want to avoid the entrance charge, head through the abandoned parking lot ringed with neo-Roman columns to the free stretch.
Evening: Return to the city and spend the evening between the night markets and Old Street, which is at its busiest after dark. Check the time of the last bus 3 from Beibuwan Square, which usually does not run after 21:30, or arrange another way back.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Beihai?
Rain is heaviest and most frequent from June to September, when most of the annual rainfall occurs, while autumn and winter months see only small amounts of rain. Winters are mild to warm, and conditions are very humid year-round.
Is the water at Silver Beach clear?
No. The grey-white quartz sand makes the water appear quite murky, even though it is considered safe for swimming. The sand itself, and its reflection of moonlight after dark, is the reason to go.
How do I get to Old Street and Silver Beach?
Bus 3 runs from Beibuwan Square for ¥2 and passes both Old Street and the route towards Silver Beach, with Underwater World roughly halfway between the long distance train station and Silver Beach. Buses usually do not run after 21:30.
What can I do in Beihai on a rainy day?
Underwater World is the obvious choice, with its aquariums, shellfish and coral exhibits and naval history section, and it can easily fill two to three hours. The cinemas around Beibuwan Square are another option.
Decide which of these fits your days, check the bus times before an evening out, and you have enough to start planning a trip to Beihai.