Qinhuangdao Travel China, Qinhuangdao Tour Guide

China Qinhuangdao City:
Qinhuangdao

Resident People:
2.61 million (urban population: 660,000)

Geography:
Qinhuangdao lies in northeastern Hebei Province, bordered on the north by Mount Yan, on the south by the Bohai Sea, on the east by Liaoning Province and on the west by Beijing and Tianjin.

Climate:
Located in the warm temperate zone; damp monsoon climate; distinct four seasons.

Qinhuangdao Economy:
It is an ice-free port that exports large quantities of coal, peanuts, and soybeans. A special economic development city, Qinhuangdao has a large glass industry, a growing fishing industry, and is a popular resort town.

History:
Named Jieshi in ancient times, Qinhuangdao has a long history. In 225 B.C. Qin Shihuang (259-210 B.C.), First Emperor of Qin, arrived here on his fourth inspection and sent Lu Sheng from Yan State and Han Zhong (a necromancer) out to the sea to beg the gods that he might live forever. Qinhuangdao is the only city named after one of the 340 emperors in the feudal society in China.
Mountains and sea make Qinhuangdao a military town where there were once many wars, like Li Zicheng fighting against Wu Sangui, the warlord Feng Guozhang against the warlord Zhang Zuolin (Zhi-Feng War), the Anti-Japanese Amalgamated Army of the Northeast fighting bravely against the Japanese invaders, and so on.
Thus Qinhuangdao has enjoyed the name of "Throat and Key to Beijing" since ancient times. Qinhuangdao enjoys a pleasant climate that is neither hot in summer nor cold in winter. Its yearly temperature is 10.1 centigrade on average. The 260 kilometer-long Great Wall and 126 kilometer-long coastline drew a lot of emperors, generals and scholars.
As early as 1898, the Qing government designated Beidaihe "International Summer Resort" Since then, celebrities inside and outside China have flocked here, making it a legendary place.
In 1984 the State Council approved Qinhuangdao one of the first of China's coastal cities open to the outside world.

Arrive:
Qinhuangdao enjoys convenient transportation. The G205 and Beijing-Shenyang, Beijing-Qinhuangdao and Datong-Qinhuangdao railroads join here. The Beijing-Qinhuangdao Expressway will take you right to Qinhuangdao from Beijing in 2 hours. Shanhaiguan Pass Airport has been opened to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming and 30 other national airways. Sea passenger transport is opened to Dalian and Shanghai seasonally.

Qinhuangdao Tourism:
In 1991 Shanhaiguan Pass, Old Dragon Head and Beidaihe Beach became members of China's 40 Top Tourist Resorts. In 2000 Shanhaiguan Pass Scenic Area, Xin'so Sea-floor World and Wild Animal Zoo were chosen by China's Tourist Bureau as 4-A scenic areas. In 2001 Shanhaiguan Pass district won the title of national historical and cultural town.

Entertainments:
Each year, Qinhuangdao has the Shanhaiguan Pass Great Wall Cultural Festival, the Meng Jiangnu Temple Fair, the Seeing Sea Fair, the Climbing Mount Jiao on Double Ninth Festival and some other activities.

Qinhuangdao Attractive points:
The Estuary Stone City
The Stone City lying at the estuary was built by Qijiguang, a famous general of the Ming dynasty. It used to serve as a defense work to resist the aggression of Nuchen and Mongolia. The Stone City was based on natural reefs and constructed with huge rocks, which were rabbet and connected by cast iron chains. With battlements placed on walls the Stone City extends into the sea and is very grandiosity.
Jinglu Watchtower
Connecting with the Stone City in the north, Jinglu Watchtower, was built with granite bars and has a commanding height to block the sea. The straight-cut plane of the watchtower is an equilateral trapezium with a bottoms length of 11.7 meters and a top of 10.7 meters.
Wangshou Watchtower
Wangshou Watchtower and Jinglu Watchtower echo each other at a distance to form defense fortifications that outflank the Old Dragon's Head Bay. As a close defense work, the protruding tower is 25 meters-wide and 34 meters long, with parapet walls inside and a basement beneath that is over 20-meter-long .
Nanhaikou Pass
Nanhaikou Pass is the only pass of the Ming Great wall established on the seashore. With a height of 5.4 meters, this pass was supposed to be the commanding center of the Laolongtou Great Wall defense system.
Chenghai Tower
Chenghai Tower, 20 meters away from Nanhaikou pass, was built after Nanhaikou Pass was deserted. It functioned as a defensive arrow tower and retired after the Qing dynasty.
Ninghai City
Ninghai City is the city where Chenghai Tower locates. It is about 6.6-meter-high and 500-meter-long in circumference and has 2 gates, one in the west and another in the north. The city wall was built with bricks on a stone basement and was rammed with loess inside the walls. The city has now been rebuilt and is open to tourists.
Meng Jiangnu Temple
This temple is located in the Shanhai Pass District of Qinhuangdao. Legend says that in the time of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Meng Jaingn|'s husband was conscripted to help build the Great Wall. Missing her husband very much, Meng jiangnu set out on the long journey to see him. When she arrived at eh foot of the wall, she learned that her husband had been worked to death and buried beneath it, and she wept so many tears that a huge section of the Great Wall crumbled away. The sorrowful woman then drowned herself in the sea, and a temple was erected to commemorate her. A clay sculpture of Meng Jaingnnu stands in front of the temple hall. Dressed in a black gown, she gazes out at the sea, her expression revealing her grief and indignation.
Beidaihe Beach
This resort is located fifteen kilometers southwest of Qinhuangdao. It faces Bohai to the south and has the Lianfeng Hills, with their forests of pine and cypress, as a back drop. The beach is two kilometers wide and extends for ten kilometers from Daihekou in the west to Eagle Rock in the east. With its beautiful winding coastline and its pleasant, moderate climate, Beidaihe Beach is a popular spot for summer vacations.
The area is dotted with buildings and villas, some along the beach and others hidden in groves. The main attractions are South Heavenly Gate (Nantianmen), Cave Leading to the Sky (Tongtiandong), Camel Rock (Luotuosi), Tiger Rock (Laohusi), Guanyin Monastery, and Lotus Park.
Since national liberation of 1949, roads in downtown districts and a beachside highway have been built or repaired. Sanatoriums embracing an area of 3,160,000 square meters have been built and five beachside parks restored.