Think China doesn’t have some amazing scenic beaches? You might be surprised. Beach culture has never really been a big thing in China but lately, it is growing fast and exposing more of the scenic coastal areas that the Country offers.
Here are the top ten beaches and coastal areas of China
Hainan (三亚市)
Hainan is an island province that has been receiving a lot of investment and is growing into China’s Hawaii featuring beaches and tropical lifestyle. The most popular beach destination is Yalong Bay (亚龙湾) located 28 kilometers southeast of Sanya City (三亚市). It is a half-moon bay at the southernmost tip of Hainan. It has a 7-kilometer-long silver-white beach. The submarine world of Yalong Bay is rich in resources, including coral reefs, various tropical fish, and precious shellfish. The annual average temperature is 25.5 °C, the seawater temperature is 22-25.1 °C, and is suitable for swimming all the year-round.
Other popular beaches in Hainan include Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛) – see the main image for this page, Boundary Island (分界洲岛), West Island (和西岛), Lingshui Island (陵水呆呆岛), Wanning Shimei Bay (万宁石梅湾), and Boao Bay (博鳌).
Hailing Island, Yangjiang, Guangdong (广东阳江海陵岛)
Located on Hailing Island in Yangjiang City, it features ten beaches and is one of Chinas Top Ten Islands. The island has been developing with modern tourism resources and is becoming more popular now there is a high speed rail connection. The main beaches here include Shi Li Beach (十里银滩), Dajiaowan Bay (大角湾景区), East Island Golden Beach (东岛金沙滩), and Oriental Silver Beach (东方银滩).
Dapeng Peninsula Beach (Shenzhen, Guangdong) 大鹏半岛海滩（广东深圳）
Dapeng Peninsula is adjacent to Daya Bay in the east, bordering Huizhou, holding Dapeng Bay in the west and overlooking the New Territories of Hong Kong. It has unique mountain and sea scenery, tourism resources and huge development potential. Popular beaches here include Xichong Beach (西冲海), Dongchong Beach (东冲海滩), Yangmeikeng Beach (杨梅坑), Jiaochangwei Beach (较场尾海滩) and in the nearby Yantian district, there is the popular Dameisha Beach (大梅沙海滩) and Xiaomeisha Beach (小梅沙).
Nearby to Dapeng, Huizhou also has the beautiful Sanmen island and Huizhou Xunliao Bay.
Beihai Silver Beach (Guangxi) 银滩（广西北海）
Beihai Yintan is the only national-level tourist resort in China built in ethnic minority autonomous regions. It is known as the first beach in China. The area exceeds the total area of Yantai, Qingdao, Dalian and Beidaihe beaches. The water quality is the national first-class standard. The seawater ebbs quickly, the tide rises slowly, and the swimming safety factor is very high. It offers suitable conditions for swimming nine months of the year.
Gulangyu (Xiamen) 鼓浪屿（厦门）
Gulangyu Island is located in the southwest corner of Xiamen Island, Fujian Province, across the sea from Xiamen. Famed for its colonial architecture, beauty, and climate, it also features six beaches with the largest being Aberdeen Beach 港仔后海滨浴场).
Qingdao (Shandong) 青岛（山东）
Qiangdao has a long coastline featuring some 32 bays and almost 70 islands. Qingdao is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial centre. The world’s longest sea bridge, the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, links the main urban area of Qingdao with Huangdao district, straddling the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas. The most famous beaches here include Shi Lao Ren (石老人), Golden Sand Beach (金沙滩), Beach No. 1, 2 and 3 (第一海水浴场, 第二海水浴场, 第三海水浴场), and Silver Beach (银沙滩).
Qianbusha (Zhejiang Putuo Shandong Coast) 千步沙（浙江普陀山东海岸）
On the east coast of Mount Putuo, there is a beach about two kilometers long, called Qianbusha, which is the largest beach on Mount Putuo. The sand surface is flat, clean and soft, which is comparable to the Beihai Silver Beach.
Gold Coast (Hebei Changli) 黄金海岸 (河北昌黎)
The beautiful Qinhuangdao Gold Coast is located on the coast of the Bohai Sea. The coastline is 52.1 kilometers long. It has the characteristics of fine sand, soft beach, clear water and flat tide. It is an ideal place for swimming, sunbathing, and a nature escape. The most attractive sport on the Gold Coast is sand-skiing. It is somewhat famous for its “lonely library” positioned in the middle of the beach (pictured).
Bangchui Island (Dalian) 棒槌岛 (大连)
Bangchui Island is located in the eastern section of Binhai Road, Dalian, about 5 kilometers southeast of Dalian. It is a scenic spot with mountains, sea, island, and beach as the main landscape. One of the most famous hotels in China, the Bangchuidao Hotel is located here. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, surrounded by the sea; the north is surrounded by mountains, and the south is open sea and flat sandy beaches.
Da nan Bay Beach, Hebao Island (Zhuhai, Guangdong) 荷包岛大南湾海滩 (广东省珠海市)
Located at the southwestern tip of Zhuhai, Guangdong, the total area is about 13 square kilometers and the total length of the coast is about 28 kilometers. The Danan Bay beach is about 4 kilometers long and has a width of 200-500 meters. The sand is soft and even and delicate. The seawater is clear and transparent. It is also one of the quietest beaches on this list.