10 Days in Qinhuangdao

Settle in the walled town founded in 1381; an evening loop of the ramparts as the floodlights come on.

1. qinhuangdao shanhaiguan pass

The 519-metre first mountain of the Wall in the morning, the reflecting reservoir below in the afternoon.

1. qinhuangdao jiaoshan wall
2. qinhuangdao yansai lake

The sea-end stone city of the 1570s, wrecked in 1900 and rebuilt late last century, plus the legend temple — intangible heritage since 2006.

1. qinhuangdao laolongtou
2. qinhuangdao mengjiangnu temple

The resort has its own plan — see the beidaihe pages. Dawn at Pigeon Nest, where the 1954 poem was written, then a swim off Tiger Stone.

1. beidaihe pigeon nest park
2. beidaihe tiger stone beach

Tianü Peak tops out around 1,428 metres; cableway up, boardwalks through the flower meadows, long views to the Bohai.

1. qinhuangdao zushan

The 2015 seaside library and white chapel on the dunes of the Golden Coast; swim between readings and watch the tide flatten the light.

1. qinhuangdao aranya coast

The vineyard county credited with China's first dry red in 1984; cellar tours and tastings, with the coastal hills for a slow afternoon.

1. qinhuangdao changli wine country

The 1898 port turned garden, cranes kept as sculpture; afternoon in the market streets for seafood and dried goods.

1. qinhuangdao west port garden
2. qinhuangdao city markets

An honestly labelled neighbouring-city day — about two hours inland, the Qing summer resort's lakes and hill temples built for the emperors' stays; a long but standard day trip.

1. qinhuangdao chengde mountain resort

Another declared neighbour day — about an hour by HSR to Tangshan's Kailuan national mining park, whose shafts and machines record 140-plus years of coal; depart from Tangshan or back through Qinhuangdao.

1. qinhuangdao tangshan kailuan park