7 Days in Qinhuangdao

The 1381 walled town, the First Pass tower and the plaque attributed to Xiao Xian; the gate museum frames the Ming garrison story.

1. qinhuangdao shanhaiguan pass

Climb the 519-metre first mountain of the Wall in the morning, then sit by the reservoir below where the ridge reflects on calm water.

1. qinhuangdao jiaoshan wall
2. qinhuangdao yansai lake

The sea-end stone city — 1570s origin, 1900 wrecking, late-century rebuild — plus the legend temple, national intangible heritage since 2006.

1. qinhuangdao laolongtou
2. qinhuangdao mengjiangnu temple

The resort has its own plan — see the beidaihe pages. Dawn goes to Pigeon Nest, the rock of the 1954 poem, and the evening to grilled squid at Liuzhuang's night market.

1. beidaihe pigeon nest park
2. beidaihe liuzhuang night market

An hour north, Tianü Peak tops out around 1,428 metres; the cableway, flower meadows and a sea-view platform fill a full morning.

1. qinhuangdao zushan

South along the Golden Coast, the seaside library of 2015 and the white chapel stand on Aranya's dunes; Changli's vineyards — home of the dry red credited to 1984 — pour in the afternoon.

1. qinhuangdao aranya coast
2. qinhuangdao changli wine country

The 1898 port's old coal docks, now a garden with cranes kept as sculpture; a last market lunch, then the two-hour HSR back to Beijing.

1. qinhuangdao west port garden
2. qinhuangdao city markets