Beihai

Beihai is a coastal city located in the Guangxi province and has become an important seaside tourism city in the south of China. Also known as 'The Pearl City' for its production of the south pearl, Beihai characterises itself as a modern city, while still retaining its traditional features. The city is home to the biggest extinct volcanic island in China, Weizhou Island, and has a diverse range of cuisines.

The city is also home to the biggest extinct volcanic island in China on Weizhou Island and has a diverse range of cuisines due to its close proximity to Vietnam.

Agreement with City of Gold Coast: Sister City, 1997

Population: Beihai has a population of 1.8 million.

Language: The official language of Beihai is Mandarin; however a form of Cantonese known as 'Baihua' is widely spoken.

Location: The coastal city of Beihai lies on the southern shore of Guangxi Province in the Beibu Gulf, facing South-east Asia.

Climate: Beihai enjoys the semi-tropical oceanic monsoon climate. The city has no frosty days in winter and no extremely hot days in summer with abundant sunshine and rainfall. The best time to visit Beihai is from April to November, but the city has a consistent climate of sun and breeze making it a popular travel destination.

Distance from the Gold Coast: Approximately 10 hours by plane.

Local time: The local time of Beihai (and the whole of mainland China) is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)+8 which makes it only 2 hours behind the Gold Coast.

Discover Beihai

Beihai's subtropical climate, beautiful beaches – including the famous Silver Beach - and coral reefs make the city a popular holiday destination well known for its fresh seafood and southern pearls. There are some gourmet food streets not to miss including Beihai Waisha Island (seafood), Changqing Road (barbeque food stalls) and Wuzai Village (Sichuan, Hunan and Guizhou food).

Beihai sister city