Weihai---The Citadel That Rules the Sea

Author: Shang Ailan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features:
Wenhai, located at the eastern tip of Shandong Peninsula, is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It faces the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago to the east, the Liaodong Peninsula to the north, and Yantai City to the west. The coastline stretches for 985.9 kilometers, featuring numerous harbors and islands. Renowned as the "Garden City," Wenhai is a national sanitary city, a national garden city, a national environmental model city, one of the first outstanding tourist cities in China, a national civilized city, and a global best example of improving living environments. It is a popular destination for summer vacations, health resorts, leisure, and sightseeing. Wenhai, a beautiful coastal tourist city, is celebrated for its picturesque landscapes, cleanliness, and pleasant climate.
Wenhai boasts a rich array of tourism resources, including urban landscapes, island scenery, sandy beaches, rocky reefs, folk customs, underground hot springs, historical relics, famous mountains and temples, and unique stone formations. Over 80 scenic spots, such as the famous Liugong Island, the "End of the World" where emperors Qin and Han once visited, the birthplace of the Quanzhen sect of Taoism—Bibai Mountain, the paradise-like Shengshui Temple, the "Great East Scenic Beauty"—Tiesha Mountain, the Chishan Fahuai Temple, which symbolizes the friendship among the people of China, Japan, and South Korea, and the largest swan wintering habitat in northern China—Swan Lake, depict the poetic and picturesque scenery of Wenhai, covering an area of 5,436 square kilometers. In recent years, new tourism projects have been added, including Wenhai Film City, Xixiakou Wildlife Park, Bibai Mountain Gondola, and the Battle of the Yellow Sea Museum. Additionally, provincial-level tourism resorts have been established in Huancui, Yin Beach, Shidao Bay, and Swan Lake.
Wenhai's tourism facilities are continuously improving, with over 100 hotels, more than 30 travel agencies, and over 20 transportation companies offering buses and ships. The city features high-end shopping malls, dance halls, and entertainment centers. Wenhai Airport has reached 4D-class standards and operates domestic routes to Beijing, Harbin, Changchun, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other cities. The railway offers tourist trains to Qingdao and Zibo. Sea routes connect Wenhai to Dalian and South Korea. The city has formed a comprehensive service system covering "transportation, sightseeing, accommodation, dining, shopping, and entertainment," with multi-level and multi-functional reception capabilities. The number of inbound and outbound tourists and tourism revenue have been increasing at a rate of over 20% annually.
With the arrival of the new century, Wenhai's tourism industry holds vast development prospects. Wenhai, with its open-minded embrace of the sea, natural simplicity, and sincerity, warmly welcomes tourists from around the world.