Qinhuangdao - a beautiful Bohai Sea tourist destination
I was keen to discover how such resort development blends into the local environment. Not only is this a particularly beautiful area but it lies directly on a bird migration "highway". Flocks move south between colder Siberian winters and warmer east central China. Beidaihe is a mid-route resting point. Thankfully within its entire area, only a section of the hotel's extensive grounds have been developed. Buildings are quite far back from the actual beach, leaving a large area of green in between. Bicycle trails and footpaths led through low hills covered with trees and coastal vegetation.
Bird viewing towers and uniquely designed observatories provide excellent vantage points to watch both the seasonal migrations and local nesting sites. From there I also looked across woodlands towards a caravan park. Actually the first time I had seen this in China and was intrigued. Back in Scotland, my early summer holidays were spent at seaside caravan parks and here was one in coastal Qinhuangdao! Amazing, as was the nearby cafe created from brightly painted shipping containers! There was also a beautiful teahouse with large glass windows providing uninterrupted views of the ocean and all of this within the grounds of a hotel!
The waters were turning stormy, wind building up, waves crashed onto shore as I stood with camera in position to record such moments of nature's force. The sea, the mighty sea, an opportunity to enjoy its magnificence even for just a few minutes!
