Guangxi · China
Beihai travel guide
Beihai is a city in Guangxi, China, home to about 1,853,000 people.
- Best months
- October to March
- Nearest airport
- BHY22 km · Beihai Fucheng Airport
- Currency
- CNYrenminbi
- Time zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Language
- Chinese, Putonghua, Standard Chinese
About
About Beihai
Beihai (Chinese: 北海; pinyin: Běihǎi; Postal romanization: Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. Its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin has granted it historical importance as a port of international trade for Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.
Beihai is not much frequented by foreigners, and English is not widespread. The dialect spoken in Beihai is a form of Cantonese, but quite a few people also understand or even speak Mandarin. The Qiaogang area is home to numerous ethnic Chinese who fled Vietnam as refugees during the Sino-Vietnamese War. There is a lively expat scene in the city, even though insiders guess there are only about 50-75 Westerners around.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Beihai
See
- Old Street
- Underwater World
- Beihai Jinhaiwan Mangrove Forest Ecotourism Area
Do
- Silver Beach
- Night Markets
- Cinema
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Beihai to stay in
Hotel prices are usually lower than in other tourist cities. The Shangri-La, a five-star hotel, charges about US$60–70 for a single room. As in all Chinese cities the easiest option is to check the prices of the local hotels through websites like ctrip to get an idea about the price range, then walk to the hotel and check and book the room at the reception. There are quite a few low cost hotels, for instance near the bus stations: There are a bunch of hotels from ¥35 and up, but do not expect air-conditioning at that rate. Rooms provided with that will cost at least ¥100. Look at the room, then ask for a discount.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Beihai
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Beihai are October to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 406 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Beihai: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY), about 22 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
There are multiple high-speed trains daily from Nanning (downtown) Station as well Nanning East Station that whisk you at 200 km/hr to Beihai in around 1½ hours. There is high speed train service connecting with another popular tourist destination - Guilin as well. There is a ferry from Haikou to Beihai harbour (+86 779 3904011) which leaves daily. It takes about 11 hours and costs ¥67-400 depending on accommodation chosen. There are overnight buses from Guilin and from Liuzhou going via Nanning.
Getting around
There are many taxis, motorbike taxis and tricycles. However, they will often try to overcharge you if they know you are not a native of China, or Beihai. Minimum rate for everything moving around apart from taxis stands at ¥4, even though the formal rate is ¥3. Haggling is customary, so do not be afraid to ask for a lower rate. Getting a motorbike ride from the bus station to the port is about ¥10. Using Didi taxi is also common and easy. Taxis should use a meter; there is a surcharge of ¥1 to be paid in addition to the fare shown on the meter.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BHY · Beihai Fucheng Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Beihai
Eat
There is seafood everywhere and it is very cheap, about half the price of Shanghai or Hangzhou. When ordering anything with meat in a restaurant there is a chance of getting rat meat although you ordered beef. There are two big seafood markets in Beihai, Donghai Market and Nanzhu Market. The price in Donghai Market is much more reasonable, but the quality is a little bit lower than Nanzhu Market. At Beiyun Market (北云市场) and Guizhong Market you can buy raw seafood. Salted and dried aquatic products can be bought in Shuichanpin Market (水产市场). A delicacy in Beihai (as in other coastal/sub tropical Chinese cities) is half a pineapple on a stick. Yours for less than ¥2.
Drink
There are a couple of music bars (discos) in the city centre, for example The Nest not far from the main office of China Mobile near Beibuwan Square, and at Old Street and No ONE bar in the Triumph building opposite McDonalds and N0. 88 bar in Guizhou Rd, not far from The Nest. In some of these places you have to order a sixpack at a price range above ¥100 if you want a beer, in others you accordingly get charged more for a single drink. Music is usually trendy, noisy and very little room for dancing.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Beihai: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Beihai?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Beihai are October to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 406 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Beihai?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Beihai Fucheng Airport (BHY), about 22 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Beihai?
renminbi (CNY).
Nearby
Destinations near Beihai
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.