Dongxing

Border port cities on the China–Vietnam frontier, facing Móng Cái across the mouth of the Beilun River, with the golden beaches of the Three Gin Islands, Bailang Beach and the Shiwandashan Mountains.

Dongxing and Fangchenggang lie on the Gulf of Tonkin in southern Guangxi, bordering Vietnam's Quảng Ninh Province, where China's mainland coastline meets its land border. Dongxing is known as a border crossing: Móng Cái in Vietnam lies just across the Beilun River, and in town you can browse cross-border trade markets and sample Vietnamese food, while Zhushan has the Qing Dynasty Boundary Marker No. 1. The Three Gin Islands in Jiangping are the only community of China's Gin (Jing) people, with Wanwei Golden Beach and the Ha Pavilion. To the east, Fangchenggang city has West Bay and Egret Park; the Jiangshan Peninsula is home to Bailang Beach, Guaishi Beach, the old Bailong Fort and the Tanpeng Canal, and the Qisha Peninsula has the Leshan ancient fishing village and Tiantang Beach. To the north, the Shiwandashan Mountains are a forested summer retreat. The climate is south subtropical monsoon: Oct–Apr is most comfortable, while May–Sep is hot and rainy, with typhoons. Bullet trains from Nanning run directly to Fangchenggang North and Dongxing stations in about 1–1.5 hours; the two cities are about 40 km apart and the sights are spread out, so hiring a car with driver or self-driving is recommended. Allow 3 days. Visiting Móng Cái requires a passport and valid visa, or a border tourism permit; check the latest rules at the port. When swimming, watch out for tides and rip currents. Food to try: Gin wind-blown rice crackers, fish sauce, sand crab sauce, and Vietnamese baguettes and spring rolls.

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