Longkou

Home of Longkou vermicelli, with the Nanshan Scenic Area (rated 5A, China's top tier) and its Nanshan Great Buddha and Huayan World set between mountains and sea, plus volcanic Sangdao Island, Qimu Island and the Ding Family Mansion.

Longkou is a county-level city under Yantai in Shandong Province. Known historically as Huangxian, it lies in the northwest of the Jiaodong Peninsula, facing the Bohai Sea to the north, bordering Penglai to the east and backed by the foothills of the Laishan range to the south. Tourism here centres on the Nanshan Scenic Area in the south, one of China's first national 5A-rated attractions. It is made up of a religious culture park, a Chinese history and culture park and the Donghai Tourist Resort: the 38.66-metre tin-bronze Nanshan Great Buddha, the Medicine Buddha Jade Hall and Huayan World form the Buddhist culture zone, while historic sites such as Lingyuan Taoist Temple, Wenfeng Pagoda and Xiangshui Nunnery are scattered across the hills. On the northern coast are the Donghai Tourist Resort and Moon Bay beach; to the northwest is Qimu Island, linked to the mainland by a sandbar; and the volcanic Sangdao Island is just over ten minutes away by boat. In town, the Ding Family Mansion is the classic example of traditional Huangxian-style courtyard houses. The climate is warm-temperate monsoonal: May–Oct is good for beach holidays, Jul–Aug is peak swimming season, April is ideal for spring outings and autumn for fruit picking; winters are cold with strong sea winds. Getting there: Longkou West Station has high-speed trains to Yantai, Weifang and Jinan; Yantai Penglai International Airport is about 50 km away; and Longkou Port has ro-ro passenger ferries to Dalian and Lüshun. Allow 2 days: one for the Nanshan Scenic Area and one for the coast and Sangdao Island. Don't miss local specialities such as Longkou vermicelli, seafood and Huangxian meat pies.

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