Rushan & Haiyang
Rushan's 20-plus km of fine sand at Silver Beach and Mount Darushan, celebrated for its "motherly love" culture, join Haiyang's 10,000-metre beach, sand sculpture park and live Mine Warfare show to form a seaside holiday route on the Jiaodong coast.
Rushan and Haiyang lie on the southern coast of Shandong's Jiaodong Peninsula. Rushan belongs to Weihai and Haiyang to Yantai; the two neighbouring cities, about 60 km apart along the Yellow Sea and linked by a coastal road, make up Jiaodong's seaside holiday belt. The climate is temperate monsoonal with maritime influence: summers are cool and winters bring strong sea winds. Jun–Sep is peak season for swimming and escaping the heat, and May is when Rushan oysters are at their plumpest.
On the Rushan side, the centrepiece is Rushan Silver Beach, more than 20 km of fine white sand spread across several bays, with the Furu Donghai Cultural Park next to it. On the east shore of Rushankou to the southwest, Mount Darushan is known for its "motherly love" culture and sea views all around, with small islands such as Dongxiaoqing Island nearby. For mountain scenery there is the Shengshui Palace in Fengjia Town and Mount Juyu west of the city. On the Haiyang side are the 10,000-metre beach and the International Sand Sculpture Art Park (venue of the 2012 Asian Beach Games), offshore Lianli Island, Zhaohushan National Forest Park east of town, and the Mine Warfare Scenic Area in Zhuwu Town.
Getting there: the Qingdao–Rongcheng intercity railway stops at Rushan and Haiyang, and the airports of Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai are all within 1.5 hours by road. Stay at Silver Beach or the Haiyang Tourist Resort and allow 2–3 days. Food highlights include Rushan oyster feasts and fishermen's banquets accompanied by Haiyang Yangge dancing. Accommodation is tight on summer weekends, so book ahead.
Top sights
- Rushan Silver Beach – A white sand beach stretching more than 20 km, with gentle slopes and calm waves. One of the longest seaside swimming beaches on the southe…
- Haiyang Ten-Thousand-Meter Beach – A beach of about 10,000 metres in the Haiyang Tourism Resort Area. It once hosted the Asian Beach Games and is good for swimming.
- Darushan Coastal Resort – A 4A-level coastal resort on the east bank of the Rushan Estuary where mountains and sea meet, famous for its Mother's Love sculptures and…
- Furu Donghai Cultural Park – A seaside culture park beside Silver Beach themed on the 'Five Blessings', where the giant fu-character sculpture and sea-view boardwalk ar…
- Shengshui Palace – A Taoist site in the mountains northeast of Rushan, with deep forests and steep peaks, and one of the early cultivation sites of the Quanzh…
- Juyu Mountain – A scenic mountain on the west side of Rushan city with rocks, springs, forests and water all in one place, ideal for a half-day hike.
- Haiyang International Sand Sculpture Art Park – A large sand sculpture park beside the 10,000-metre beach, with new themed sand sculptures every year, and a popular choice for family trip…
- Lianli Island – Two adjoining small islands off the coast of Haiyang, with reef and sea-erosion landscapes, a lighthouse and sea fishing, reached by boat.
- Zhaohu Mountain National Forest Park – A national forest park and 4A-level scenic area east of Haiyang city, where unusual rocks, steep peaks, deep valleys and streams combine, w…
- Landmine Warfare Tourist Area – The original setting of the story of the film Landmine Warfare in Zhuwu Town, Haiyang, where daily live shows recreate anti-Japanese militi…
Where to eat
- Yihe Seafood Dumpling House – A popular seafood dumpling restaurant near Rushan Yintan Beach, with over 2,000 Dianping reviews. The signature mackere…
Itineraries
- Jiaodong Peninsula Coastal Self-Drive Tour – Drive from Qingdao along the Yellow Sea, around the eastern tip of the peninsula to Penglai and Changdao, exploring bea…