Eastern Hebei

Tangshan and Qinhuangdao: the Beidaihe seaside, Shanhaiguan where the Great Wall meets the sea, and the Eastern Qing Tombs make up a classic Bohai Bay holiday area.

Eastern Hebei is one of Hebei's four regions and includes two prefecture-level cities, Tangshan and Qinhuangdao, both on the Bohai Sea. Qinhuangdao is northern China's best-known seaside summer retreat; at Beidaihe, Pigeon Nest, Tiger Rock Beach and the cluster of Western-style villas have a long history, Nandaihe and the Changli Golden Coast have fine, soft sand, and the Aranya community in the Beidaihe New District has in recent years become a popular holiday spot. Shanhaiguan is a key pass on the Ming Great Wall; the "First Pass Under Heaven" and Old Dragon Head, where the Great Wall meets the sea, are must-sees, and further north are the Jiaoshan Great Wall and Zushan. The Eastern Qing Tombs of Tangshan, located in Zunhua, are one of the largest surviving groups of imperial tombs and form part of the Ming and Qing Imperial Tombs World Cultural Heritage site; in the city, Nanhu Park, the Kailuan National Mining Park and the Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park tell the story of the city's industry and rebirth, while Luanzhou Ancient City and Yuegangtuo Island in Laoting are suited to short weekend trips. A classic itinerary is two to three days on the Qinhuangdao coast plus one day at Shanhaiguan, then one day on the way at the Eastern Qing Tombs in Tangshan, for four to five days in total. For transport, the Beijing–Harbin and Tianjin–Qinhuangdao high-speed railways have stations at Qinhuangdao, Beidaihe, Shanhaiguan and elsewhere, Tangshan has multiple intercity and high-speed connections to Beijing and Tianjin, and you can also fly to Qinhuangdao Beidaihe International Airport and Tangshan Sannühe Airport. In summer the seaside is crowded and expensive, so book rooms in advance; when swimming, watch for wave conditions and jellyfish, and in winter the sea wind is strong and temperatures are low.

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