Direct to Bei Hai over land via Dongxing Mongcai Halong Bay to Hanoi

Bei Hai English

Bei hai, 25 maart. Met het boemeltreintje kom ik na 5 uur reizen van Nanning in Beihai aan.

10 jaar geleden was Beihai nog een vissersdorpje, beroemd om zijn parels. Volgens mijn reisgids was het toen een leuk dorpje. Ik moet toch maar de nieuwere uitgave van mijn reisgids aanschaffen. De mijne is van 1989 en er is een nieuwere van 1996. Dat zal een stuk schelen in meer up to date informatie.

Het hooggeëerde bejaarde opperste communistische volkscomité in Beijing bepaalde in haar oneindige wijsheid dat Beihai als toeristisch gebied voor Chinezen ontwikkeld moest worden. Er kwam een treinverbinding en een Luchthaven. De oude plaats werd grotendeels platgewalst en er voor in de plaats gekomen zijn nu de prachtige grote betonkolossen die je overal in Chinese steden kunt bewonderen. Helaas raakte het geld op. Links en rechts zie je grote gebouwen die jaren schijnen te wachten om te worden afgebouwd. Langs het strand staan veel niet afgebouwde hotels en appartementen gebouwen leeg, half afgebouwd langzaam weer af te brokkelen. De huizen en hotels die wel afgebouwd zijn gaan snel aan een gebrek aan onderhoud en het gebruik van zeer slechte kwaliteit materialen ten onder. Inmiddels ben ik 4 dagen in Beihai in hotel Furuma en niet in het railway hotel van Luo en nog niet naar Luo gegaan.

Morgen moet het er dan echt van komen. Ik zie er een beetje tegen op om mijn vrijheid te moeten gaan opgeven en te gaan delen met zo’n Chinees die de hele dag misschien om me heen hangt en die nog nooit van het woord privacy heeft gehoord. S’ochtends schijnt de zon en is het stralend mooi weer. Na het ontbijt vertrek ik met de taxi naar het hotel van Luo. Het is zaterdag 29 maart 1997 en Luo is vrij. De receptioniste van het hotel is goed geïnstrueerd. Ze zegt hello tegen me en pakt de telefoon. Ik hoor diverse keren de naam van luo vallen. Ik krijg de telefoonhoorn in handen en hoor de stem van Luo. Hij heeft vrij en ligt nog in bed want hij had s’nachts moeten werken in het hotel. Dat houd in dat hij dan s’nachts in het hotel slaapt. Hij wil direct een taxi naar het hotel nemen. Ik zeg, blijf jij maar lekker slapen en zeg maar tegen de receptioniste dat ik een kamer krijg dan kom ik daarna wel naar jou.

Er wordt een kamer voor me geregeld in het Lu Hai Hotel van Luo die eigenlijk Monyong . De dames zijn zeer vriendelijk maar spreken nog steeds geen woord Engels. De sleuteldame gaat me voor naar mijn kamer. Regelt de thermosfles warm water en zet de T.V. aan.

In veel hotels in China krijg je geen kamersleutel. Als je de kamer in wilt moet je eerst naar de sleuteldame. De sleuteldame, nooit te vinden, meestal een zeer onvriendelijke type, loopt met je mee en opent de deur voor je. Deze sleuteldame is erg aardig lief en knap. Ze probeert wat Engels. Ze mag wel wat langer blijven.

Met de taxi ben ik snel bij Luo die me buiten al opwacht. Ik overhandig hem een boek over Holland waar tulpen en kazen in staan. Tulpen, ja dat weet hij wat dat zijn. Maar kaas, daar heeft hij nog nooit van gegeten. Kaas is onbekend in China en wordt niet gegeten. Luo vraagt hoe hij de Edammer kaas die ik heb meegenomen moet koken...

Luo’s vrouw werkt de hele week in het hotel en heeft donderdag en vrijdags vrij. We hebben dus het rijk even alleen. Het haar van Luo is te lang hij wil even naar de kapper. Hij weet een hele goede. We lopen erheen. Er is geen water om het haar te wassen. Toch wordt het hoofd ook van mij in de shampoo gezet en krijg ik een hoofdmassage. Om de shampoo uit te spoelen moeten we een paar huizen verder met onze kop in de wasbak. Daarna wordt er geknipt. Door een prachtige Chinese. Bij mij moet er alleen bijgewerkt worden want ik ben eigenlijk net naar de kapper geweest. We keuvelen lekker bij en zitten nog net niet met een kopje thee onder de droogkap te roddelen.
Na het nodige spuit en droogwerk staan we weer buiten en gaan we bij Luo thuis koken. Luo moet drie keer per dag zijn kom rijst hebben anders wordt hij narrig. Ik wil zien hoe Luo dat allemaal doet en stop mijn hoofd bijna in de wok. Alles gaat in de wok. Eerst pindaolie dan ui en vlees met suiker en azijn. Daarna ei en groenten. Rijst staat al klaar in de stomer. Een halfuur later zitten we lekker te smikkelen. Ik kan nu ook een echte zoet zure Chinese maaltijd maken.

Onder het eten vertelt Luo dat zijn ouders in Guiping in de buurt van Guilin wonen. Guilin wordt door bijna alle bezoekers aan China bezocht vanwege de wereld beroemde karstbergen. Guilin ligt driehonderd kilometer ten noorden van Beihai. Met de trein een dag reizen. Dan met de bus nog eens driehonderd kilometer de binnenlanden in. Luo is nummer vijf van een gezin van zes. Van de eerste twee weet moeder nog wanneer ze zijn geboren. Van Luo weet ze het niet precies meer. Hij denkt dat hij in 1976 - 1977 is geboren. De moeders van vandaag de dag hebben het makkelijker met het onthouden. De geboortedatum van hun enige kind zal ze wel bij blijven. Twee kinderen is verboden. Het wordt financieel bestraft. Toch hebben ver van Beijing af de families grote gezinnen. De kinderen worden dan in verschillende steden geboren. De controle is dan moeilijker. Luo woont sinds begin dit jaar samen met een vrouwelijke collega van het hotel. Als zij werkt is hij thuis en als hij werk is zij thuis. Ze slapen veel in het hotel. Luo is al vrij oud voor een ongetrouwde Chinees. Zijn aanstaande bruid heeft hij daarom toegewezen gekregen door de hotelraad. Wanneer er kinderen mogen komen gaat via schema. Luo hoeft niet zo nodig kinderen.

Maandag 31 maart gaat Luo vragen of hij vrij kan krijgen. Hij denkt dat het geen probleem is. We gaan dan met het vliegtuig naar Hainan. Met de boot is Luo de vorige keer dat hij daar was ziek geworden. Het vliegtuig is nog goedkoper dan de boot. Alleen zie je in het vliegtuig niets. De boot lijkt me eigenlijk leuker. We maken op Hainan een rondtocht over het eiland in een bus vol Chinezen. Het eiland is tropisch en erg warm zegt Luo. Hij neemt toch maar een dikke jas mee. Ik zal er het zelfde weer zien als vandaag in Beihai mooi zonnig weer en warm zegt hij.

Windows vertelt me als ik de computer aanzet dat het vandaag zondag 30 maart is en de zomertijd is ingegaan en de klok een uur is vooruitgezet en wat is het warm.
In het hotel van Luo ben ik de enige gast. Het hotel is voornamelijk bedoeld voor het volksmanagement van de volkstreinen van het volk, het leidende spoorweg personeel. Er zijn ca 3 miljoen employées. Het hotel is daar ook op gebouwd. Het beschikt slechts over 900 kamers, dus niet iedereen komt aan bod. Men mag een week blijven dan komt de volgende golf. In het hoogseizoen is het altijd vol. Voor het hotelpersoneel staat naast het hotel een grote flat. De personeelsflat is voorzien van pingpong zalen. Luo zelf woont in een eigen flat in de stad en pingpongd beter dan ik.(mij)
Met 4 anderen bewoonde hij een twee kamer flat. De hele flat is eigendom van het volk van de spoorwegen. Er is ook een keuken. Hij woont nu op de bovenste verdieping van het flatgebouw van 8 verdiepingen. Er is geen lift. Hij is pas verhuisd van de beneden verdieping naar de bovenste omdat het zomers met de ramen open lekkerder doortocht. Beneden is het dan veel te warm. In de hotelflat heeft Luo ook een kamer met 4 anderen. Meerdere hotels hebben nu alleen het personeel in huis. Sinds mijn vorige bezoek aan Luo heeft hij geen buitenlander meer in Beihai gezien. Het seizoen begint in Mei dan komen de Chinezen met bus en treinladingen vol in Beihai van de zee genieten en heeft Luo het ook wat drukker. S’ochtends om 8 uur staat het hotelbusje voor de deur van de flat om de mensen die moeten werken naar het hotel te brengen.
Daarna gaat hij met het kleinere busje van het hotel naar de markt om inkopen voor de maaltijden van het hotel te doen. Elke dag alles vers. Hedenochtend aten we gefrituurde aardwormen en dronken fruitthee. Thee van rozebottel, walnoot, bessen en nog veel meer. In een ketel met een tuit van een meter wordt dat vanaf een afstand zonder knoeien in je kleine kopje gemikt.

Op 18 april, uitgerekend door de wichelaars, wordt een nieuw gedeelte van het hotel geopend. Er komen dan 80 obers bij. Luo geeft samen met een co-worker een cursus hotelmanagement. Hij heeft op de hotelschool in Guilin gezeten. Hij vraagt of ik de obers de eerste beginselen voor hotelgebruik van westerse gewoontes en beleefdheden in het Engels wil bijbrengen. Zoals de procedure bij het inschrijven van een gast. Wat te doen als ze willen eten. Wat te zeggen als je ze tegenkomt in het hotel.

De Chinese gebruiken zijn voor mij anders dan ik gewend ben. Als een Chinees je niet kent zegt hij je geen goedendag. Dankzij de leer van Confucius worden vreemdelingen en barbaren enigszins buiten de deur van het eigen kringetje gehouden. Als je niet tot de familie behoort zwijgt men.Het hotelpersoneel zegt boe noch bah tegen me.
Het komt ontzettend onvriendelijk en ongemanierd op mij over. Aan tafel beginnen ze te eten zonder iets te zeggen en als ze klaar zijn staan ze op en lopen weg zonder iets te zeggen. Netjes in China. Onbehoorlijk in mijn ogen. Vooral rochelen en lekker spugen zijn favoriete bezigheden van Chinezen. Dit zijn nog maar een paar kleine voorbeelden van de dingen die ik dagelijks opmerk. Gelukkig..versta ik geen Chinees dus ik kan niet horen hoe men over mijn ongewone gewoontes praat. Waarschijnlijk heb ik er voor de helft niet eens erg in. Wanneer de 80 obers van Luo komen is nog niet bekend. Op 18 april kan het nieuwe gedeelte zo te zien nog lang niet klaar zijn. Waarschijnlijker is dat het april volgend jaar zal gaan worden.

Vanuit mijn kamer zie ik een visser in de regen door het zeewater lopen. Hij plaatst een net en gaat dan met een lange stok op het water klappen om zo vis naar zijn net te jagen. Of er veel in komt kan ik niet zien. Verderop zal dat wel het geval zijn want daar vissen ze met behulp van explosieven. Een stuk of honderd vissersboten liggen in een grote cirkel. Dynamiet ontploft met geweldig lawaai onder water. Alles wat leefde komt langzaam heel of in stukjes bovendrijven en wordt verzameld. Deze efficiënte manier van de zee leegvissen is overal ter wereld verboden maar wordt in Zuid Oost Azie nog vrolijk toegepast..

Als het even droog is loop ik snel naar de stad om wat rond te kijken. Voor de oude Boeddhistische tempel vlak bij het hotel staan een heleboel fietsen. Ik zie op de binnenplaats onder de bomen aan tafels allemaal oudere vrouwen zitten, de lege rijstkommen voor zich. Er wordt gewacht op eten. Voor de ingang van de tempel staat een altaar. Er wordt papier verbrand en de wierookwalmen zijn bijna niet door te komen. Beelden worden aanbeden. Een vrouw stoot me aan en zeg dat Ik best ook kan gaan bidden. Ik heb weinig zin om voor die beelden in het stof te gaan liggen dus maak ik een kruisteken. De vrouw lacht en begrijpt dat ik van de concurrent ben. Met veel kabaal wordt er vuurwerk afgestoken. Op de kleine binnenplaats galmt dat behoorlijk. Met pijn in mijn oren ga ik weer naar buiten. Welke bijzondere feestdag het vandaag was is me niet uitgelegd. Plotseling begint het weer te regenen. Een wildvreemde Chinees komt met een paraplu op me af. Ik moet en zal zijn paraplu aannemen. Gelukkig kan ik de man wijsmaken dat ik maar tien meter verder op moet zijn en ik bedank hem duizendmaal voor zijn zeer vriendelijke aanbod. Chinezen, ik snap er niets meer van. Om verder onopgemerkt te kunnen schuilen ga ik onder een afdakje lekkere gestoomde broodjes eten, van de gebakken eendekoppen zie ik maar af. Als ik afreken met een beetje gescheurd biljet van 2 Yuan krijg ik moeilijkheden. Chinezen, ik snap er niets van.

Op het T.V. Journaal zijn de verrichtingen van de huidige leider Jiang Zumin elke avond uitgebreid in het nieuws. De man reist stad en land af en westerse regeringsleiders lopen af en aan en er worden vele handen geschud. Via e-mail melden mijn Chinese vrienden dat ze zo slecht Nederlands kunnen lezen.Dus van af hier ga ik verder in het Engels.

Na de rust in Bei Hai, reis ik verder naar Vietnam via Fan Chang naar Dong Xing aan de Vietnamese grens.

Dan via Mong Cai --> per Hovercraft door de Halong Bay naar Bai Chay en door naar Hanoi.

Beihai in the South.

Beihai literally means, “north of the sea”-- north of the Beibu Gulf or Gulf of Tonkin. The ocean town is perched on the southern tip of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and its strategic location explains why it served as a key center of trade as early as 2000 years ago.

Ah, tropical breezes, palm-lined boulevards, and plenty of water. That’s Beihai in a nutshell. Previously regarded only as a stop along the way to Hainan or Vietnam, Beihai is slowly drawing a growing crowd of maritime enthusiasts.

The two oldest streets are Zhongshan Road and Zhuhai Road, built around 1883. These two roads run parallel on the northern coastline and are lined with a special building called the qilou.

The qilou is a special structure in Beihai. It literally means “building riding on top”, because it seems to ride above the passageway, on these thick pillars. Although not unique to Beihai, it is especially well preserved here

Because of Beihai’s openness as a trading port and exposure to foreign influence, many Western structures were built around the late 19th century. The qilou is one of them. These ancient colonial buildings are a harmonious mixture of western and Chinese style, adding to the sleepy tropical atmosphere. Aside from their unique beauty, you can also appreciate them for their functional value on a hot summer’s day.

See, the qilou is perfect. Here, you don’t have to worry about the burning sun. Also, you can get some great sights since the residents who live here post bright red banners outside their houses to wish you fortune and good luck.

The banners on the doors bring in fortune, while the posters of guards drive away evil spirits.

One quick glance at this street and you may suppose you are in Europe. But don’t assume that what you see is an exact replica of Western architecture. A closer look and you will discover deep-rooted Chinese culture embedded in everything. The pathways and the narrow alleyways between the buildings on the street are indeed distinctive.

Can you guess how many households live on the other side of the wall? Actually, just one, even though it’s so long and deep. Most houses are next to each other, so there’s no lanes at all. But this one is unique. There’s not even any windows. Can you imagine how dark it is?

Under the qilou, you can witness the essence of local Beihai life. The pathways are considered an extension of the streets where residents sit and relax, and shopkeepers get ready for business. Zhuhai road was formerly the center for activity, but the street is not inhabited by many residents today.

But those you do meet sure are friendly.
Although the commercial center has moved elsewhere, you can see remnants of their past. Along the street are shops for household goods, fishing shops, and clothing items.

My time is limited, and Zhuhai Road is over 1 km long, so I’d better speed things up.

A long day of exploration goes well with a relaxing evening. In the center of the city, you can find opera every night from 8 to 10:30, so long as it doesn’t rain. The local Yue opera is a free performance that draws large crowds. I have to admit that I didn’t understand a word they sang in the local dialect. However, that didn’t keep me from enjoying the songs just the same. Although the stage is simply set in the street, the performance is quite formal and the singers take their roles very seriously, applying stage makeup. By the way, most of the singers are over 50 years old.

But just because they’re not young pop stars mean they don’t have loyal fans. This woman is the local Britney Spears. In fact, many people buy bunches of flowers to give to her. I spent two RMB and look at the huge bouquet I got. What I didn’t know was that there’s a system of flower recycling. Just after you give the flowers, a person will bring them back and resell them. Hey, those are mine!

What is there to do in Beihai? One of the main tourist attractions is the Exhibition Center for Shellfish and Coral. The museum boasts a collection of live shellfish and coral, collecting varieties all over world. Many are much bigger than those you can find on the beach.

She sells seashells by the seashore. She sells seashells by the seashore. But these are so nice, why would she want to sell them.

The museum has over 600 varieties of shellfish, including 7,000 pieces. One is worth over $80,000.

Besides shellfish, the museum boasts an impressive collection of coral. Coral can live up to 1,200 years, but usually die prematurely due to environmental destruction

It’s rare to find so many different types of coral in one place, since they exist in many parts of the world. You might also have to swim to the depths of the ocean.

The colors of the coral are often so striking that you might think the lighting is playing tricks on your eyes. However, what you see is the natural color of the coral. The colorless lighting’s main function is to allow coral photosynthesis.

Beihai is well known for its bright and shiny pearls. But do you know how they are made? The pearls are made by using tools to open the shell, cutting a slit, and inserting a foreign particle into the shell. Over time, the shell will make secretions around the particle and in three years, a pearl will be formed.

China tops the world in the annual output of pearls, which now surpasses 1,200 tons each year. The pearls here are called "South Pearls," the king of them all.

In the museum, you can see a display of oysters that have been deliberately induced to produce pearls by introducing an irritant. In nature, it’s very rare to see pearls, but behold the power of modern technology.

On the second floor of the museum is the largest pearl processing export base in Guangxi. Selection based on 4 characteristics: the pearl’s size, brightness, color, and flawlessness. After selecting the best pearls, they make necklaces and accessories.

Underwater World is another place to take a look at the world beneath the ocean.

It is a Chinese tourist attraction known for its many performances, including girls diving in six-meter water tank. You can also catch a glimpse of these girls doing some crazy things—yes, even feeding sharks. There they also play with FeiFei, a 300 year old turtle which is the biggest sea turtle in China. The show is around 20 minutes and is performed several times daily.

In the museum, there’s a well-known glass tunnel, where you can feel submerged in the underwater world, surrounded by fish, rays, and sharks. Big, small, pretty, and you can decide for yourself

Welcome to Silver Beach, Beihai’s number one tourist location. It’s properly named so for the fine, white sand. It’s a million dollar view.

Silver Beach lies to the south of Beihai, stretching 24 kilometres west and varies in width from 30 to 300 meters. The beach has a reputation as one of the best in China.

The best part is that admission is free! Here you can swim, play volleyball, and sunbathe.

Currently, Beihai is one of the 14 major open cities along the coast and the only city in the national minority autonomous regions that has direct access to the sea.

The ports are lined with freight vessels and row boats that aren’t just means of transportation, but also serve as homes. To move from one ship to another, you can take a 1 RMB water taxi.

The daily lives of these people, although seem slow, is actually quite busy. Beihai was formerly a fishing village, and many local people still make a living out of going out to sea to catch fish. Some even do business selling food and snacks by the water on their boats. These people are commonly known as “egg people” since their boats look like half an eggshell drifting on the water.

The fishermen constantly prepare to go out to sea. These trips can last anywhere from 6, 7 days to half a month. Repairing their nets after a catch, a common chore around the house.

From the outside, boats seem to be pretty plain and even old-fashioned, like they were transported in time from decades ago, but inside you will find that these ships are indeed very modern.

It’s equipped with the finest technology. The radar will show our location and screen displays where the fish are. It’s well equipped, so that the ship can do it’s own work while I take a rest.

I can’t imagine living on a boat, but these fishermen see their boats just like their houses, even decorating their boats just as we do our homes. These red flowers serve the same function as the red banners on the doors of the houses, bringing fortune and prosperity.

Weizhou Island

A trip to Beihai is not complete unless you tour Weizhou Island, the youngest and largest volcanic island in China. The island is located 36 sea miles directly south of Beihai. The journey to Weizhou Island takes two and a half hours by small ferry. A view from above and you will see the result of volcanic activity and weathering.

The island is known as a "Museum of Volcanoes". I’m no geologist, so I’m largely unfamiliar with the formation and development of the Island. Seems like a mystery. So my first stop was the Museum of Weizhou Island

It’s unimaginable that Weizhou Island, like Hawaii, was formed as a result of tectonic activity and volcanic action. However, one big difference is that although the volcanoes of Hawaii are still active today, the ones in Weizhou Island saw their last eruption about 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. The exhibit in the museum includes remnants of the islands formation…including coral rocks and solidified lava.

This is a bomb, but don’t worry about it exploding because it’s a volcanic bomb, formed from solidified lava. When a volcano erupts, it fires lava into the sky. As the lava falls back to earth, it spins around quickly, cools and solidifies, forming a round shape.

On the island, you can find craters, and marine abrasion platforms. A good place to take a look at these is the Volcano National Park.

I was told that Weizhou Island has not see rain in almost a year, but a storm stirred up just as we reached the park. Luckily, the guy who concluded that “every cloud has a silver lining” was just on the dot. In the rain a calm, fantastic, immortal world unfolded before my eyes. The grey, motionless coral rocks almost convinced me that life was at a standstill, until surprisingly, I discovered the tiny crabs rushing about.

Although the volcanoes are no longer active, the island is by no means dead, as the volcano is surrounded by a large area of coral reef and is particularly rich in plant and sea animals.

Persistent weathering by flowing water has also transformed hard rocks and mountains.

Wow, coral rock formed from real coral that died. This is a skeleton like thing with floral decorations, like flowers.

Below me is a platform that used to be a mountain like that one. Over time, erosion by the sea waves caused the cliff to move back, crating a flat platform.

This round pit formed as a result of the volcanic bomb. Some of these are round, but others are wider and longer. I wonder where the volcanic bombs are… maybe in the museum.

On this small island far from the center of the city, it’s pretty extraordinary to find a Catholic cathedral. This one was built in 1882 by French missionaries.

The cathedral finished ten years after it started to be built. It was built by coralline stone, soils, tiles and wood. It has an area of 774 square meters. It also includes a hospital, an abbey, a school and a foundling.

This is a typical gothic building, like the ones in France during the Renaissance. However, it also has local characteristics. For instance, this is held together not by normal cement, but a combination of honey and wheat. 100 years of weathering and typhoons have not moved this building one-inch.

Not only can you sense local elements inside, but also on the outside of the church. Take a careful look.

This is coral rock, like the skeleton of the coral. You can find it on the walls of the cathedral…

Weizhou is known for its abundant and cheap seafood, but did you know it abounds in small yet delicious bananas. These bananas are in Weizhou only, not even in the center city of Beihai.

The fresh sea breeze and the last rays of sunshine spreading across my cheeks…this is why I love the sea. As I look into the distance, I wonder where my journeys will take me tomorrow. But that’s a whole new day.

In spite of the name Beihai (meaning sea in the north), it is located in the southernmost part of Guangxi, bordering the Southern Chinese Sea, in the harbor of Beibuwan. Beihai, near Zhanjiang, Guand-dong Province, faced Hainan (China's southernmost province) across the sea. Beihai was one of the starting points of the Silk Road via the sea 2000 years ago. And it was the then starting point of the Ho Chi Minh waterway through which China sent war material to aid Vietnam during the Vietnam War in the sixties. The Beihai people living by the seaside enjoyed fully the abundant gifts brought by the sea. The azure blue sea, the exquisite sands, the crystal pearl, the delicious seafood enticed lots of domestic and foreign tourists to this place. The most famous scenery in Beihai should be the ten-mile silver beach. It was called "the Excellent Sand in China", as famous in the world as the scenery in Guilin.

The silver beach was more than 24 kilometers long and several kilometers wide. The entire beach was covered with white exquisite sand, and the seawater was very clean. The tourists could swim in the sea at ease, without fear of shark attack.

The seawater in the silver sand averaged temperature of 22.6C all year long, suitable for swimming for at least 9 months out of the year. In summer days, tourists came here to play in the water, amuse themselves, and enjoy the sun. The whole beach would be filled with people and excitement. When I arrived, there were not many tourists, even though it was not high season. The pearl in the east was worse than that in the west; the pearl in the west was worse than that in the south. Beihai has been the famous home of pearls since time immemorial. It was said that the pearl was coagulated by the mermaid's tears, and had been the symbol of power and wealth for a long time. The pearls used for ornaments in the hair by Dowager Empress Ci Xi in the Qing Dynasty and British Queen were all from Hepu.
Apart from decoration, the pearls also have medicinal value. Being one of the important compositions of Chinese pharmaceuticals, they can brighten eyes, rid scar, calm nerves and do all sorts of wonderful things.

Beihai is one of the important domestic aquatic farms at present, covering one third of the country's pearl's output.

There are many markets selling pearls. The best known market was the Nanzhu Hall. Nanzhu Hall was just opposite the Beihai Beach Park.
Nanzhu's Years, a 40-meter long fresco in Nanzhu Hall, revealed the difficulties natives had when they dived for pearls in those years.

Zhuhai Road in Beihai. It witnesses the old Beihai, and got its name for being situated near ancient Zhuhai. One kilometer long, Zhuhai Road was packed with old buildings, some over ahundred years. Many would eventually be declared as excellent cultural relics of the world.
In Lu Hai Hotel Monyong told me a nice chopstick and food...storey.
Chinese simply choose chopsticks as their tableware rather than knife and fork since Chinese people, under cultivation of Confucianism, consider knife and fork bearing sort of violence, like cold weapons. However, chopsticks reflect gentleness and enevolence, the main moral teaching of Confucianism.

Chinese food seems to taste better eaten with chopsticks which are the special utensil Chinese use to dine. It will be an awkward experience for foreigners to use chopsticks to have a meal. Fortunately, learning to eat with chopsticks is not difficult.

The truth of using chopsticks is holding one chopstick in place while pivoting the other one to pick up a morsel. How to position the chopsticks is the course you have to learn. First, place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side of your middle fingertip. Then, bring your thumb forward so that the stick will be firmly trapped in place. At least two or three inches of chopstick of the thinner end should extend beyond your fingertip. Next, position the other chopstick so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Check whether the ends of the chopsticks are even. If not, then tap the thinner parts on the plate to make them be even. Ok, now you are going to practice. Just place a little pressure on the upper chopstick, the one against your index finger, to make it pivot on the index finger while keep the bottom chopstick stationary. Isn't it easy?

After a little practice, you can use them to enjoy your Chinese food. Certainly in the first a few attempts, you have to take care.

Using chopsticks to eat rice is a problem to most foreigners. Generally the tip to eat rice is to bring one's rice bowl close to one's mouth and quickly scoop the rice into it with one's chopsticks. Since this is difficult for foreigners and so simply lifting portions of rice to the mouth from the bowl held in the other hand is perfectly acceptable.

There are superstitions associated with chopsticks too. If you find an uneven pair at your table setting, it means you are going to miss a boat, plane or train. Dropping chopsticks will inevitably bring bad luck. Crossed chopsticks are, however, permissible in a dim sum restaurant. The waiter will cross them to show that your bill has been settled, or you can do the same to show the waiter that you have finished and are ready to pay the bill.

In China, since people eat together, usually the host will serve you some dishes with his or her own chopsticks to show his or her hospitality. Since this is different with the Western customs, you can leave the food alone if you feel too awkward. There some other rules you are suggested to follow to make your stay in China happier, though you will be forgiven if you have no idea what they are.

Food Symbolism

In China, foods are given different meanings, so that in certain occasion a kind of food, can only be eaten by some specific individuals, or must be eaten in specific occasion.

Usually, an honored guest will be served a snapper's head or shell to hail him and show warmly welcome in some districts.

Long noodle is the symbol of longevity in China, so that youngsters or seniors all will have a bowl of Long Life Noodle to expect a healthy life.

In Central China, if a baby is born, his father will send Red Boiled Egg to announce the news. An even number, usually six or eight, of Red Boiled Egg with a black point dotted on one end will be delivered for a boy, and an odd number, usually five or seven without black point for a girl.

Fish is always served to symbolize prosperity and wealth accumulation in the New Year's Eve.

There are other foods and snacks symbolizing good wishes under special circumstances, such as duck, chicken and melon seeds.

Comments ?

Beaches in China are not the same as in Thailand, so don't expect too much. There is not much to see in Beihai. Unless if you are heading to Hainan Island or are desperate for a swim, I think it's not worth the effort.

How to reach ?

Trains Nanning Bei Hai everyday also busses. Busses in Guangxi are much faster than the trains and very comfortable. The roads are exxellent.
There is a bus from Guilin everyday at 21:00, RMB 138, take 7 hrs, a very clean bus. The only disadvantage is you arrive at 4am.
But the day in Beihai starts very early or can I say…it end pretty late??!!
You will still find people in the street and food stand outside the bus station. You get a good chance to see the real life of the city. In Bei Bu Wen square, you will see hundreds of people practicing martial arts already, while the day get brighten up. People go to work or school and the city get real busy.

A hugely sprawling grid of right-angled streets, Beihai is so positioned on a broad peninsula that the main seafront, unexpectedly enough given its location on China's southern coast, is to the north of town.
The centre is marked by a roundabout at the intersection of north-south orientated Sichuan Lu, and Beibuwan Lu, which crosses it at right angles. Arrival points are widely spread across the city from here: the ferry port is 2km west along the seafront on Haijiao Lu, connected to the roundabout by a #2 bus; while the long-distance bus station is 1.5km east of the roundabout on Beibuwan Lu (bus #7).

Where to stay?

There are 2 bus stations on Bei Bu Wen road. In between there are many guest houses which don't mind taking foreigners. Just go, ask and take your pick. Price around RMB 15-30 for a room.

For accommodation, try the upmarket and fairly modern Hualian Binguan (0779/2024467; ¥200-300), about 100m west of the roundabout on Beibuwan Lu; the rather more atmospheric colonial-style Beihai Binguan (0779/2020131; ¥150-700), a short walk west of the bus station; or the more down-to-earth Haiyun Binguan (¥30-150), on Sichuan Lu just north of the roundabout on the west side of the road. There are places to eat either at the hotels or nearby, and some cheap, hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurants beside the ferry terminal.

The beaches? Silver beach is about 15 mins from town, bus no.3 will get you there. A few guest houses are there, but since transports are quite frequent, better stay in town and check out the night life. There is an entrance fee for the beach RMB 15. / There is another beach on the other end, bus no.5 will get you there in 15 mins. Also No Free entrance, beach is ok, has a food street at night,many hotels around. Go to Lu Hai hotel and ask for English speaking Mr. Luo Wen Yong. He will arrange everything for you.

Tip ? You can buy a bus card if you plan to stay a bit longer and use a lot of bus.  You won't need to keep a lot of coins and with a card they charge less for each ride.

At night ? Bei Bu Wen square seem to be the hot spot at night. You will see old people sing Chinese opera there, young people sing karaoke in the cafe on the other side,... Night market is around the corner, very busy. / For sea food, walk or take a taxi to the sand island on the water front in the evening. Many restaurant will suit your taste.

E-mail ? Go to the telecom office, RMB 10/hr.

How to leave ? Boat to Hainan island everyday at 18:00. Bus no.2 will get you to the Harbour. / Same Harbour to
Wai Zhuo - Weizhou Island , take off at 08:30 & return at 15:00 the same day (RMB19 for 3rd class, RMB21 for 2nd class, one way). You can stay at the island if you want, couple of local hotel charge RMB 20/bed, turn right from the Harbour along the only street. Not much to talk about here, a volcanic island but you won't feel much of a volcano, only sight is an old cathedral about 7 km from town, you can walk or take a tuk tuk. Cheng Tang is a small stone village, all the house are build with big stones. The cathedral is a mini scale model of Notre Dame of Paris, it look funny with all those Chinese writing on the wall. You can visit inside for RMB 5.

Bei Hai Mong Cai

Bei Hai by bus to Dongxing.
Dongxing pass the borderbridge to Mong Cai.
From Mong Cai by hydrofoil boat to Hon Gai Halong Bay.
From Halong Bay by mini Bus to Hanoi.
Daily direct busses go from Bei Bu Wen bus station to Dongxing-->Mong Cai
From Beihai Busstation (on Beibuwan road) you take an airco bus to Dongxing, Chinese border, Yuan 38. Depts.8.15 /10.00 /15.50 daily.
At Dongxing Busstation you take a cyclo to the border. Yuan 5. At the border you buy an exitcard. 10 Yuan.
Chinese and Vietnamese customs no problems.
Ofcourse you need Vietnamese Visa. Vietnamese visa are now for all international bordercrossings.
You walk over the bridge to Mongcai, Vietnam.

MONG CAI & CHINESE BORDER

IDD Code: (+84) 33
Mong Cai is a revealing place. The Vietnamese are fast developing their side of the border while the Chinese side remains a bit of a backwater. The Vietnamese are making a statement of intent, a show of face that their economy is keeping pace with China. China is making its own statement: 'We don't care, we have bigger fish to fry', sharing as they do borders with India, Russia and several other economic giants. It would take a real optimist to think Mong Cai is an attractive place. For the Vietnamese, the big draw here is the chance to purchase low-priced (and low-quality) Chinese-made consumer goods. For the Chinese, the attraction is mostly gambling and girls. Chinese speakers will find plenty of opportunity to practice in Mong Cai. Most of the market stalls are run by Chinese. This explains why the market shuts so early: the Chinese have to head back across the border before it closes at 4.30pm. It also means it's easy to offload any leftover Chinese yuan. Other than the prospect of crossing the border, Mong Cai is of no interest to tourists. The town is dusty, the buildings are ramshackle, and there's construction-site chaos everywhere. Dongxing (on the Chinese side) is even less appealing.
Information
Vietcombank, in the centre of town, can change travellers cheques and also has a handy ATM. Internet access (per hr 3000d) is available in a cluster of places on Pho Hung Vuong near the post office.
Sleeping & Eating
It is possible to spend the night in the nearby beach retreat of Tra Co (opposite). There are masses of hotels in Mong Cai catering to cross-border traders. There are currently two huge casino resorts under construction to cater to Chinese high rollers. They should be open by the time you read this if you need to flutter away some dong before crossing into China.
Nha Nghi Thanh Tam (tell: 881373; Ð Trieu Duong; r120,000d; Rooms here are just USS8 for those who have just arrived and can't sort their dongs from their yuan. Clean and comfortable, this is good value and the family are warm and welcoming. Nam Phong Hotel (tell: 887 775; fax 887 779; Pho Hung Vuong; s/d 220,000/250,000d; A smart business hotel, this is one of the only places in town where staff speak English. The rooms are well kitted out with satellite TV and water and there is a good Vietnamese restaurant at the rear. Nha Hang Long Tu (tell: 770 489; Pho Hung Vuong; mains 20,000-50,000d) A long-running restaurant, this eatery offers a plastic-fantastic set-up downstairs and a more refined dining room upstairs. Try a table-top barbecue or steamboat, or indulge in the seafood. There are plenty of food stalls on Pho Hung Vuong» including several good spots near the Nam Phong Hotel.
Getting There & Away
BOAT:
Mill Ngoc (tell: 883 988; Pho Hung Vuong) runs high-speed hydrofoils daily from Mong Cat to Bai Chay (US$15, three hours) in Halong City at 9am and 2pm (Sam and 1pm from Halong City). From Mong Cai, shuttle vans leave the hydrofoil ticket offices for the pier at Dan Tien Port, about 15km away. Arriving in Mong Cai, the hydrofoils often berth in the middle of the open sea; don't worry, you haven't broken down! Low tides require a transfer by small boat. Mui Ngoc has hydrofoils to Cai Rong on Van Don Island. The boat heads south to Van Don (US$10, two hours) at 2pm. In the other direction, it departs Van Don at 8.30am. Finally, there is also a slow ferry to Haiphong (70,000d, eight hours), departing daily at 6pm, Do the maths, it arrives at an ungodly hour.
BUS:
Mong Cai is located 360km from Hanoi. Buses to/from Hanoi (75.000d, nine hours) depart regularly in the morning. Many buses and minibuses connect Mong Cai and Hon Gai (42,000d, five hours) between 5.30am and 4.30pm. Smart folk take the hydrofoil. For Mong Cai to Lang Son (50,000d, five hours) there is just one bus a day at 12.30pm. Don't miss it, as going your own way involves two changes. Much of the road is unpaved -expect plenty of dust or mud.
BORDER CROSSING: MONG CAI/ DONGXING
Mong Cai is located on the Chinese border in the extreme northeastern corner of Vietnam. One of three official international overland border crossings with China, it's open from 7.30am to 4.30pm daily.

From Mongcai you take a hovercraft to Hon(g) Gai (Halong Bay.)The western part is called Bai Chay and the eastern part Hon(g) Gai. Both are connected to each other by a ferry-service ...
Tickets 12$. Daily 9 o'clock. Check Chinese/Vietnamese time. One hour difference? Tickets available oposite the Buu dien, Postoffice. From the ticket office they bring you by bus to Tra Co ("Port").

From there you board small boats to the hovercraft wich will bring you to Hon Gai (Halong) in ca 2hrs. This boattrip brings you through the wonderful scenery of Halong Bay. Hovercraft 2008 no longer in service
or Hovercraft
From Halong Bay minibusses will pick you up and bring you to Hanoi for foreigners price ca 40.000VND. Digging my way through my Photo album of Bei Hai!

To Hainan!