Qingdao Xihai’an: Scale Mountains, Admire the Sea, and Stroll Down Qin Shi Huang’s Imperial Path

The Golden Sandy Beach is located in Xihai’an, and takes its name from its golden sand.The sand of Golden Sandy Beach is said to be the best in Qingdao, and is finer than the sand in the city's biggest saltwater baths.The Golden Sandy Beach has a vast coastline, far from the hustle and bustle and with fewer visitors.The Golden Beach Cultural Tourism Festival is held every summer (usually from mid-late July to mid-August). Many famous local and overseas singers, artistes, song and dance troupes are invited to perform in each year’s opening ceremony. There are also spectacular performances and singing competitions.

Located on the southwest coast of Xihai’an, the Dazhu Mountain scenic area is up a mountain trail, and you can admire a myriad of exotic peaks and rocks from here. Make a visit Shimen Temple, ancient Buddhist statue grottoes and other historical sites, where you can even enjoy sweet spring water after a tiring long walk.Every spring is the best season to visit Dazhu Mountain, and the sea of rhododendrons will certainly present a spectacular scenery. Be treated to a magnificent sight when you climb to the top of the mountain and gaze into the distance.Some of the massive boulders on Dazhu Mountain resemble divine turtles chasing the moon, while others take the form of deities sunning their boots. There is even a lifelike and vivid statue of the deity, Zhong Kui.

Cangma Mountain is located in Cangnan Town, Xihai’an. The attraction is characterized by beautiful mountains, rich ecological vegetation and significant advantages in natural resources. With its pleasant weather and location, it enjoys the reputation of being one of the defining attractions in the region, as part of “Laoshan Mountain in the east and Cangma Mountain in the west”.The scenery in the scenic area is beautiful; and the amusement facilities are novel and exhilarating.The area features a number of themed areas, including Blueberry Town, Wisteria Garden and Millennium Valley. Coupled with European-style architecture and windmills that can be seen everywhere on the mountain, it’s as if you have traveled to a foreign country.There are amusement facilities that children love found in the Millennium Valley that are incredibly fun, such as a carousel of horses and bumper cars.

The Langyatai Scenic Spot, located on the eastern coast of Langya Town in Xihai’an, is famous for Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s three visits here. Chinese alchemist and explorer, Xu Fu also set sail eastward to Japan from here.You can follow the "imperial path" that Qin Shi Huang once traversed. You can also climb up to Langyatai to overlook the sea and experience Qin Shi Huang’s longing for the divine mountains on the sea.The Langyatai Peak offers a panoramic view of the surrounding scenery, from which you can see the Longwan Beach, mountains and sea.A dozen stone figures have been erected on the top of the mountain. It depicts the scene where Xu Fu was summoned during the third tour of Langyatai by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 210 BC.On the eastern side of the mountain, Wangyuelou stands tall, housing a bronze statue of Goujian, the King of Yue. It is also a perfect place to watch the sunrise on the sea.

Lingshan Island, located in the Yellow Sea in the southeast of Jiaonan City, is the third highest island in China after Hainan Island, at an altitude of 513.6m. It is also the highest island in northern China.The fresh seafood on the island is delicious, and you can try the snakehead fish head, or you can go fishing on a fishing boat yourself.Lingshan Island's signature architecture is the Shell Building, which has been carefully designed and constructed from more than 500 varieties and more than one million colorful original conch shells. It has been called “The World's First Shell Building”.There are also landscapes such as the Beilai Boulder, eroded sea cliff walls, Laohuzui and preserved historic villages that are worth visiting.

The Qingdao Shell Museum is a private seashells-themed museum, with the largest beach runway in the country.There is a large giant clam that is 1m long in diameter and is known as the "King of the Shellfish”, small trachoma that you will require a magnifying glass to see, and the nautilus fossils from the Ordovician of 450 million years ago.The museum is composed of a display area for various shell specimens, an interactive area for children and an educational area for more learning, etc. If you enter the museum, you may listen to an interesting explanation by the instructor and gain a detailed understanding of the shells.The seashell merchandise stores sell a variety of shell-related souvenirs and books about the shells, and you can purchase anything that catches your eye.

Yinshatan is located in the southwest of the provincial Phoenix Island Tourism and Resorts Area, with a total length spanning more than 2,000 meters. It is a natural seawater bathing spot in the shape of a crescent, and spans from the east to the west; it has clear waters and a flat beach.Due to its fine and even sand, under the sunlight, it is as if a shiny silver plate has been embedded on blue silk, thus giving it its name Yinshatan (Silver Beach).Yinshatan is located close to the Yellow Sea in the south, and with a black pine forest behind it. Adding together the sun, sea, the beach, and the pine forest, the place is a mix of dynamism and tranquility, a perfect vacation paradise.

Tangdaowan Binhai Park is a large coastal park built around the headlands of Tangdaowan. It is divided into two regions, the North Coast and the South Coast. It has a reputation as being a West Lake of the sea and Qingdao's West Garden.A number of facilities including a wharf recreation village, Binhai Garden of Eden, Binhai Leisure Plaza, a public art park, a canal square, Binhai Sports and Recreation Center and other facilities can be found in Tangdaowan Binhai Park. There is also a sea viewing platform and sightseeing bridge, a floating dock and a yacht pier, all of which are also good places to go for some recreation along the coast.