Beidaihe
Encyclopedia
Beidaihe District is a district
in Qinhuangdao
municipality, Hebei
province on the coast of the Bohai Sea
in North China
. It has an area of 70.14 square kilometers and a population of 66,000. is also known as a birding haven. The Beidaihe Beach Resort stretches 10 km from east to west, from the Yinjiao Pavilion to the mouth of the Daihe river. The beach itself is covered with fine yellow sand stretching some 100 meters to the sea. The water is shallow and welcoming for children to play in. The environment around Beidaihe is considered beautiful by many. Mt.Lianfeng near the beach has two peaks covered by abundant green pines and cypresses. Lush vegetation, caves, decorated pavilions, secluded paths and winding bridges have made it attractive to visitors from throughout China. There are still few Western tourists, and there is little proliferation of English among the local populace.
English railway engineers were the first Europeans to discover the fishing village in the 1890s and it was not long before wealthy Chinese and foreign diplomats from Beijing
and Tianjin
made the village a popular destination.
's summer retreat, which is still commonly used by the Party's highest leadership each July to slip away from the summer heat of Beijing
and to plan important strategies in the privacy Beidaihe offers. "Beidaihe," an American
diplomat once said, "is China's 'smoke-filled room.'" These conferences have been abandoned due to an order from Hu Jintao
in 2004, mainly for two reasons. First, a conference in a resort area appeared to contradict Hu and Wen Jiabao
's goal in projecting a frugal image for the party. Second, it is a desire of the leadership under Hu to work through formal party and state mechanisms rather than informal gatherings.
After Mao Zedong
led the Communists to power in 1949, the new rulers also developed a taste for seaside atmosphere. Mao himself had a summer resort here. Sanatoriums sprang up to reward the efforts of model workers from every industry. A very large Friendship Guesthouse was constructed in 1954, one of dozens across China, to receive the Soviet "elder brothers" who came to assist Chinese development prior to tensions emerging between Soviet and Chinese leadership.
Many Russian tourists now come to Beidaihe every summer, and one can see many shops and restaurants there with Russian names. Beidaihe is practically empty in winter.
Towns:
District (PRC)
The term district, in the context of the People's Republic of China refers to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China....
in Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
municipality, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province on the coast of the Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of Northeastern and North China. It is approximately 78,000 km2 Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of...
in North China
North China
thumb|250px|Northern [[People's Republic of China]] region.Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain....
. It has an area of 70.14 square kilometers and a population of 66,000. is also known as a birding haven. The Beidaihe Beach Resort stretches 10 km from east to west, from the Yinjiao Pavilion to the mouth of the Daihe river. The beach itself is covered with fine yellow sand stretching some 100 meters to the sea. The water is shallow and welcoming for children to play in. The environment around Beidaihe is considered beautiful by many. Mt.Lianfeng near the beach has two peaks covered by abundant green pines and cypresses. Lush vegetation, caves, decorated pavilions, secluded paths and winding bridges have made it attractive to visitors from throughout China. There are still few Western tourists, and there is little proliferation of English among the local populace.
English railway engineers were the first Europeans to discover the fishing village in the 1890s and it was not long before wealthy Chinese and foreign diplomats from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
made the village a popular destination.
Prominent Visitors
Beidaihe is best known as the Communist Party of ChinaCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
's summer retreat, which is still commonly used by the Party's highest leadership each July to slip away from the summer heat of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and to plan important strategies in the privacy Beidaihe offers. "Beidaihe," an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat once said, "is China's 'smoke-filled room.'" These conferences have been abandoned due to an order from Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
in 2004, mainly for two reasons. First, a conference in a resort area appeared to contradict Hu and Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
's goal in projecting a frugal image for the party. Second, it is a desire of the leadership under Hu to work through formal party and state mechanisms rather than informal gatherings.
After Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
led the Communists to power in 1949, the new rulers also developed a taste for seaside atmosphere. Mao himself had a summer resort here. Sanatoriums sprang up to reward the efforts of model workers from every industry. A very large Friendship Guesthouse was constructed in 1954, one of dozens across China, to receive the Soviet "elder brothers" who came to assist Chinese development prior to tensions emerging between Soviet and Chinese leadership.
Many Russian tourists now come to Beidaihe every summer, and one can see many shops and restaurants there with Russian names. Beidaihe is practically empty in winter.
Administrative Divisions
Subdistricts:- Xishan SubdistrictXishan Subdistrict, QinhuangdaoXishan Subdistrict, Qinhuangdao is a township-level division situated in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China....
(西山街道), Dongshan SubdistrictDongshan Subdistrict, QinhuangdaoDongshan Subdistrict, Qinhuangdao is a township-level division situated in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China....
(东山街道)
Towns:
- HaibinHaibinHaibin is a township-level division situated in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China....
(海滨镇), DaiheDaiheDaihe is a township-level division situated in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China....
(戴河镇)
External links
- Official website of Beidaihe District Government
- Beidaihe - Migration Hub of the Orient - article on birding at and near the town
- Historic US Army map of Qinghuangdao and Beidaihe, 1944
