North China's Hainan

TANGSHAN – I’ve always tended to lament about the lack of vacation destinations or entertainment options outside the city of Beijing. Sure, you can head north and hike the wild wall.  Or, as Will Moss recently wrote on his blog, you can even dive the wild wall.  But really, compared with other regions of the country, there isn’t a whole lot up here. 

Now I say this having never been to Beidaihe, which I’m told is nice.  Zhongnanhai writer Chris was there recently and suggested going back.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised with my visit to Crescent Moon Island  in the Bohai Sea. 

Yuetuo Dao seems to be a summer island oasis… albeit in the north.  It’s about a 4 hour drive from Beijing (when there are no car accidents on the highway – a story for another day) and Tianjin and is quite near to Tangshan in Hebei Province.

I visited the island with Tianjin TV along with other media and travel outlets from Beijing and Tianjin.  The island features white sandy beaches (and the water is warm enough to swim in, if not clean enough), bird watching, para-sailing, several restaurants and bars (including a steak house – no word on how authentic the steaks are), fruit gardens, hiking trails, and even a small petting zoo.

For people wishing to stay overnight, there are a couple of options:  sleeping in one of the dozens of small huts, which are rustic to say the least:  just a simple mat and nightlight are found inside.  This is more akin to camping, as you’ll have to wash in the public washrooms. 

The second option is in one of the many cabins which are being finished.  This is more upscale.  The wooden cabins feature full suites with living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and some even have kitchens.  We stayed in one of these during the visit, and my only complaint was that power seemed to be sporadic.

Which is a nice segue into my final point:  electricity.  Yuetuo Island is positioning itself as an eco-tourism destination.  The power on the island is generated through both solar and wind resources, and water is reused.

The island is no Hainan, but it’s nice to know something like this exists up here.  It’s relaxing during the day and lively at night, as they held the Bohai version of a luau (this time roasting a lamb – no poi to be seen, however).