Rizhao city becomes magnet for seaside tourism

With appealing natural resources and pleasant climate, Rizhao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, is becoming an increasingly popular destination for seaside tourism.

Situated on the Yellow Sea, Rizhao has delighted tourists from both home and abroad with a healthy environment, picturesque coastline scenery, and an abundance of seafood. Wanpingkou Seaside Scenic Spot is where one can enjoy the city's main attractions.

Boasting a 5-kilometer-long coastline, the area which integrates seaside sightseeing, recreation, and sports exercises is an ideal place for tourists to relax and play on the endless beach. The Chaoxi Tower is a landmark of the scenic spot. On top of the tower, you can not only overlook the entire scenic area, but also overlook the sea.

Taigong, Taohua and Shanhou islands as well as Liujiawan Beach are the best places to catch an abundance of seafood on the beach when the tide is out.

On the first and fifteenth days of each Chinese lunar month, the sea tide on Taigong Island's coast increases to a higher level. Unexpected discoveries can be discovered that are concealed in the rocks on the beach when the water recedes. Hooks and rakes are used by local fishermen to collect seafood such as oysters, crab, shrimp, and shellfish, which will undoubtedly yield a large harvest.

"Rizhao is a coastal city with its charms of blue sky, clear sea, and sandy shores," said Liu Dezhong, vice-director of Rizhao municipal culture and tourism bureau. Liu noted that the city is transforming itself from a sightseeing destination to an international seashore resort for holiday tourists.

To better introduce its attractions, Rizhao municipal government has created some boutique tourism improvement programs.

A 28-kilometer-long greenway was built along the sea linking the city's featured coastal attractions. The pine forests, beaches, reefs and wetlands are still well-preserved, creating a "green ribbon" along the coastline. The greenway integrating jogging and cycling path become an ideal place for tourists to enjoy relaxing trips along the seashore.

Officials said that Rizhao will further develop diverse tourism products with more major projects to come in the future. It plans to boost its boutique coastline tourism industry clusters and upgrade the connotation of its marine tourism to build a modern international coastal tourist resort.