Islands and Beaches

　　Scenic Splendor in Calabash Island City

　　By YI FAN & WANG NAN

　　Though its name designates it an island, Huludao City, or Calabash Island, is actually a narrow strip of land extending about 100 kilometers east to west along the western seashore of the Liaodong Gulf. From above, the part that extends into the gulf resembles a calabash, hence its name. Its topography has earned Huludao the epithet, "Corridor of Western Liaoning." A main western Liaoning Province city, Huludao provides access from the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning to central China and southeastern coastal areas.

　　The Huludao landscape is one of green hills and a blue sea. Along its 237-km-long coastline are 20 fine-sanded beaches lapped by gentle waves of clear water with gently undulating hills in the background. From their summit is a clear view of the ruins of Qingshihuang's Jieshi Rock Palace, which remained in use until the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220). Observed from the east, Jieshi Rock resembles a rooster, and from the west, a young woman standing on the shore with her son and daughter awaiting the return of her husband.

　　Huludao's Jiumenkou (Nine Gateways) Great Wall is the only section to have been built in water. It spans two hills, and has nine underwater gateways that allow water to pass through. Jiumenkou was scene of many major battles in ancient times.

　　Xingcheng is known for the ancient town under its jurisdiction, and its green hills, seascape, hot springs, and islets. It is a key national-level scenic site and a provincial-level historic and cultural town. The ancient town of Xingcheng is a double-walled Ming Dynasty heritage from 570 years ago. Although its outer wall no longer exists, the inner wall is in good repair after generations of maintenance and renovation. Xingcheng's crescent seashore is an ideal site for summer holidaymakers.

　　There are over 20 bathing beaches along Huludao's 237-km coastline.

　　Apart from its beautiful beaches, Huludao also has unique natural scenery. Its Chrysanthemum Island, the size of Macao, is the largest in the Bohai Bay. During the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties, it was an important Buddhist retreat in north China. Perennial hot springs well up in the Shengshui (Sacred Water) Temple on the island and pour into the Lotus Pond, vaporizing even in winter. Xingcheng's mineral-rich hot waters spring from underground lava and have high medicinal value.