Scenic Splendor in Calabash Island City

By YI FAN & WANG NAN

Xingcheng seascape.

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 city has a long history, evident in the remains of a palace built by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) on his tour of eastern China over 2,000 years ago. Along this narrow strip of land are the scenic and tourist sites of Jieshi Rock, Jiumenkou Great Wall, Shengshui Temple, and Xingcheng tourist and scenic 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.

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

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.

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.

In recent years, Huludao has concentrated on tourism construction. In the summer and autumn of 2002, the city experienced a boom that brought significant increases in tourism income. That year the 3 million domestic tourists that visited Huludao generated an income of 1.2 billion yuan.

The development of Xingcheng ancient town and Huludao seaside tourism has been included among key provincial projects aimed at propelling economic structural adjustment in Liaoning. Provincial Governor Bo Xilai believes these two projects will have great bearing on the overall economic development of the province. He requires that they be built to a standard that will make Huludao a top-notch tourist site for both domestic and overseas tourists.

The city has consequently focused its efforts on urban greening and environmental construction, and one-third of the city is covered by forest. This has brought it accreditation as a national-level garden city.

Jiumenkou Great Wall -- the only section of the Wall built in water.

Convenient transportation has enhanced the city's rapid tourism development in recent years. Huludao is only three hours' drive from Beijing and two hours' drive from Shenyang along the Beijing-Shenyang Expressway.

Apart from its rich tourism resources, Huludao is also a vegetable and fruit producer for nearby cities, including Beijing. Almost half of its sea produce goes to Beijing and Tianjin. The goal of Mayor Liu Ming PhD, who studied at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, is to build Huludao into a popular open coastal city.

By accelerating local tourism construction, the city hopes to become the "golden tourism corridor of western Liaoning."