Fun at the beach
Just soaking in seawater has become a very popular activity nowadays. Some say it has medicinal benefits as ocean water is abundant in vitamins, mineral salts and other elements. Soaking in sea water is also supposed to calm the nerves, ease chronic health problems and relax your muscles.
When the tide is low, families take their kids to go catch the little sand crabs that can be found in the shallows. To catch a crab, you have to be like a crab. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to walk like one, you just have to understand their habits.
Find a place where the waves can reach and look for a crab hole. When the water comes in, start digging. You might find a sand crab swimming around in the puddle. Move quick to catch it, otherwise it will bury itself back in the sand.
If you are not interested in bathing in the ocean or catching crabs, you can go sailing or engage in other water sports activities.
Another option is go visit Liujia Bay where you can jump on a boat with local fishermen to experience what their lives are like. They teach you how to fish instead of giving you fish. Afterwards, you can go have a meal with the fisherman's family and enjoy the fresh seafood you caught.
Dream of your own island
If you ever dreamed of having your own island and money to burn, the provincial government will make your dream come true. There are about 589 islands off the coast of Shandong Province, 557 of them are unpopulated islands. And you know what? They are now for sale.
The province is leasing over 500 of these uninhabited islands for development. Buyers will have ownership for 50 years. Well, you might ask, "how much is it?" For reference, it cost the government about 8 million yuan ($1.2 million) to develop Taohua Island, or Peace Blossom Island.
Many Chinese know Taohua Island from the famous martial arts novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes written by Jin Yong. However, the one in the book is located in the Zhoushan Archipelago in East China's Zhejiang Province. Many confuse that one with the one in Rizhao as they have the same name.
But Rizhao's Taohua Island is very disappointing.
First of all, there are no peach trees at all. Not a single one. Instead it is packed with dealers who try to sell you souvenirs.
Second, the only thing of note is a big stone which says "Taohua Island," but they charge you to take a photo in front of it.
Third, the island is so small that it took us only 20 minutes to walk around the entire thing.
According to other tourists we met, Taigong Island is a better option.
Relaxing in the evening
After we came back from Taohua Island, we sat down on the beach to watch a beautiful orange sunset as the sun sank into the water. It was one of my favorite things to do on the beach.
Then we went to the lighthouse scenic resort for a walk, just a 10-minute drive away from Wanpingkou Beach. Many young couples come here to take wedding photos.
There is nothing much to see at the lighthouse. But from there, you can see the Rizhao port. Rizhao has China's 9th largest port. It connects Rizhao with the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the port of Antwerp in Belgium and other -European ports.
Yummy seafood
After a day of fun, it's time to enjoy some yummy seafood! There are two ways to do that. You can order it directly at a local restaurant, or you go to a fish market called the Shijiu Market to buy fresh seafood and then bring you purchases to a restaurant nearby. Of course, the -latter is much cheaper.
You really have to know how to choose the freshest seafood at a market.
For fish, look for the bright ones with clearer eyes. Then smell it. The locals said even though it smells bad, it will not necessary be bad for you, it just won't taste that good. For shellfish, try to put them on the counter top to see if they are still alive. Tap them on the shell. Clams and mussels will definitely react to you.
Breathtaking sunrise
Watching a sunrise is one of the must-do things when you visit Rizhao. Even though I am not a morning person, it is worth getting up at 5 in the morning to see the beautiful sunrise in Rizhao. The sun is one of the main reasons for the city's name after all.
After watching a beautiful sunrise slowly light up the sky, we waved to say goodbye to the city.
Rules of Thumb:
When to go:
As a coastal city, Rizhao has a humid, warm climate. The annual average temperature is about 12.5 C. You can travel to Rizhao any time of a year.
Getting there:
From Beijing/Shanghai to Rizhao, you can take the bullet train, which takes about four hours, or take a plane that takes about 1.5 hours.
Rizhao is just a 2-hour drive away from Qingdao. If you land in Qingdao, there is a direct airport bus route between the two cities.
There are long-distance bus stations that connect Rizhao and other cities in Shandong.
What to buy:
Surprise! Rizhao is known as one of the three tea capitals of China. You can visit Yuhai Bay to buy tea.
Dried seafood is a common ingredient in Chinese cooking. The best place to buy dried seafood is the Andongwei seafood market.
