Beihai Old Town Historical and Cultural Tourism Area

Beihai Old Town Historical and Cultural Tourism Area

The Beihai Old Town Historical and Cultural Tourism Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

As one of the first national “Trustworthy” scenic spots — a national AAAA-level tourist attraction — Beihai Old Town is the birthplace of the city of Beihai, covering a total area of 0.4 square kilometers. Built in 1821, it stretches 1.27 kilometers in length and is 9 meters wide, and has been hailed by domestic and international experts and scholars as an “inventory of modern architecture.”

The most distinctive feature of this street is “a fusion of Chinese and Western architectural styles, and a blend of Chinese and Western cultural life.” Major attractions include Dong’an Wharf, the Christian Church, Sanhuang Temple, Maruya Pharmacy, the Street Ferry Terminal, the Public Security Notice Stele, the Hand-Cranked Well, Yongjilong Building, Shuangshui Well, Danshui Well, the former site of the Beihai Customs Building, the Beihai Branch of the Great Qing Post Office, Yixianlou, the former Telegraph Office, and property boundary steles. Notably, exhibition halls such as the Beihai Old Town Historical and Cultural Museum, the Beihai Nixing Pottery Museum, the Beihai Ming and Qing Woodcarving Museum, and the Beihai Watercolor Painting Museum encapsulate the essence of Beihai Old Town’s history and culture, showcasing the unique cultural heritage of the old town.

The Beihai Old Town Historical and Cultural Museum, under the national 4A-level Beihai Old Town scenic area, is located at No. 102 Zhuhai Middle Road. This museum traces the historical timeline of Beihai Old Town, recreating its past prosperity, displaying its unique historical relics, and deeply exploring its spiritual and cultural connotations. It reveals the historical and cultural essence of a coastal ancient city that was born by the sea, flourished with the sea, and blends Chinese and Western influences. Through high-tech multimedia, scene reconstructions, and physical exhibits, arranged along a timeline with historical events as the vertical axis, the museum presents the complete development journey of the old town in a coherent narrative.

The Beihai Watercolor Painting Museum, under the national 4A-level Beihai Old Town scenic area, is located at No. 181 Zhuhai East Road. This museum is renovated from one of the best-preserved Lingnan arcade-style residential buildings on the Old Street, and it prominently features solo exhibitions of eleven painters representing the Beihai painting school: Cai Daodong, Zhang Guoquan, Zhang Guonan, Liu Shaohua, Zhang Hong, Bao Jianqun, Wu Mingzhu, Wu Zhigang, Huang Xiaoqi, Zhang Jiliang, and Zhang Bin.

The Beihai Nixing Pottery Museum, under the national 4A-level Beihai Old Town scenic area, is located at No. 20 Zhuhai Middle Road. It mainly displays Nixing pottery collections from the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, collected by Mr. Xu Weiji, supplemented by solo exhibitions of works by 13 Nixing pottery masters, and can be considered “unique in all of China.”

The Beihai Ming and Qing Woodcarving Museum, under the national 4A-level Beihai Old Town scenic area, is located at No. 10 Zhuhai Middle Road. The exhibits come from the collection of Mr. Wu Hai, an Australian-Chinese collector, and primarily display architectural wood carvings and civilian furniture from ancient residences in the Beibu Gulf region during the Ming and Qing periods. These pieces mainly feature relief carving, openwork carving, and round carving techniques. The carvings are exquisitely crafted and vividly rendered, making this one of the museums with the largest quantity and most comprehensive variety of ancient architectural wood carvings in the Beibu Gulf region.

1. Children under 1.2 meters are admitted free of charge; children between 1.2 meters (inclusive) and 1.5 meters enjoy half-price tickets at the door rate.

2. Seniors aged 70 and above with valid identification (senior citizen card or ID card) are admitted free; press cards and tour guide certificates also grant free admission.

3. Military officer certificates, teacher certificates, and disability certificates receive a 30% discount off the door rate.

Location of the Century-Old Street: Located at the intersection of Sichuan Road and Zhuhai Road in Beihai City. Take bus No. 2 to Beihai Old Street Station, then walk about 100 meters north.

Business Hours: Open every day from Monday to Sunday, 09:30 – 17:30