Qinhuangdao facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Qinhuangdao 秦皇岛市
Prefecture-level city
Clockwise from the top: City view, Shanhai Pass, Longtan Falls, Yan Mountains, Old Dragon Head, Habitat Apartments
Seal
Nickname(s):  Back Garden of Beijing and Tianjin (京津后花园)
Location of Qinhuangdao City in Hebei Province
Qinhuangdao Location in Hebei Show map of Hebei Qinhuangdao Location in North China Plain Show map of North China Plain Qinhuangdao Location in China Show map of China
Country	People's Republic of China
Province	Hebei
Settled	1737
Established	March 3, 1983
Municipal seat	Haigang District
Area
• Prefecture-level city	7,791.57 km2 (3,008.34 sq mi)
• Urban	2,122.9 km2 (819.7 sq mi)
• Metro	2,122.9 km2 (819.7 sq mi)
Population  (2020 census)
• Prefecture-level city	3,136,879
• Density	402.5991/km2 (1,042.7269/sq mi)
• Urban	1,881,047
• Urban density	886.074/km2 (2,294.92/sq mi)
• Metro	1,881,047
• Metro density	886.074/km2 (2,294.92/sq mi)
GDP
• Prefecture-level city	CN¥ 184 billion US$ 22.2 billion
• Per capita	CN¥ 48,230 US$7,143
Time zone	UTC+8 (China Standard)
Postal code	066000
Area code(s)	(0)335
ISO 3166 code	CN-HE-03
Licence Plate Prefix	冀C
Website	www.qhd.gov.cn

Qinhuangdao
"Qinhuangdao", as written in Simplified Chinese (top) and Traditional Chinese (bottom)
Simplified Chinese	秦皇岛
Traditional Chinese	秦皇島
Literal meaning	Qin Shi Huang Island
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qínhuángdǎo Wade–Giles Ch'in-huang-tao

Qinhuangdao (/ˈtʃɪnˈhwɑːŋˈdaʊ/; Chinese: 秦皇岛) is a port city located on the coast of northern Hebei province in China. It is a large city that manages several smaller areas, known as a prefecture-level city. Qinhuangdao is about 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Beijing, right on the Bohai Sea, which is part of the Yellow Sea.

In 2020, about 3.1 million people lived in Qinhuangdao. More than 1.8 million of these people lived in the main city area, which includes four urban districts.

History of Qinhuangdao

The name "Qinhuangdao" means "Qin Emperor island." It comes from a story about the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. He is said to have visited a mountain area near here in 210 BC, looking for a way to live forever.

The "island" part of the name refers to an area that used to be a small island offshore. This island later became connected to the mainland. This happened in the late 1800s when the port was built. Dirt and sand from digging out the harbor were used to connect the island to the land.

In the 19th century, Qinhuangdao was made up of two separate towns. These towns were important stops on the Peking–Mukden Railway. Engineers from Britain helped design and build the new harbor and port around 1900.

During the start of the Chinese Civil War, soldiers landed in Qinhuangdao. They used this city because other ports were not available.

Qinhuangdao was also a special place for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium hosted some of the soccer games.

Looking south along Minzu Road from the top floor of the International Trade Hotel

Geography and Climate

Qinhuangdao is located on the northwest coast of the Bohai Sea. It shares borders with Tangshan to the southwest, Chengde to the northwest, and Liaoning province to the northeast. The city covers a total area of about 7,812 square kilometers (3,016 square miles).

Since the city of Tianjin became a special province-level city, Qinhuangdao has become the main port for Hebei province.

Qinhuangdao has three main developed areas:

• Beidaihe: This is a popular summer resort by the sea. Important government officials often come here for vacations.
• Haigang: This is the main harbor city and the heart of Qinhuangdao. It is home to Yan Shan University, a leading university in the area.
• Shanhaiguan: This is a famous place for tourists. You can see the eastern end of the Great Wall here.

Weather in Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao has a climate with four clear seasons. Winters are cold and dry, with winds often blowing from the northwest. The average temperature in January is about -5.6°C (21.9°F). Summers are hot and humid, with warm air coming from the sea. The average high temperature in July is about 28.3°C (82.9°F). Most of the rain falls from June to August.

City Districts and Areas

Qinhuangdao is divided into several smaller areas. These include urban districts, suburban districts, and rural counties.

Map
Haigang Shanhaiguan Beidaihe Funing Qinglong County Changli County Lulong County
Name	Chinese	Pinyin	Population (2020)	Area (km2)	Density (/km2)
Urban Areas
Haigang District	海港区	Hǎigǎng Qū	1,024,876	754.3	4,166
Suburban Areas
Shanhaiguan District	山海关区	Shānhǎiguān Qū	164,989	205.8	855
Beidaihe District	北戴河区	Běidàihé Qū	130,104	158.1	822.9
Funing District	抚宁区	Fǔníng Qū	291,211	1,039	352.2
Rural Areas
Changli County	昌黎县	Chānglí Xiàn	487,989	1,228	397.4
Lulong County	卢龙县	Lúlóng Xiàn	333,942	959.0	348.2
Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County	青龙满族自治县	Qīnglóng Mǎnzú Zìzhìxiàn	431,138	3,508	122.9

Economy and Development

Qinhuangdao has a special area called the Qinhuangdao Economic & Technology Development Zone. This zone was created in 1984 to help the city grow economically. It is close to Beijing (280 km or 174 miles) and Tianjin (245 km or 152 miles). Many businesses, including foreign ones, have invested here.

The city also has an Export Processing Zone. This zone helps companies that make products for export. Industries like electronics, building materials, and computer software are encouraged here.

Qinhuangdao Port

The Qinhuangdao Port is very important for China. It is the largest port in the country for shipping coal. A lot of this coal goes to power plants in other parts of China. The port has been growing and can now handle over 200 million metric tons of goods. It is adding more berths to increase its capacity even further.

China is one of the world's largest coal exporters. Qinhuangdao is expected to handle a lot of these exports. The railway lines that bring coal from Shanxi (China's biggest coal producer) to Qinhuangdao Port are being improved. This will allow the port to handle even more coal in the future.

Many Chinese and foreign companies are moving to Qinhuangdao to support the port's growth. Shipping companies are investing billions of dollars to improve ports across China.

Qinhuangdao is connected by the Beijing−Shenyang Expressway, which links Beijing with Shenyang. The city also has an airport, Qinhuangdao Beidaihe Airport.

Tourism and Attractions

Qinhuangdao offers several attractions for visitors.

• The Qinhuangdao Wildlife Park opened in 1995. It is one of the largest wildlife parks in China.
• The Tanghe River Park is famous for its "Red Ribbon." This is a unique steel sculpture that runs through the park. It provides seating, lighting, and highlights native plants. This project has won awards for its design.

Education in Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao is home to several universities and colleges:

• Yanshan University
• Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao
• Hebei Institute of International Business and Economics
• Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology
• Northeastern Petroleum University at Qinhuangdao

Sister Cities

Qinhuangdao has friendly relationships with several cities around the world. These are called "sister cities":

• Lugo, Spain
• Pesaro, Italy
• Toledo, Ohio, United States (since 1985)
• Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (since 2010)
• Terrace, British Columbia, Canada (since 2015)

See also

In Spanish: Qinhuangdao para niños