Beihai 

cctv.com 05-31-2005 15:45

Is this on? Hi, I鈥檓 Yin and welcome to Travelogue鈥檚 Street Special. We鈥檙e here in Beihai, one of China鈥檚 first trading ports. You鈥檙e probably wondering why I鈥檓 filming this myself, but there鈥檚 a perfectly good explanation. I promise to tell you later. Anyway, Behai is known for its brilliant pearls, beautiful beaches, and radiant sunshine. But you don鈥檛 have to take my word for it, let鈥檚 take a look around. Good, cut.

Beihai literally means, 鈥渘orth of the sea鈥- north of the Beibu Gulf or Gulf of Tonkin. The ocean town is perched on the southern tip of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and its strategic location explains why it served as a key center of trade as early as 2000 years ago.

Ah, tropical breezes, palm-lined boulevards, and plenty of water. That鈥檚 Beihai for you in a nutshell. Previously regarded only as a stop along the way to Hainan or Vietnam, Beihai is slowly drawing a growing crowd of maritime enthusiasts.

In this street special, we will explore three types of streets: the old streets of Beihai, the coastline, and the 鈥渟treet of ships鈥lining the water.

The two oldest streets are Zhongshan Road and Zhuhai Road, built around 1883. These two roads run parallel on the northern coastline and are lined with a special building called the qilou.

The qilou is a special structure in Beihai. It literally means 鈥渂uilding riding on top鈥 because it seems to ride above the passageway, on these thick pillars. Although not unique to Beihai, it is especially well preserved here

Because of Beihai鈥檚 openness as a trading port and exposure to foreign influence, many Western structures were built around the late 19th century. The qilou is one of them. These ancient colonial buildings are a harmonious mixture of western and Chinese style, adding to the sleepy tropical atmosphere. Aside from their unique beauty, you can also appreciate them for their functional value on a hot summer鈥檚 day.

See, the qilou is perfect. Here, you don鈥檛 have to worry about the burning sun. Also, you can get some great sights since the residents who live here post bright red banners outside their houses to wish you fortune and good luck.