With its 800,000 inhabitants, Qinhuangdao, the smallest of the Olympic cities, is preparing itself to host the eagerly awaited football matches. It also used to be a popular seaside resort for the big shots of the Chinese Communist Party and now for well-off Beijing locals.  

Completed in 2004, the Qinhuangdao Olympic Stadium is prepping to receive "the football match of the century": China versus Brazil! While there is still a sense of imperfection in the air at the sight of patches of synthetic grass and glue, the natural grass of the central lawn is ready and under the care of a team of specialists. The 300 athletes will therefore compete on good grounds in front of the 32,000 visitors that the building can house.

Although not a soccer power house, the Chinese are nevertheless fervent fans and have proved at the last World Cup. At the time, television sets had invaded the streets of Beijing and mini-riots had even erupted in a residence for Sichuan students during a power outage in the middle the semi-finals.

Facing a team as prestigious as Brazil at home makes the stakes high, but this will be held during the Olympics making them even higher. The other groups promise not to disappoint, as one includes the Italians playing the South Koreans. The Squadra Azzura fully intends to exact its revenge for its defeat to South Korea during the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup. But for Chinese, no hopes are held back. "I know nothing about the Brazilians except from the fact that they can play good football," recognizes a woman selling postcards in a Qinhuangdao tourist area. "I look forward to them coming over and seeing them play. And especially if China can beat them!"  she says ambitiously. 

A small getaway

The city hosts an average of 16 million tourists a year and also estimates 2 million Olympic tourists, including at least 20,000 Koreans. It is ready for everyone. The Chinese resort is accustomed to receiving foreigners, although mainly a Russian clientele, in fact about 40,000 of them per year. They come seeking a more pleasant climate and sand to bask in the sun. There are indeed many signs in the streets, the restaurants and the hotels in Russian.

To entertain tourists, Qinhuangdao has built a surprising Olympic Park with cast concrete frescoes that trace the international history of the Olympics. You will even be able to admire the handprints of the most famous Chinese athletes and other artistic works, everything in a style unique to the country... This is a must to get a better idea of what mass tourism is about in China!

Geziwo (pigeon nest) is a famous park quoted in a Mao Zedong poem who was very inspired at the time by the view of the rising sun, and allows access to a sandy area that is quite pretty. Another one of the most popular attractions is the Shanhaiguan Pass, a section of the Great Wall that throws itself into the sea.

Close to the most famous beaches of the Beidaihe district, you can find lovers strolling, dozens of married couples taking pictures for their future wedding albums and all the classical seaside facilities (bars, crafts salesmen, parasols ...). So why not go for a small trip to the sea to relax from the urban atmosphere of Beijing? Especially given the fact that August in Qinhuangdao, the beaches are flooded with the sounds of samba, although it still remains below the standards of Copacabana.

Practical Information:
Many trains leave daily from Beijing to Qinhuangdao at the rate of one every half hour on average. The trip takes about two hours and costs about 44RMB each way. Trains going back to Beijing are less frequent and completely stop in late afternoon or early evening. If you decide to return after dinner, you can always opt for the bus, a rental truck or a chauffeured car. All you need to do is ask one of the many travel agencies in Qinhaungdao next to the train station upon arrival or around your hotel.

Text and photos: Nicolas Sridi
June 2008