Beihai, in Cantonese called Bakhoi, is a prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China. Beihai means "north 
sea" in Chinese, meaning that the place is a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin. Between 
the years 2006 and 2020, Beihai is predicted to be the world's fastest growing city[1]. Beihai has a 
large shipyard and is reputed to still be a pirate harbour[citation needed]. Beihai is known within 
China as a travel destination. While Beihai does suffer from pollution as much of China does, it is 
not nearly as severe as most other parts of the country.[citation needed]
 
 
It has a fairly active nightlife also containing western style bars. The dialect spoken throughout 
Beihai is "Beihua" a Cantonese dialect, although Mandarin is also known, or at least understood, by 
most of the population (Mandarin is the official language used in government, business and education 
above elementary level throughout China.)

 
Area: 3337 km², 957 km² urban centre 
Population: 145,000 (2001), 135,500 in urban centre (estimated 2006: 305,000) 
Municipal seat: Haicheng District 
Geographic coordinates: 108°50′45〃 - 109°47′28〃 East, 21°29′ - 21°55′34〃 North 
It governs the islands of Weizhou and Xieyang, and is north of Hainan Island.
Subdivision
Beihai contains three districts and one county, which are subdivided into five urban sub-districts, 23 
towns, 3 townships, 87 neighborhood committees, 343 village committees. (see also Political divisions 
of China#Levels)
 
 
Haicheng District (Cantonese: Hoi Shing) 
Yinhai District (Cantonese: Ngan Hoi) 
Tieshangang District (Cantonese: Tit San Gang) 
Hepu County 
History
After the 1876 Sino-British Treaty of Yantai, eight Western nations (UK, US, Germany, Austria-Hungary, 
France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium) set up embassies, hospitals, churches, schools, and maritime 
customs. Today, 15 of these western buildings remain in Beihai. It officially became an international 
tourist spot in 1982.
 

  City timeline
December 4, 1949: Beihai became a town of Hepu County under the Communist Party of China . 
January 1951: a province-administered city of Guangdong 
May 1951: entrusted to Guangxi 
March 1952: officially administered by Guangxi 
May 1955: Administered by Guangdong again 
1956: reduced to a county-level city 
1958: reduced to Beihai People's Commune of Hepu County 
1959: county-class town 
1964: restored to county-class city 
June 1965: Administered by Guangxi again 
October 1983: restored to prefecture-level city 
[edit] Demographics
Beihai is dominated by Han Chinese, with a few minorities such as ethnic Zhuang.
Transport
The Beihai Airport has scheduled flights to major airports in China. 
China National Highway 209 
International relations
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in China
Twin towns — Sister cities
Beihai is twinned with:

 Suva, Fiji 
 Gold Coast, Australia 
 Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA 
 Yatsushiro, Japan 
Miscellanea
Beihai has greatest high tides at September 1, with the tides being 5 meters (16 feet). Most ports have 
around 2 metres of high tide; Honolulu has 0.5 meter.There is a spinning restaurant in the city.