Golden Sand Beach (Jinshatan in Pin Yin) is situated in the southeast of Phoenix Island (Xuejia Dao) in Qingdao and is close to the Bohai Sea. The beach stretches from east to west like a crescent. Its claim to fame as 'The No.1 Beach in Asia' is due to its soft, golden sand. Jinshatan is about 3,500 meters (2 miles) long and 300 meters (0.1 miles) wide. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in China.

Golden Sand Beach is endowed with appealing sceneries. Golden sand, white clouds, blue sea and fantastic reefs make up a beautiful picture. One of the reefs is shaped like a frog. The 'stone frog' disappears or appears with the rising or ebbing of the tide, hence its name 'Indistinct Stone Frog'. Many marine lives such as crabs, shellfish and starfish flourish in the water. In addition, Golden Sand Beach is famous for its 'three treasures' - sea cucumber, abalone and crab, which are delicious and nutritious when prepared fresh.

Jinshatan can be divided into seven areas: exhibition area, sports area, children's land, seashore entertainment area, bathing area, beach leisure area and shopping area. The recreational facilities are well equipped. During the day, visitors can go yachting, speed boating or surfing. Football and volleyball matches are held on the beach, as well as musical performances and evening parties. After a busy day, it is good to have a relaxing bath in the bathing area, then camp on the beach and enjoy the beautiful night.

A festival called 'Cultural and Tourism Festival' has been held annually on Golden Sand Beach since 1998. The festival is sponsored by the administrative committee of the Qingdao Economic and Development Zone and the People's Government of Huangdao District in Qingdao. The opening and closing ceremonies are the highlights of this festival. Many famous singers, actors and artists will be invited to sing, perform and entertain. Visitors can also participate in a variety of interesting activities such as football and volleyball matches, cross-country races, beach sculpture competitions, calisthenics competitions, folk art exhibitions and movies.

Golden Sand Beach welcomes visitors from all over the world. It is a place worth visiting.

Getting there:

To get to Golden Sand Beach, take the ferry from Qingdao Ferry Terminal to Phoenix Island (Xuejia Dao), and then take the No. 4 city bus. Another way is to ferry from Qingdao Ferry Terminal to Huangdao Ferry Terminal, and then take the No.1 or No. 18