Qinhuangdao Administrative Divisions

Qinhuangdao (秦皇岛市) is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Hebei Province, bordered by the Bohai Sea to the south and the eastern Yanshan Mountains to the north. Few coastal cities in northern China combine such a wide range of landscapes within one municipal area: the Great Wall, historic passes, old cities, beaches, wetlands, mountains, forests, vineyards and modern coastal resorts. Municipal planning documents describe Qinhuangdao's tourism resources as an integrated system of mountains, sea, passes, historic towns, lakes, caves, springs and forests.

Administratively, Qinhuangdao currently consists of 4 municipal districts, 2 counties and 1 autonomous county: Haigang District, Shanhaiguan District, Beidaihe District, Funing District, Changli County, Lulong County and Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County. Qinhuangdao Economic and Technological Development Zone and Beidaihe New Area are important functional management zones, but they are not additional statutory county-level administrative divisions.

A significant update is needed compared with older administrative lists. As of 2026, Qinhuangdao has 23 subdistricts, 55 towns and 19 townships, totaling 97 township-level administrative units. The older figure of 23 subdistricts, 50 towns and 25 townships is no longer current. The latest change came when Liangshuihe Township (凉水河乡) in Qinglong was converted into Liangshuihe Town (凉水河镇), formally inaugurated in January 2026.

Tourism Geography of Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao's tourism geography can be understood as a sequence running from Shanhaiguan's Great Wall in the east, through the urban coast of Haigang and the historic seaside resort of Beidaihe, to the modern resort coast around Beidaihe New Area and Changli, with the Yanshan Mountains extending inland through Funing and Qinglong. Lulong adds rural, historical and agricultural tourism farther inland.

This spatial structure means that the administrative divisions have very different tourism identities. Shanhaiguan is dominated by Great Wall heritage; Beidaihe by seaside vacations and birdwatching; Haigang by urban, port and industrial regeneration; Changli and the Beidaihe New Area by contemporary coastal resorts; Funing by valleys and mountain tourism; Qinglong by mountain ecology and Manchu culture; and Lulong by rural leisure and ancient Guzhu cultural traditions.

Haigang District

Haigang District (海港区) is Qinhuangdao's main urban core and the seat of the municipal government. Its tourism resources combine modern city life, port history, industrial heritage, beaches and the southern foothills of the Yanshan Mountains.

One of the most representative new attractions is West Port Garden (西港花园), created through the regeneration of historic Qinhuangdao Port facilities. Together with the old railway landscape, port architecture and waterfront, it reflects Qinhuangdao's transformation from an industrial port into a modern tourism city. Municipal tourism development has highlighted West Port Garden as one of Qinhuangdao's successful new coastal tourism products.

The northern part of Haigang District is very different from its waterfront. Shimen寨 and Zhucaoying contain mountain landscapes and Great Wall resources, including the Banchangyu area, allowing visitors to move from an urban port environment into rural Great Wall country without leaving the district. Qinhuangdao's official scenic-drive recommendations connect Banchangyu with Zushan and other sections of the city's Great Wall tourism network.

Shanhaiguan District

Shanhaiguan District (山海关区) is Qinhuangdao's most important historical tourism area and one of the principal gateways for understanding the Ming Great Wall. The district contains the famous First Pass Under Heaven (天下第一关), Laolongtou (老龙头) where the Great Wall reaches the Bohai Sea, Jiaoshan Great Wall (角山长城), Mengjiangnü cultural sites and Shanhaiguan Ancient City.

Official tourism promotion describes Shanhaiguan through the remarkable combination of “mountain, sea, pass and city.” The district's principal Great Wall resources—including the First Pass, Laolongtou, Jiaoshan and Changshoushan—have also been incorporated into the national Great Wall Cultural Park tourism system.

For cultural travelers, Shanhaiguan functions as Qinhuangdao's strongest heritage district, while seasonal temple fairs, historical performances and traditional streets increasingly extend visits beyond conventional Great Wall sightseeing. During the 2026 May Day holiday, Shanhaiguan was the city's most visited major scenic area.

Beidaihe District

Beidaihe District (北戴河区) represents Qinhuangdao's classic seaside-resort identity. The coast was officially developed as an international summer resort in 1898, making Beidaihe one of the earliest modern coastal holiday destinations in China. Today it combines sandy beaches, historic villas, forested hills and nationally important bird habitats.

The best-known tourism resources include Pigeon Nest Park (鸽子窝公园) for sunrise and migratory birds, Lianfeng Mountain, coastal bathing areas and the historic villa landscape. Beidaihe lies on an important East Asian bird migration corridor and is particularly well known for spring and autumn birdwatching.

Tourism here is less about intensive sightseeing than in Shanhaiguan. Its core experience is seaside leisure, walking, cycling, sunrise photography, birdwatching and summer vacation culture.

Funing District

Funing District (抚宁区) extends from the plains toward the Yanshan foothills and is especially suitable for mountain recreation, valleys, Great Wall landscapes, countryside travel and outdoor tourism.

Its strongest tourism cluster lies in the northern mountains around Daxinzhai Town, where Bingtangyu, Beiniuding and Qishigu form a developing mountain-resort zone. Bingtangyu is noted for its deep valley scenery, water landscapes and nearby Great Wall environment, while current development plans seek to integrate these resources with rural revitalization and outdoor leisure.

A common source of confusion is Nandaihe. Many tourism websites continue to group Nandaihe attractions loosely with Funing because of historical boundaries. Under the current administrative and management structure, however, the Nandaihe coastal zone is largely associated with Beidaihe New Area, so it should not simply be presented as ordinary Funing District tourism.

Changli County

Changli County (昌黎县) has one of Qinhuangdao's most diverse tourism economies, combining coastal landscapes, Jieshi culture, vineyards, wine, rural tourism and modern resort development. The county has long been associated with the Changli Golden Coast, while its foothill areas form one of northern China's important wine-producing regions.

For tourism presentation, however, it is important to distinguish statutory administrative affiliation from functional management. Parts of the Changli coastal area are managed by Beidaihe New Area, including many of Qinhuangdao's best-known contemporary coastal tourism projects.

The wider coastal tourism zone includes Aranya (阿那亚), Blue Coast and Yutian Qilihai Resort (渔田七里海度假区). Aranya has developed into a nationally recognized cultural-resort brand built around architecture, art, music, theatre and seaside lifestyles, while Yutian Qilihai was officially upgraded to National 4A status in December 2025.

Beyond the beach, Changli's vineyards and wineries provide another tourism theme. Qinhuangdao's tourism planning continues to promote wine-themed travel alongside traditional coastal sightseeing.

Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County

Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County (青龙满族自治县) occupies Qinhuangdao's mountainous north and is the city's largest county-level division by area. Its tourism resources are based primarily on Yanshan Mountain ecology, the Great Wall, forests, traditional villages, Manchu culture and rural landscapes.

Zushan Mountain (祖山) is the county's best-known natural tourism resource. Qinhuangdao government material describes Zushan as part of the eastern Yanshan system, with numerous peaks above 1,200 meters and extensive granite mountain landscapes.

The county also combines Manchu traditions, Xi cultural heritage, rural festivals and Great Wall villages. In recent tourism programming, areas around Huachangyu and Zushan have been used for Great Wall cultural festivals and rural experiences, strengthening Qinglong's position as Qinhuangdao's main mountain and ethnic-cultural tourism destination.

Lulong County

Lulong County (卢龙县) is an inland county with a quieter tourism profile centered on Guzhu culture, agriculture, countryside holidays, mountains and wellness experiences.

Lulong is closely associated with the ancient Guzhu State (孤竹国) and was officially recognized as a center of Guzhu cultural research and promotion. Modern tourism development increasingly combines this historical identity with rural recreation.

Contemporary tourism projects include Zuoyou Valley (左右山谷) and Qipanshan, where accommodation, hot springs, family recreation and outdoor facilities have been developed. These resources make Lulong more suitable for weekend countryside stays, autumn harvest tourism and family leisure than conventional landmark sightseeing.

Qinhuangdao Tourism Resources by Administrative Area

Complete Administrative Division Table of Qinhuangdao

The following table uses the current 2026 statutory administrative framework, rather than the older 2018 count. The 2025 Qinhuangdao Statistical Yearbook recorded the 2024 baseline, while subsequent administrative adjustments—most notably the conversion of Liangshuihe Township into Liangshuihe Town—bring the current citywide total to 23 subdistricts, 55 towns and 19 townships.