Fulong Beach

Fulong is the main sand beach of the northeast coast, a long gold crescent split in two by the Shuangxi river, with an arched footbridge crossing to the outer bar where the bathing area and lifeguards are. The inner side is calmer and used for kayaks and paddleboards. In spring and early summer the beach hosts a sand sculpture competition, and large carved figures stand on the sand for weeks. The other draw is cycling: the Old Caoling Tunnel, a two-kilometre railway bore closed to trains, has been surfaced as a bike path and runs cool and lamplit under the headland to the far side, forming a loop back along the coast road. Bicycle hire is clustered around the station.

What you actually see

• The outer bathing beach - gold sand across the river bar, with lifeguards in the summer season.
• The sand sculpture festival - large carved figures standing on the beach through late spring and summer.
• The Old Caoling Tunnel - a two-kilometre disused rail tunnel, lit and surfaced as a cycle route.
• The coastal loop ride - the return leg on the sea road with Turtle Island offshore.

When to go

Swimming is only sensible from May to September, and the outer beach is properly open with lifeguards and charged entry in those months. The sand sculpture event runs across late spring and summer. Weekends and the July and August holidays are extremely busy. Cycling the tunnel loop works all year and is coolest in autumn.

Honest expectations

The outer beach charges entry in season and rents umbrellas and lockers on top, which surprises people who walked down expecting a free beach. Swimming is confined to a flagged area with fixed hours, and the sea is closed in rough weather. The northeast monsoon makes winter here grey, wet and windy. Bike hire queues on summer weekends are long.

Nearby

Bitou Cape is north along the coast and the Caoling historic path climbs the headland behind.