From maritime history and an aircraft carrier to sunrise fishing, a new area offers an easy coastal escape from Beijing, Deng Zhangyu reports in Tianjin.

Dreaming of a seaside escape? Hop on a high-speed train from Beijing and, in just an hour, you'll arrive at Tianjin's Binhai New Area, home to one of the capital's nearest stretches of coastline.

If Tianjin's city center is a canal-laced old town, Binhai New Area, about a 30-minute drive away, is a vibrant port shaped by the Bohai Sea, where maritime culture and modern attractions come together.

To understand the story of this coastline, I began at the National Maritime Museum of China. Perched beside the Bohai Sea, the museum is one of Binhai's biggest draws. Admission is free, but visitors should reserve tickets online well in advance, as same-day tickets are rarely available.

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The gleaming white building immediately catches the eye. Its sweeping curves resemble a school of fish gliding through the waves or a sail billowing in the wind.

Two observation decks extend over the water, offering uninterrupted views of the Bohai Sea.

Standing there with the sea breeze on my face and the horizon stretching endlessly ahead, I easily lost track of time before my friend Chang Xiaojing, who works at the museum, brought my attention back to the exhibits.

Since opening in May 2019, the museum has welcomed more than 3 million visitors each year, Chang says.

During the summer holidays, tickets are especially hard to secure, with families and young travelers flocking from across the country.

The museum houses 13 permanent exhibition halls spanning three floors, covering themes like Ancient Ocean, Today's Ocean, Future Ocean, and Chinese Maritime Civilization. It is also hosting a special exhibition on China's underwater archaeological discoveries.

The museum's star attraction is impossible to miss — a 9.4-meter whale shark specimen suspended dramatically above visitors.

Nearby are a preserved pregnant hammerhead shark, a life-size model of a giant squid measuring more than 10 meters, and a display of plankton, crabs, shrimp and shellfish.

It isn't just marine life. The Age of Dinosaurs hall is also breathtaking, displaying precious fossils that vividly prove the ocean is the cradle of life.

My favorite was the Future Ocean gallery, where immersive digital displays imagine underwater communities, transport systems, farms and deep-sea cities. Moving from prehistoric oceans to futuristic blue worlds, the exhibition feels like a journey across millions of years of maritime history.

Before leaving, I stopped at the museum's popular seaside cafe. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame panoramic views of the Bohai Sea.

Coffee in hand, I watched the waves roll in and understood why many visitors linger long after their museum tour ends.

Prime attraction

After a leisurely morning, I took a 30-minute taxi ride to my next stop: TEDA Aircraft Carrier Theme Park. For 220 yuan ($32.50), I stepped aboard a real aircraft carrier for the first time.

Commissioned in 1975 in the former Soviet Union, the ship was decommissioned in the 1990s and was later brought to Tianjin and transformed into a tourist attraction.

Inside, visitors can explore more than a dozen areas, from the expansive flight deck and combat command center to the crew's living quarters and missile and torpedo bays.

Wandering through its maze-like corridors, I was surprised to come across a fried chicken outlet, a cafe and a trendy souvenir shop. The contrast between the carrier's steel-gray military interior and its modern leisure spaces was as unexpected as it was entertaining.

Stepping onto the open flight deck felt like walking onto a movie set. Instead of fighter jets preparing for takeoff, children ran across the deck, tourists posed for photos and one visitor quietly practiced tai chi against the backdrop of the Bohai Sea.

The park's stunt car show is another crowd favorite, delivering high-speed chases, precision drifting and daring driving displays worthy of an action film.

Thrill-seekers can even pay 300 yuan for a 30-second drifting experience with a professional driver.

One foreign visitor emerged grinning, saying it felt like starring in his own Fast & Furious scene.

After spending about three hours aboard the carrier, I headed to my final stop of the day — Dongjiang Bay scenic area. The shift from the imposing military setting to soft sand and gentle waves was instantly calming.

Stretching for 2 kilometers, the beach is one of the best places in Binhai New Area to watch the sunset.

Visitors can also try jet skiing, speedboating and sailing before settling in for the evening spectacle.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the Bohai Sea glowed in shades of gold and orange. I found a beach chair, sat back and watched the last light shimmer across the water, ending a day that had taken me from maritime history to military hardware and, finally, to the simple pleasures of the seaside.

Sea of surprises

The next day began long before dawn with another highlight of the trip — a fishing excursion with local fishermen to watch the sunrise over the Bohai Sea.

Several fishing docks in Binhai offer charter trips, with boats accommodating about 10 people for around 1,500 yuan.

Just after 4 am, my friends and I arrived at the dock while the sky was still dark. Captain Li Ning had checked the weather and tides. After putting on our life jackets, we set off into the Bohai as the boat's engine broke the morning silence.

The morning sea was quiet and gentle, with only the sound of wind and waves. As we sailed, the horizon slowly changed from inky blue to a faint orange glow. Suddenly, a red sun broke free from the sea, slowly rising, spreading golden light across thousands of waves.

This is the romance that only early-morning sailors can experience.

When we reached the designated fishing ground, the crew expertly operated the equipment, lowering a huge trawl net into the sea. After 40 minutes of waiting, it was time to haul it in — the most exciting moment. As the winch slowly turned, the heavy net emerged, and lively mantis shrimp, fresh fish, and small crabs tumbled onto the deck.

Captain Li laughed, comparing fishing to opening a blind box — you never know what the sea will offer. Some days bring an abundant catch, others less so, but that unpredictability is part of its enduring appeal.

As we sorted the morning's catch, a cool sea breeze accompanied us back to shore, bringing an unhurried end to the voyage.

My two-day journey through Binhai New Area proved that a memorable seaside escape doesn't require a long journey.

Just beyond Beijing lies a coastline where maritime history, unexpected adventures and quiet moments by the sea come together, offering a refreshing change of pace within easy reach of the capital.

Yan Dongjie contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn