China
Country Data
Regions
3
Breaks
44
Coastline
14,500 KM
Cost of living
Capital
Beijing
Current Time
Security
Health
Where to surf in China
Surfing is growing rapidly in China and it has been targeted as the next big market for the big surf brands to move into, as local governments inject cash into the tourism infrastructure.
Getting around is challenging with all communication in Mandarin only, as very few speak any English. Foreigners are not allowed to rent cars in China, unless they have a local license and boards are not accepted on most trains and buses. Without a Chinese friend or a professional driver managing hectic traffic, beach access and complicated weather forecasts, getting to the spots is near impossible.
Yellow Sea and East China Sea
The extensive east china coast receives swell from the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea, where less than 500 surfers share around 10,000km of exposed beaches and reefs and amazingly, most of it is still unexplored. Winter NE swells in the 2-6ft range, are nearly constant from November to April, but summer flat spells can be long, tide range is huge (up to 7m) and the coast is often industrialised and polluted, with great amounts of plastic waste littering the shores.
South China Sea
200kms of SE-facing beachbreaks leads to the subtropical Hong Kong & Guangdong zone.
The island of Hainan clearly represent the best bet for getting a wave in China, receiving the largest, most reliable surf and are both venues for top tier international contests.
China surf map
Explore the 3 regions & 44 surf breaks in China.
Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 62,900,000
- Population
- 1,439,323,776
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- CNY
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +86
- Dialing out
- 00
- Emergencies
- 112
- Language
- Standard Chinese (Mandarin/Putonghua), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Electricity
- Plug Type
- aci
Visas
China - Visas are complicated, expensive (between US$100- $200) and vary quite a bit from country to country. You need to apply for your visa well in advance of a trip as it takes time and is not always straightforward. Hainan also has its own visa rules. Be smart and get it sorted early!
Hong Kong - Although considered part of China for most things, HK has its own visa policy that allows stays of up to 90 days visa free.
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.
Library
Helpful surf travel videos and articles featuring China.
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