Blue horizons in Binhai

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.

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.