Marinas in Tianjin China

[DanCan]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

This was accurate in 1984 went I went to China the 1st time.



Has no relativity to today.



I am halfway thru my 2nd 10 year visa. For at least the last 20 years I have traveled all thru China alone. I only post my 1st stop on a 3 week trip at the border, the rest is wide open and I change plans frequently. Need to go to Shanghai ? just go. If you have a free weekend, divert to Beijing.

No problem. Just don't join a protest!

Now-bringing a foreign yacht in may be problematic-check 1st!

Yes, thank you for the info. Several here with the same experience have commented that things are different now. I’m glad to know and I keep my hopes to visit China one day. Thanks!

[wingssail]

Travelling to China by private yacht because you have business there or wish to "visit" as a tourist, is not yet permitted, as far as I know.

Foreign yachts may be permitted to visit china under strict arrival and movement requirements and at some considerable expense. Quingdao is a port with a yacht club close to Tianjin but it is not a port of entry. Noonsite has some information about this. Agents are required. The regulations for commercial ships may be applied to private yachts.

My experience in China is that foreign yachts may also be permitted to travel to a Chinese marina as part of an organized sporting event (Race, etc). Generally an event such as this will be organized jointly by a Chinese sporting organization and a foreign organization, such as a yacht club. The Hong Kong to Hainan Race goes from Hong Kong to Sanya, Hainan China. It is billed as a departure point for other destinations in Asia, meaning that after the race you could check out without being required to sail back to Hong Kong. Travelling between ports in China is not yet permitted as far as I know.

Other events I am familiar with included rally type visits to ports and marinas in China mostly organized as "sales" events for persons wishing to purchase berths in the Chinese marina, however the right to bring your vessel to that marina berth other than during the organized event was not included. These events are highly structured.

I have poured over charts of mainland China looking for cruising possibilities (if restrictions are lifted) and truthfully, have not found many. Much of Mainland China coastline is shallow with few deepwater inlets. If they do open it up, I am not sure where one would like to go other than the main ports. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is delightful.

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[carstendenmark]

For leisure sailing and socializing, try SYC (Shanghai Yacht Club), foreigners welcome. Recommended !

http://www.syclub.net/en/



Open sea sailing :

The chinese fear that you (deliberately or not) comes close to any military post or port, makes it out of question for a foreigner to go unattended at sea.



If your wallet is heavy and you are really itching for it, rent a boat (with chinese certified captain).

Then you might have the chance to be at the helm at sea.


In these days, there are anti-US propaganda and indoctrination in China, so it may not be as easy as before to just stroll around...
I'm now asked frequently on the street "are you american ?"
Before they asked me "are you german ?"


Advices :
Don't go to China in these virus times.

Let your Winnie-the-Pooh T-shirt stay in your home country.

In the aftermath of the Kunming massacre in 2014, train travel are now almost as strict as flight travel, considering luggage and what you can bring aboard.


China belives as strong as americans, that THEIR country is the best. Leave your thoughts of the regime at home.
中国 (Zhong Guo, the name of China in chinese) translates to “Central Country".



When the time comes, have a nice trip to China !

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Originally Posted by DanCan

A very good friend of mine is a Chinese national living here in Canada. Although not a sailor at all, he was very surprised a foreigner would be able to visit China without an escort. His words: for an individual to visit China, he has to have arranged an authorized/official Chinese tourist organization that will escort the foreigner to visit places (you won’t be allowed to wander on places by yourself) unless you hold temporary residency or with a working visa. In his view, not even shipping crews (foreigners) are allowed. Also, all sorts of port of entry are considered extreme security point. I’d be surprised your could just anchor at will....
So, regardless if all this is really accurate, best to find out with a Chinese consulate before making any plans.

Is this the current situation in China?

I visited China five times. Without visa, getting an entry visa at the airport, and freedom of movement, from Shangai to Beijing, from Tianjin to Hangzhou.

Maybe things changed lately? Maybe other nationalities are dealt with differently?

Interesting comments.

Thank you for others too on the Marina info. I was wondering about any for some time now.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Travelling to China by private yacht because you have business there or wish to "visit" ....
I have poured over charts of mainland China looking for cruising possibilities (if restrictions are lifted) and truthfully, have not found many. Much of Mainland China coastline is shallow with few deepwater inlets. If they do open it up, I am not sure where one would like to go other than the main ports. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is delightful.
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Thank you.
Informative and educational.

[Yihang]

Originally Posted by Gerrit Coetzee

Is this the current situation in China?

I visited China five times. Without visa, getting an entry visa at the airport, and freedom of movement, from Shangai to Beijing, from Tianjin to Hangzhou.

Maybe things changed lately? Maybe other nationalities are dealt with differently?

Interesting comments.

Thank you for others too on the Marina info. I was wondering about any for some time now.

Visa requirements are always a reciprocal thing. For most developed economies like the EU and Five eye nations a visa is required. A tourist Visa is very easy to obtain though.

China is also ridiculously easy to travel around since public transport is what everyone uses in most cities.

The biggest issue is in smaller cities not all hotels can take foreigners, this is actually a real problem. But airbnb is used a lot these days and any of the international hotel chains will be able to take you in.

[Simon.Sails]

I have lived and worked all over China for a previous job. I can second what wingssail said, it will be difficult if not impossible to cruise China in the way you imagine.
But there's also the question of where to go. Check China's top 10 beaches and you realize there are only about 3-4 good beaches in the entire country, most of which in Hainan. And these beaches absolutely don't compare to the ones you have just across in Vietnam, the Philippines etc. The entire Eastern coastline of China is heavily populated and industrialized. I haven't seen much beautiful coastline apart from a few boulevards in major cities...

I speak (some) Chinese, love Chinese food and all that, but would never even think of cruising China's coast, restrictions or not. Tianjin/Bohai Bay is one of the most industrialized, busiest and dirtiest waters you can imagine, you would absolutely not want to sail all the way up there just for the marina there.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/arti...d-northeastern

"China’s Bohai Bay is turning into a dumping ground for northern coastal provinces as it receives nearly a half of all sewage and wastes discharged into the country’s offshore waters, severely depleting fishery resources, a mainland newspaper reported.
Every year, nearly 2.8 billion tonnes of sewage and 700,000 tonnes of solid waste spew into Bohai Bay through 57 rivers and creeks, according to the Economic Information Daily, a newspaper affiliated with Xinhua."

[AiniA]

I think cruising the Chinese coast would be very interesting but it would not be for the usual reasons behind most cruising. No use worrying about it since the restrictive policies are very unlikely to change and concerns about public health would only make them worse.