Tangshan's New Look and Old Charm: A First Visit to Tangshan International Beach Volleyball Park

A few days ago, on my way back from Tangshan Bailian Outlets, I spotted this locomotive, so surprising and unexpected. Further north along Ruoshui Road, I saw a sign, and it turned out there is the Tangshan International Beach Volleyball Park. I never imagined Tangshan had an international sports venue, and for such a trendy sport. I've been wanting to visit this park ever since. Today I set off on another Tangshan trip, with stops at Tangjiajia, Jinwu Hot Spring Park, and luckily I had time to come see this place.

Tangshan International Beach Volleyball Park

Address: Yanxiang Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Date: March 2020

Transportation: self-driving

A locomotive stands on the west side of the park, hauling two green train cars. The locomotive has been freshly repainted, while the cars' paint is peeling and mottled. With the rapid development of railways in the new era, many old-fashioned trains have been retired as decorations, becoming a scenic sight. That's making good use of them!

There's a fence next to the train; to find the park entrance, we walked along the fence.

From here you can already see the giant Ferris wheel at Bailian Outlets, a large shopping destination in the Tangshan area.

Pink weeping crabapple flowers, the recent rain had scattered petals on the ground, a carpet of blossoms.

To the west of the park flows the clear Tangshui River. The beautiful scenery along its banks drew us off our intended path, lured by the lovely pastoral views.

Walking south along the east bank of Tangshui River.

This tree with new leaves shoots straight up into the sky.

Scenery on the west bank of Tangshui River. Under rolling hills, vast stretches of rapeseed flowers turn the landscape into an oil painting.

Crossing the bridge on Weijiu Road to the west bank. Here the river, man-made garden landscapes, and natural pastoral scenery unfold in distinct, orderly layers.

Beauty under construction.

The banks of Tangshui River are so beautifully maintained.

We crossed another bridge back to the east bank; this side of the beach volleyball park has green wire mesh fencing.

Parallel to the fence stands a row of stylish houses.

The houses are raised on steel structures, offering great views. Each is a wooden and glass house. Half of the second floor is an open platform with a bathtub. Thinking of the hot spring town, the bathtubs must be for soaking in the hot springs. How romantic, soaking in such a setting!

A winding road runs along the east bank of Tangshui River, and the narrow road's different materials and paving naturally divide functional zones.

Looking through pink petals at the windmills on the opposite bank, so romantic.

Turning back to the villa among flowers. Through the glass windows you can vaguely see the bathroom and furniture inside; it seems to be a resort or a B&B.

Buildings on the bank and their reflections in the water—where there's water, there's a lively spirit.

The scenery on the east bank mirrors each other, creating a splendid view.

In the northwest corner of the park, a large mural reads, 'Set off while you're young!' Why only when young? Traveling shouldn't be limited by age; set off whenever you feel like it!

On the east side of the Ruoshui Road and Yanxiang Road intersection, a large building serves as a service center.

On the west side of the intersection stands a tall sign for Tangshan International Beach Volleyball Sports Park.

Yanxiang Road—every road in Tangshan is so clean and beautiful.

Near the sign, we searched for the park entrance but couldn't find it.

Unable to enter the park, we could only take photos from the outside. Through the wire mesh, we saw the beach volleyball courts inside.

On one side of the court is a row of yellow 'container houses.' The vibrant yellow packs a visual punch and drew us closer to check them out.

We found an entrance, unguarded, and walked in. From here, it seems the area is still under construction.

There are a few beach volleyball practice courts.

This is a standard competition court, quite special—besides the blue grandstands all around, there's a circle of yellow container houses behind the stands. Such a competition venue is probably rare; at least, it's my first time seeing one.

The container houses circle the court, yellow and black, very modern. Beautiful solid colors and a strong sense of depth—taking portrait photos here would surely be gorgeous.

Viewing the competition court from the corridor of the container houses.

Beach volleyball is a highly watchable sport. Healthy tans, long limbs, muscular bodies, bright bikini-style uniforms—everything is sexy.

We walked around the court along the container house corridor with great interest.

The container houses are two stories, mostly guest rooms, but also workrooms, meeting rooms, lounges, and other relatively large spaces.

A large electronic screen in front of the container houses is one of the competition's equipment.

Colorful rocking chairs serve as both rest and decoration.

Looking through the glass at the interior of the container houses, every room is similarly furnished—neat and modern.

On the west side of the park is another vast area: a carnival activity site. In the center, a sandy area, surrounded by a red track, and on one side, six spherical houses, all perfectly fitting the beach volleyball park.

They serve various functions in the beach sports park: catering, accommodation, health, and leisure for athletes during events, and for tourists when there are no events. Such facilities are both fun and practical.

The long train on the west side of the park—it was because of that train that I discovered this park.

Walking along the second-floor corridor of the container houses, you get a great circular view of the park and can see the houses from different angles. They come in large and small sizes, single and duplex, each with its own charm, blending artistry and practicality.

You can see the large activity sand area and the spherical houses. Behind the spherical houses are the villa-style resort houses with bathtub balconies we saw by the Tangshui River.

On the east side of the park, these yellow container houses line up, naturally embracing the park and creating a comfortable, seamless boundary with the road.

As I wandered outside and then inside the park, I was delighted by this special place. The park was deserted; at first a staff member didn't let us in, as some areas were still under construction. When we said we just wanted to go in and take a few photos, he tacitly allowed it. So I thought it was a brand-new, not-yet-in-use park. But when I later researched for this travelogue, I learned that since 2017, it has hosted both the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour and the National Beach Volleyball Grand Slam. Since then, this hot spring town has become a world-class beach volleyball venue. There's a high-standard central court, training courts, and a large sandy activity area. What's even more special are the container houses and the resort villas. These facilities can accommodate athletes during events, and in normal times, tourists can stay here for holidays. Notably, there are hot spring bathtubs prepared for athletes by the courts, allowing sportsmen from around the world to enjoy Tangshan's unique hot spring experience. All these make it the first world-class beach volleyball sports park in China. Now that I know about this venue, I'll definitely keep an eye on it and its events—watching beach volleyball here would be a visual feast. I'll definitely follow it, and when it opens to regular tourists, I'll come experience the unique 'container tribe' stay.