Weihai, People's Republic of China

Weihai, in Shandong Province, China, became a Sister City to Santa Barbara on August 10, 1993.

A sparkling seaside city with a port open to foreign import and export trade, Weihai is connected to the rest of China via a modern airport and highway. A branch of Shandong University is located on the outskirts of the city. Weihai has beautiful beaches, mountains and the nearby Liugong Island, where a memorial museum commemorates the Qing Dynasty naval headquarters. Hotel accommodations are comfortable, the weather benign, the country green the year around, and the seafood delicious.

The city has been voted the cleanest in the province and only smokeless industries exist in the city proper. They produce such products as rugs, embroidery, and pottery which are decorated with artistic designs in tin. Weihai is also well known for its bountiful seafood harvest, an extensive wine industry, manufacturing of clothing, shoes, imitation fur, metal parts for many machines, medical products, and much more. Santa Barbarians who have visited Weihai have enjoyed it enormously. It is hoped that residents of Santa Barbara will include Weihai as part of their trip to China.