Following a brief rain shower, the sky cleared and revealed a picturesque scene off the coast of Dalian, Liaoning province, with the billowing clouds and blue waters accentuated by the white sails of boats.

As the tour sailboat moved past a lighthouse on the morning of Aug 19 and departed the harbor, the tall buildings along the shoreline unfolded before the tourists' eyes like a painting.

One of those enjoying the sightseeing tour was 10-year-old Liu Linxuan from Beijing, who told his mother he was reluctant to say goodbye to the beautiful seaside spot in Zhongshan district's Dalian Old Wharf Scenic Area.

"The sun was scorching," the boy said. "But once the sailboat started moving — the cool breeze blowing in my face, the splashing waves trailing behind the boat, and the seagulls flying around us made me really enjoy the voyage."

Located on the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, Dalian faces the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Including its islands, it boasts a coastline of 2,211 kilometers, the longest of any Chinese city.

This summer, amid the prolonged heat waves in many regions, the northeastern port city's relatively cooler climate has attracted domestic tourists seeking relief, and turning it into a haven for beach lovers. Sailboat camps and boat trips have been popular activities with visitors.

Join the crew

After adjusting to the sway of the boat's movement, Liu Linxuan took out chunks of a ham sausage he had bought earlier and tossed them into the air for the seagulls to catch in their beaks. He delighted in the birds' swift gobbles of the morsels.

"This was my first time feeding seagulls on a boat. I never expected it to be this much fun!" He exclaimed.

Watching the tourists interact with the seagulls, with some lifting their phones to capture memories, 62-year-old captain Yang Zongjiang reminded everyone to prioritize their safety.

Like the tourists, Yang also found joy in being on the sailboat, and often pilots over 10 trips a day.

A native of Changhai county in Dalian, Yang, began working on boats at the age of 16, eventually becoming a captain at 25. For over 30 years, he has navigated passenger boats along a 14-nautical-mile route between the ports of Dachangshan Island in Changhai and Pikou subdistrict in Dalian's Pulandian district.

"Since June last year, I have been steering sailboats here, which, relatively speaking, has been much easier," Yang said.

The double-hulled sailboat Yang operates, which is also powered by a diesel engine, measures 9.9 meters long and 5.5 meters wide and can accommodate about 40 passengers each trip. The scenic area has nine similar tourist boats.

Sun Xizhe, the chairman of the Dalian Old Wharf Scenic Area, said this summer, 3,500 to 5,000 people a day had gone on sightseeing boat rides.

The sightseeing tour in the scenic area has been selected as a pilot waterway tourism passenger route. The journey takes nearly 30 minutes, and allows passengers to admire the historical buildings of the century-old harbor and the coastal scenery in the downtown of Dalian.