Beibu Gulf Square is located in the center of Beihai City. It was founded in December 1985 with 2 hectares of the original square area. From 1996 to 1997, to meet the needs of the urban development, the local government invested 15 million yuan in the square’s reconstruction and expansion project. The area of the square has been expanded to 4 hectares nowadays.
After the renovation, the square now is composed of five functional areas: the central area, assembly square area, central axis area, cultural square area, and large lawn area. It fully embodies the local culture and folks of Beihai City. It is also a popular site for tourists to appreciate the city scenery.
In the center of Beibu Gulf Square, stands a 15-meter-high giant artificial pearl shell sculpture, named as "Southern Pearl Soul". It is also the symbol of Beihai City. The sculpture was designed by the famous Chinese sculptor Professor Ye Yushan.
The entire sculpture covers an area of 600 square meters and consists of three parts: a pool, a sculpture group and a stone tablet. The base of the sculpture is a pool, which stores water and symbolizes the sea.
There are three bronze statues standing in the pool. When night falls, the statues look magnificent and splendid with the lights and fountains. The three unique sculptures include the pearl girl riding the fish, the young fisherman riding the sea turtle, and the fisherman riding the seahorse. Each one is about 5 meters high and cast with alloy copper.
In the center of the pool stands a 12-meter-high pearl-shell-shaped monument. A stainless steel ball with a diameter of 1 meter is held in the three-dimensional shell, symbolizing that the shining orb is bred in the shell.
The greening of the square area uses the tall arbor trees as the main tree species. This tree is one of subtropical plants. The tree looks like a stacked tower. It also looks like a big umbrella covering the sky, forming a neat and harmonious environment.
Beibu Gulf Square is surrounded by the bustling commercial area of Beihai, which is very convenient for catering, entertainment, and shopping. In the evening, it is a good place to walk around the square and enjoy the night views.