Yantai Harbour Seafood Market (烟台渔港海鲜市场)

Yantai Harbour Seafood Market is a market-and-restaurant setup in the harbour area of Zhifu District, Yantai, Shandong, where visitors select live seafood and have it cooked at adjacent restaurants for a cooking fee. The location should be verified on Amap before travelling, since market stalls and restaurant clusters can shift. Yantai sits on the Jiaodong Peninsula and is known for its seafood, and buying at the source lets diners choose from live fish, shellfish and other catches displayed in tanks and on ice. The typical process is to buy by weight from a stall, carry the seafood to a partnering restaurant, and pay a fee per dish for steaming, stir-frying or braising. Signature items include sea cucumber, hai chang lao fan, the sea intestine rice that is a Shandong coastal speciality, and steamed abalone. The atmosphere is that of a working market: busy, wet-floored and noisy, with vendors calling prices and the restaurants next door offering plain, functional dining rooms. There is no dress code, and casual clothing and closed shoes are sensible for the market floor. Prices are mid-range, with a typical spend of CNY 100-250 per person, though they depend heavily on what is bought and its weight. Visitors should ask for the price per jin, watch the weighing and agree the cooking fee before the food is prepared, as disputes over price are the main risk in buy-and-cook markets. Drinks are tea, soft drinks and local beer. Reservations are not needed for the market, though restaurants may hold tables for groups. Mornings and evenings are best, when fresh catches arrive and the market is at its most active. The experience suits adventurous eaters who want to see and choose their seafood before eating it.