Shishui

Shishui (Chinese: 石水; meaning "Stone Water") is a resort town in Nankou state, Tseng, located in between the Callendres mountains and the coast. It has a permanent population of 8,394.

Shishui has been a tourist destination within Tseng since the colonization era, but during the Wanxia Miracle, tourism boomed. Today it is known for its beaches, houses and buildings located on cliffs, hotels and caves and receives as many tourists from abroad (especially from the El Kadsreian Islands,, , and the  region) as from Tseng.

History
Shishui was first settled in the 1800s by French colonists. They developed the area as a rest stop and a resort town, and called it Shishui, after what the locals said, which was rare for a European-founded town in Tseng to have a Chinese name. Entry to Shishui was limited to whites until 1934.

Until the 1970s, Shishui tourists were mostly Europeans and Tsengians. Soon, tourism boomed due to the town's appearances in movies like TBA (1972) and TBA (1975). Today, Shishui is an extremely popular tourist destination for people all across the world.

Geography
The "old district" (舊區) features the majority of one of Shishui's most notable sights - buildings and homes located on cliffs. The "new district" (新區) further down the beaches, built during the Wanxia Miracle period, combines additional buildings located on cliffs with high-rise hotels and apartments.

Shishui railway station is co-located with the Tseng National Railway Museum, Shishui Annex. It is regularly served by Tseng National Railway passenger trains, as well as TNR's Shishui Gold luxury passenger train.

Shishui has several caves within the "old district" and other parts of the area, which are frequented by both locals and tourists.

Tourism
Shishui is popular with tourists from the El Kadsreian Islands,, , , , , the , , , , and the  region.

Nightlife is popular in Shishui, with many cabaret clubs, nightclubs and bars located in the "new district" and a few old-fashioned bars located in the cliffs of the "old district". Many DJs have played in Shishui's nightclubs, including names such as, , and. Shishui also has numerous bars and clubs catering to the LGBT community. Several restaurants are located in the "new district", including Bistryu, a Michelin two-star restaurant owned by Rinava frontman Ryu Judoku, and Pubu (瀑布; lit. "waterfall"), a Michelin three-star restaurant owned by celebrity chef Rao Haitao.

The town is especially popular with families. Also, many older people from, , and the El Kadsreian Islands spend the winter there.

Since 2004, Shishui's beaches have had more, the maximum quality standard recognized by the (FEE), than any other locality in Tseng. The Grand Shishui Hotel, a five-star hotel located in the "new district" since 1978, is one of the most famous resort hotels in Tseng.

Events and attractions
Since 2011, Shishui celebrates an alternative and indie music festival, with national and international music groups, called Shishui Cool Festival.

MTV El Kadsre has hosted musical performances for MTV El Kadsre Spring Break at the Shishui Cultural Outdoor Theatre throughout the years since the event was first held in 1991.

Shishui boasts four family-oriented theme parks. Story World is located near Shishui at the foot of a mountain. Shishui Ocean Park, a marine mammal and amusement/water park, is located near the edge of the "new district", and Shishui Boardwalk Park, a boardwalk amusement park, is located within the "new district". Asia Pier, an American-style amusement pier, opened in 2006 within the "new district" as Asia's first ever modern pleasure pier, it shares ownership with Shishui Boardwalk Park and both parks share the same free parking lot. Asia Pier hosts the first ever Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter coaster installed in Tseng, and Story World hosts Tseng's first ever giga-coaster.

Gambling
Since its founding, Shishui is a hotspot for gambling in Tseng and Eastern Asia. In 1945, the first casino, Fenghuang Casino or Casino de Phénix, opened. Following Tsengian indepedence, the government banned gambling, however, gambling was so popular in Shishui and Longtan, Tseng City-Capital, that president Yong Ming-chun decided to legalize gambling via a government-granted monopoly in 1955, the Tseng Entertainment and Travel Company, or TETC. In 1968, TETC was partitioned into four groups, one of which was Nankou Tourism, which owns all the casinos in the Shishui area.