Understand
Beihai is not much frequented by foreigners, and English is not widespread. The dialect spoken in Beihai is a form of Cantonese, but quite a few people also understand or even speak Mandarin.
Expats
There is a lively expat scene in the city, even though insiders guess there are only about 50-75 Westerners around. Most of them are seniors 65+ years old with Chinese wives or girl friends. Meet some of the expats at breakfast around 9:30AM at McDonald's there is only one right at Beibuwan Guangchang or in one of the bars run by foreigners, for example Tommy's Bar-Restaurant on Waisha Seafood Island, The Way Inn - Holland Bar-Restaurant in Old Street, The Rusty Nail in Haijiao Rd and William Shakespeares bar-restaurant on Jinhaian St.
There used to be an English Corner upstairs at McDonald's every Friday from around 8PM, started by the now infamous Gary from Texas lip salve, face lift(s Gary), who started this to meet girls what else and where a few Westerners would talk English with Chinese visitors practicing their knowledge of the language.