The purpose of this study was to inquire local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches. Constructivist grounded theory was used in this study. The research site was in a northern coastal city in mainland China. A hierarchical model to understand local residents’ perceptions of social meanings of recreational beaches was proposed. Recreational beaches were attached with emotional feelings, where local residents can increase their family bonding and maintain friendships. Moreover, recreational beaches are carriers of the local culture.