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This article is reprinted from the official WeChat account [Poetic and Picturesque Zhejiang Cultural Tourism Information]. The original title is: "Fishing has partially resumed in the East China Sea! Penglai Fairy Island, just 2 hours from Hangzhou, boasts the longest sandy beach in East China at 3,600 meters. It's about to become untraceable!"
The surging waves have divided the 717-kilometer coastline into 379 islands.
Numerous legends surround this island, from the thousand-year-old "Penglai Fairy Island" to the more recent "Daishan" mentioned in the hit TV series "Ode to Joy." This mythical island, nestled amidst the vast expanses of the East China Sea, is a rare find. The vastness of the ocean has shaped the locals' broad-mindedness and generous character.
Known as the "hometown of tribute salt", it has a 1,200-year history of salt production and has been rich in the area thanks to its fishing and salt production since the Southern Song Dynasty.
Thousands of acres of reclaimed salt fields are neatly embedded between the sea and the islands. The scene of islanders drying salt day after day has become a unique and beautiful landscape.
This is a "sea wonderland" favored by time. As an intermediate station for Sino-foreign exchanges and an anchorage for waiting for wind and tide, many literati and poets have left countless magnificent poems here throughout history.
The Tiantai and Zen sects of Buddhism were introduced to the east from this place, and Xu Fu sailed eastward here in search of immortality... Every reef and island, every wisp of smoke and wave here bears a strong imprint of humanities.
Located at the throat fortress where my country's coastal north-south shipping routes meet the Yangtze River's "Golden Waterway", it is the famous "East China Sea Live Fish Reservoir" and the variety of seafood is staggering.
Starting from August 1 this year, the ban on the East China Sea has been gradually lifted. With an annual output of more than 300,000 tons, it has become a seafood pilgrimage site that countless foodies will never forget!
This is Daishan Island, the second largest island in Zhoushan.
Daishan Islandcheck the details
Daishan Island, located north of Zhoushan Island, sits at the mouth of Hangzhou Bay. Also known as the Penglai Fairy Island, its numerous islets resemble lotus blossoms scattered across the vast, azure East China Sea. Daishan's distinctive features include the ocean's waters, beaches, reefs, seafood, and fishing boats. Like a fairyland, Daishan is perpetually shrouded in a subtle fishy and salty aroma, with the air often permeated by the scent of the ocean. Strolling along the soft sand under the sun, watching the waves roll in, or relaxing in a seaside hot spring, listening to the sound of the ocean's crashing waves, is a truly relaxing experience.
Recommended months: June to September
6 kinds of grass 2 visited
Bordered by the high seas to the east, Zhoushan Island to the south, and the Shengsi Islands to the north, Daishan's bay is breathtaking, with clear waters curving toward distant islands and reefs. Beach sports cars, island cycling, mudflats, and tenting under the stars—all kinds of popular activities are available here.
As its name suggests, the Zen-filled Moshin Mountain is naturally a good place to test and temper one's heart.
This is the highest point on Daishan Island, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on one side. It only takes about half an hour to climb. It is also a great place to watch the sunrise.
Nestled among the greenery, the Ciyun Jile Temple, known for its celestial name, rises. From the curl of incense smoke, emanates the sound of Buddhist chants. The temple is small, its loose timbers joined by mortise and tenon joints. The layers of cornices and angled corners create an imposing presence that is undeniably solemn.
↑Xianzhi Tea Garden is also on Moshixin Mountain.
The "Penglai Xianzhi" tea grown here is one of Zhejiang's ten famous teas and a top-grade green tea. If you arrive early, you can see a thin layer of mist shrouding the tea garden, and the gentle breeze brings a lingering fragrance of tea.
Lulan Qingsha Beach stretches 3,600 meters from north to south, making it the longest beach in East China. Because of its length and width, the terrain is relatively flat, with the sea barely reaching your chest a few hundred meters away.
Known as the "Ten Thousand Steps Iron Plate Sand", the beach here is iron-gray in color, with fine and hard sand, so fine that you can even drive cars on it.
@Wu Ren Shao Bai/Photo
You must spend a night in the internet-famous starry sky tent at 30° north latitude - ↑ Donghai No. 1!
Ten independent tents form a semicircle, nestled right next to the beach, offering 360-degree views of the ocean. While the rooms are small, they offer everything you need. On quiet nights, listen to the natural AMSR sound effects of the waves, open the glass roof, and reach out to touch the Milky Way.
The winding Yanhuang Highway stretches northward from Lulanqingsha to Yanwo Mountain.
Known as the "Most Beautiful Coastal Road," this 5-kilometer-long colorful highway connects the stunning scenery of northern Daishan Island. Whether hiking or cycling, riding against the wind under the vast blue sky of the East China Sea is an ultimate enjoyment.
Tips:
The highway starts from Dongsha Ancient Town in the west, passes Yanwoshan Fishing Village and Typhoon Museum, and goes east along the ridgeline of Shi'e Mountain to the sea, and then goes south along Lulan Qingsha to the north of Hejiaao Village.
Here, where wind, waves, and reefs clash, the Cape Park is like a living textbook of cape geography, faithfully documenting the trajectory of nature's tidal movements. Thanks to years of relentless waves, dozens of capes with diverse shapes, dotted with unusual reefs and rocks, each reaching 300 to 500 meters below the surface, are rugged and spectacular.
There are also 8 beaches of different sizes in the park, which are also great places to play in the water.
Once rated as "China's Most Beautiful Ancient Town" by People's Daily Online, Dongsha Ancient Town is currently the only ancient fishing town on an island in China and is also one of the filming locations for the movie "The Breakup Guru".
Different from the small towns in the south of the Yangtze River, the ancient town is backed by mountains and faces the sea. The solid square backyards and long streets face the caress of the sea breeze and the infiltration of sea fog, adding a bit of the majesty of the sea and the uniqueness of the island.
19th floor @Middle Hong/Photo
The long street, now stripped of its former prosperity, is now largely deserted. Shops bearing traces of old businesses, along with fishing factories, salt mines, and warehouses, are scattered throughout. The crabapple cakes sold along the street evoke a childhood memory for locals.
The town's specialty snacks, such as Dingheyuan dried tofu, Sanyotai crispy snacks, Sanlixiang flatbread, and Hu's Yangchun noodles, are well-known in the Shanghai and Ningbo areas.
@Hu Zugang/Photo
Yanwo Mountain was originally a peninsula extending from the main island into the northwest sea, facing Daqu Island across the sea. The constant erosion of the sea has formed rugged sea stacks and reefs, which are rugged and spectacular.
There is a small fishing village here, called Yanwo Village. Climbing up a slightly higher hill, the whole village comes into view, just like Lao Tzu's "small country with few people" and Mr. Wu Liu's "Peach Blossom Spring".
@Fu Pengyu/Photo
Tucked away on the westernmost edge of Daishan Island, Shuanghe Village, far from the bustling city, retains its authentic fishing village charm. After climbing the 82 Stairs of Love, the magnificent Shuanghe Stone Cliffs emerge before your eyes.
This is the ruins of a former stone quarry. Over 500 years, generations of local residents have carved away at it with chisels and hammers, creating this magnificent stone wall.
Visual Travel Photo @Andi Kot/Photo
With its naturally formed harbor and reed-covered mudflats, Qushan Island is like an uncut gem. Free from overt commercialism and never pretentious, it remains a place of unwavering tranquility.
Visual Travel Photo @Andi Kot/Photo
The "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl" beach, which is formed by the connection of Liangzhi Beach and Shalong Beach, has fine and soft sand, thick sand layer and flat terrain. When the tide is low, people often pick up shellfish such as clams and mud snails on the beach.
If you're lucky, you can even see the "blue tears" at Liangzhi Beach this season. The waves surge, and in the darkness, the blue light splashes everywhere, like stars falling into the sea.
Visual Travel Photo @Andi Kot/Photo
Hailed as the "Little Netherlands of the East," Qushan Island boasts 48 wind turbines churning 24/7 along its ridges. Climbing the wind turbine viewing platform, you'll be greeted by lush greenery on one side and the surging ocean on the other – two distinctly different views, a unique experience.
Known as the "Sister Mountain" along with Putuo Mountain, Guanyin Mountain is also known as the "Second Buddhist Kingdom in the East China Sea." Three ancient temples, Hongfu, Puqing, and Hongyin, are located on the mountain, each brick and tile imbued with the sound of millennia-old Buddhist teachings.
The 11-story Jade Buddha Pagoda houses over 200 jade Buddhas, towering majestically. Devotees flock to the pagoda to pay their respects, and from afar, the curling incense smoke blends with the mist, resembling "Guanyin riding on mist."
Some people say that Liangzhi Village is the "last pure land", which is not unrelated to its geographical location hidden in the northeast corner of Qushan Island.
Nestled against the mountains and facing the sea, Liangzhi Village boasts a breathtaking bay, with clear waters, a vast hinterland, and a curving arc stretching towards distant islands and reefs. Over 70 charming fishing village-style B&Bs offer a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city—just the kind of life you'd dream of!
In the southwest of Qushan Island, there's a "Wizard of Oz" scene. This uninhabited village, called Waidashui, has long been abandoned. Due to transportation and climate issues, the villagers have long since relocated to live on land.
The once prosperous fishing village is now occupied by wild grass and vines, densely covering the houses built on the mountainside, making it a great place to check in and take photos.
Located between Zhoushan Island and Daishan Island, Xiushan Island is a small island hanging in the water, with an area similar to that of Macau.
There are many reefs, beaches and mud flats on the island. The beauty of the mountains and rivers is so great that even Su Dongpo left a poem saying "The blue mountain shakes and the beautiful mountain dances, the small white peach blossoms are half swallowed and spit out". It is known as the "Shangri-La on the Sea".
Besides its captivating island scenery, Xiushan Island's mud is a major drawcard. With over a thousand acres of gently shoaling mudflats, these natural resources have transformed Xiushan Island into a vast marine entertainment destination. At the Mud Slide Theme Park, you can enjoy a thrilling mud-slide experience, catch fish, and relive the joys of childhood!
Visual Travel Photo @Andi Kot/Photo
Why go to the Aegean Sea? The Aegean Sea Resort, nestled on Xiushan Island's Three Reefs Beach, makes you feel like you're in the Greek Sea. Bounded by Toutou Mountain in the east, the mountain road in the west, the beach in the south, and the village road in the north, the resort exudes a vibrant palette of blue and white. A single photo of the white buildings evokes a sense of the Aegean Sea breeze...
Visual Travel Photo @Andi Kot/Photo
Xiushan Island has three very beautiful beaches: Jiuzi, Sanjiao and Honghu.
From afar, emerald green mountains and azure sea embrace a golden beach, dotted with gray reefs. In the sun, the sand shimmers like a field of gold. Just a leisurely stroll along the beach is enough to make you unable to move, swept away by the sun and waves.
With the arrival of August, the East China Sea is partially reopened, and Daishan fishermen are ready to head out to sea to bring back the long-awaited swimming crabs. Swimming crabs are a staple on Daishan's dining tables, and the locals enjoy them in a plethora of ways. A delicious, spicy crab dish will captivate you.
Fresh swimming crabs are cleverly fermented using seawater, salt and time, bringing out the original freshness of the seafood to the extreme.
The best quality jellyfish in Zhoushan is produced in Liangtoudong, Daishan. Everyone is familiar with jellyfish, but have you ever tried jellyfish brain?
Jellyfish brain is a rare delicacy that can only be enjoyed once a year during the harvest season. A thousand kilograms of jellyfish can only make a small bowl of jellyfish brain. Freshly caught and cut, it is absolutely fresh and has a richer taste.
Xiushan Island's thick, moist sea mud, rich in minerals and trace elements, provides an excellent habitat for blue crabs. The combination of blue crab and glutinous rice is a tradition passed down through generations by local fishermen. Stir-frying the crab and glutinous rice in its purest form, without the need for special seasonings, simply adding a touch of soy sauce for color, makes a bowl of blue crab glutinous rice a truly mouthwatering experience.
@GUYUGuyu
Known as the "Zhoushan Vegetarian Seafood," Dongsha Dried Tofu is a must-try! Located in Dongsha Town, Daishan County, this dried tofu is made with a nearly century-old history. Its craftsmanship and production methods are constantly being passed down and innovated, blending tradition with local flavor. Just one bite will make you fall in love.
The sand at Lulanqingsha is so fine that even the sand itself is fresh. Peanuts grown there fully absorb the salt and minerals from the sand. The coarse sea salt grains, when boiled, maximize the peanuts' original flavor. Each sun-dried peanut carries the fragrance of the sun and the salty sea breeze, making it irresistible.
The freshness of Daishan is hidden in the rocks, where even the dry agar-agar is made into a translucent jelly. For Daishan locals, a summer without agar-agar is incomplete. On hot days, a bowl of this rich agar-agar is delicious and cooling.
Maltose and glutinous rice flour—two simple ingredients, transformed by experienced artisans into a beloved Daishan snack—Lotus Seed Candy. Bright yellow in color, it's crispy and sweet. While similar in appearance to Shaqima, the texture is entirely different, offering a surprisingly sweet and fragrant flavor.
1. Self-guided tour tourists
Where to buy tickets:
Shanghai Nanpu Bus Station (Exit 1, Nanpu Bridge Station, Metro Line 4, No. 1588 Waima Road)
Nanpu Bridge Bus Station Inquiry Tel: 4008872626
Speedboat (combined car and boat ticket):
There are two daily flights from Shanghai (Nanpu Bridge) to Xiaoyangshan and Daishan, each taking approximately 3 hours. (7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)
Car (passenger) ferry (car and ferry combined ticket):
Shanghai (Nanpu Bridge) - Xiaoyangshan - Daishan: One daily flight, approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes. (11:30 AM)
Passenger Ship:
Wusong Pier - Daishan departs in the evening and arrives in the morning (departs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 19:30)
Car (passenger) ferry (car and ferry combined ticket):
There are two daily flights from Shanghai (Nanpu Bridge) to Xiaoyangshan and Qushan, each taking approximately 3 hours. (8:10 AM and 1:00 PM)
2. Self-driving tourists
From Shanghai, navigate to Xiaoyangshan Ferry Terminal. Take the Donghai Bridge to Pier 2 and drive along Xiaonan Road to Xiaoyangshan Ferry Terminal (skipping the Xiaoyangshan Tunnel). You can purchase a parking ticket and take the ferry directly to Daishan. (1:50 PM)
From Shanghai, navigate to Xiaoyangshan Ferry Terminal, where you can purchase a parking ticket and board the ferry directly to Qushan Island (10:30 AM, 3:00 PM).
1. Self-guided tour tourists
Bus (bus and ferry combined ticket):
Thirteen daily trains from Ningbo South Railway Station to Daishan (earliest at 6:05 AM, latest at 5:10 PM)
Ningbo North Station - Daishan: Two trains per day (6:35 am, 4:10 pm)
2. Self-driving tourists
Self-driving tourists can navigate to Sanjiang Wharf and take the ferry to Xiushan (there are 36 ferry trips a day, with an average of one trip every half an hour), then take the cross-sea bridge to Daishan.
1. Self-guided tour tourists
Bus (bus and ferry combined ticket):
Four daily flights between Hangzhou Passenger Transport Center and Daishan (the earliest at 9:50 a.m. and the latest at 1:30 p.m.)
2. Self-driving tourists
Self-driving tourists can navigate to Sanjiang Wharf and take the ferry to Xiushan (there are 36 ferry trips a day, with an average of one trip every half an hour), then take the cross-sea bridge to Daishan.
01. Go to Sanjiang Wharf and buy car and passenger ferry tickets to Xiushan Lanshan Wharf.
02. After arriving at Lanshan Wharf in Xiushan, drive across the Xiushan Bridge to Daishan. The journey takes about 40 minutes.
Option 1:
Purchase a car and passenger ferry ticket from Sanjiang Wharf to Xiushan Lanshan Wharf. Upon arrival at Xiushan Lanshan Wharf, take a bus or direct shuttle bus to Daishan.
The journey time by car and boat is about 40 minutes.
Ferry fee + shuttle bus fee is 17 yuan
Option 2:
Purchase a ferry ticket to Daishan Gaoting at Sanjiang Wharf and proceed to Daishan.
Time required: approximately 50 minutes
The fee is 18 yuan
Option 3:
Buy a speedboat at Sanjiang Wharf to Daishan Gaoting.
Time required: approximately 30 minutes
The fee is 30 yuan
There is convenient transportation between Daishan Island and other islands, such as Qushan Island and Xiushan Island. Buses and taxis are available for transportation within the island.
