The Xisha Islands have reopened to the public, with Chinese citizens only allowed to visit! Let's go to the sea and explore the beautiful Xisha Islands together.

Preface

There is an article called "The Rich Xisha Islands". "The Xisha Islands are a group of islands in the South China Sea and are my country's coastal defense outpost. They have beautiful scenery and rich resources. The sea of the Xisha Islands is half water and half fish."

Xisha·Xuande Islands@"Secret Divine Grass"

Half water, half fish? What on earth does that look like? It wasn't until 2013, seven years ago, that the Xisha Islands were unveiled for the first time. But for many people, it still remains a mystery. So why go there?

Xisha, Qilianyu, Beidao @ Sanya Yangyang Outdoor Club

The sea here beats the Maldives in seconds, and there are few tourists. It is a unique tool for showing off photos on WeChat Moments. On December 9, flights to the Xisha Islands officially resumed!

Xisha·Qilianyu Fishing Boats @ "Secret Land Divine Grass"

Paracel Islands

To understand the Xisha Islands, we must mention Sansha City, which was officially established on July 24, 2012 and is the youngest prefecture-level city in China.

It belongs to Hainan Province and has jurisdiction over the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters. It has a land and sea area of approximately 2 million square kilometers and more than 280 islands. It is the southernmost, largest, smallest land area and least populated prefecture-level city in China.

@Zhongjian Island reaches Vietnam in the west, Zengmu Shoal reaches Malaysia in the south, and Huangyan Island reaches the Philippines in the east. They are important strategic areas for safeguarding my country's coastal defense borders.

The Xisha Islands are now accessible to tourists and are China's most beautiful virgin ocean land. The Xisha Islands are centered on Yongxing Island, the seat of the Sansha Municipal Government. There are 22 islands and 7 sandbars here. There are glass seas, colorful corals, and rare pink sand beaches.

Xisha·Xuande Islands@"Secret Divine Grass"

Silver Island

The most beautiful sea water - Glass Sea

Half of it is coral and half of it is reef. It is one of the most beautiful islands in the Yongle Islands. The ecology here is excellent, and you can often see various shells, hermit crabs and other creatures. The characteristic of the island is that there are many stranded ships, where you can take various literary and fresh photos.

The beach here is at a very low altitude, and the shallows are only about 1 meter deep. You can walk on the white beach to pick up shells, catch fish, and swim in the sea. The blue and green water and the crystal clear corals are not inferior to the snorkeling islands in Southeast Asia.

Xisha coral group @ "Secret Land Magic Grass"

Yagong Island

Diving spot and seafood

The entire island of Yagong Island is made up of tiny and fragmented coral reefs and shells, without a single grain of sand.

Its area is only 0.01 square kilometers, but even for such a small island, the visibility of the sea water here is still very high. This may be the island you most want to dive and snorkel!

There are only about forty fishermen living here. The fishermen's huts are connected to each other. In order to prevent the roofs from being blown away by typhoons, large pieces of coral and shells are pressed on the top. Various dried fish and seafood are also dried in front of and behind the houses... Countless South China Sea catches will let you taste the sea.

Xishali's rare and expensive plum blossom ginseng @ "Secret Realm Divine Herb"

But when we face the colorful natural resources, I hope we can restrain our behavior, not destroy corals, not fish indiscriminately, and take practical actions to protect this precious blue land.

Quanfu Island

Uninhabited island and great beach

Quanfu Island is an uninhabited island, 360 meters long from east to west and 240 meters wide from north to south. It got its name because of the rich biological species in the island area. For example, there are as many as 56 species of shallow-water reef-building corals.

The island is covered in soft sand, and the surrounding water is so clear and transparent that you can see the seabed with your naked eye. Corals cover the entire seabed like blooming flowers, and fish swim freely among them...

Xisha coral group @ "Secret Land Magic Grass"

It takes more than half an hour to walk the whole way, which is very suitable for taking photos.

Quanfu Island @ ins/chinatravel.me

The above three islands are all located in Yongle Atoll of the Xisha Islands. They are also the Xisha Islands that tourists can reach after cruise tourism is opened.

Of course, the Xisha Islands, the Qilian Islands, and the Yongle Dragon Cave are also absolutely beautiful. However, we may have to wait until they are opened on a larger scale in the future. Let’s look forward to it!

Qilianyu

Seven Stars in a Row: No Man's Land

The narrow sense of Qilianyu generally refers to the seven small islands: Zhaoshu Island, Beidao, Zhongdao, Nandao, Beishazhou, Zhongshazhou and Nanshazhou.

Xisha·Qilianyu@Sanya Yangyang Outdoor Club

In the future, Qilianyu Island may be connected with Yongxing Island to better shoulder the responsibility of managing the South China Sea. The fishermen living on Qilianyu Island will also enjoy a better life.

Xisha·Qilianyu·Diving and Fishing @《Secret Land of Divine Grass》

Yongle Dragon Cave

The world's deepest blue hole

The September 2016 cover of China National Geographic featured Yongle Dragon Cave, with the caption: “When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you.”

Cover photo @ "National Geographic China"

The Yongle Dragon Cave in Sansha, discovered in the South China Sea in 2016, has a diameter of 130 meters and a depth of over 300 meters. It is currently the deepest known ocean blue hole in the world (Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island, Bahamas, 202 meters; Habda Blue Hole in Egypt, 130 meters; Great Blue Hole in Belize, Honduras, 123 meters; Gozo Blue Hole in Malta, 60 meters).

GIF @ "Aerial China" Hainan

The mystery of the Xisha Islands has yet to be uncovered by you. Take a look at the beautiful photos taken by friends who have been to the Xisha Islands over the years!

7 ways to play in Xisha

01Walk along the coast

There is no eye-catching facekini, only the gentle breeze from the South China Sea and bright sunshine.

02Discover the beautiful corals and small fish

The excellent natural environment has given birth to beautiful corals. You no longer have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a plane ticket to Australia to see the Great Barrier Reef.

03 Go diving in the sea with high visibility

Diving here, the purest blue is reserved for you. If you don't dare to dive deep, snorkeling is also the most suitable activity.

04 Salute to the cutest person

There are no such things as peaceful days. It’s just that someone is carrying the burden for you. Those soldiers are stationed in the South China Sea to protect the sea borders from being violated. Salute to them!