Gouqi Island｜Zhejiang’s version of "Little Greece," with an incredibly beautiful bioluminescent sea!

At the easternmost end of the Zhoushan Archipelago in Zhejiang lies a treasure island known as the "Little Greece of the East" — Gouqi Island! Here, you’ll find blue and white houses comparable to those of the Aegean Sea, a real-life version of the Emerald City, and a dreamy bioluminescent sea. You can have a blast for just over 800 RMB per person!

🚢 Transportation Guide (From Hard-Learned Experience)
🚌 From Shanghai:
- Buy the "Bus + Boat Combo Ticket" at Nanpu Bridge (grab it 3 days in advance during peak season!)
- 2 hours by bus + 2 hours by speedboat (take seasickness medicine if prone)
💰 Ticket price: 124 RMB/person (add 30 RMB for upper deck, more comfortable)

⛴️ From Zhoushan:
- Take the boat from Zhujiajian/Shenjiamen Pier (one trip daily)
- 4-hour journey (bring a power bank and snacks)

⚠️ Important Tips:
• Boat tickets can be booked through your guesthouse (service fee 20-50 RMB)
• Tickets sell out instantly in July-August! Recommend lining up at 5 AM
• Island transportation is only by chartered car (average 50-80 RMB per trip)

🌟 Top 5 Must-Visit Spots

1️⃣ Dongya Cliff Sunrise 🌅
- Best sunrise viewing spot on the island
- Start heading out at 4 AM to secure a spot!
- 📸 Photography tip: use long exposure to capture waves hitting the shore
- 💔 Avoid if cloudy (ticket costs 50 RMB!)

2️⃣ Abandoned Village Adventure 🏚️
- Rated by People’s Daily as a "stunningly beautiful abandoned spot worldwide"
- The entire village is swallowed by climbing ivy
- 👗 Outfit suggestion: bright yellow dress for the best photos
- 🚁 Hidden activity: drone aerial shots are breathtaking

3️⃣ Mountain-Sea Sunset Spectacle 🌄
- Ming Dynasty cliff carvings + vast mussel farms
- Buoys turn into a "starry sea" at sunset
- 🆓 Free bonus: an Instagram-worthy café nearby

4️⃣ Western Bay Red Boardwalk 🌉
- A hidden gem! Red and white seaside boardwalk
- 10 times less crowded than Dongya Cliff!
- 💑 Couples must-shoot: silhouette kiss at sunset

5️⃣ Bioluminescent Sea Tears 🌌
- Summer exclusive! The beach glows blue at night
- 🔍 Viewing conditions: no moonlight + southern wind
- 📅 Best time: around high tides from June to September

🦞 Seafood Foodie Guide
🐚 Must-try trio:
1. Steamed mussels (local specialty, 10 RMB per jin!)
2. Tigerhead fish tofu soup (milky broth so fresh it’ll amaze you)
3. Seafood fried rice cakes (local grandma’s cooking is unbeatable)

🍜 Hidden menu:
- Night market "seafood noodle dumplings" (freshest catch at midnight)
- Gouqi specialty "seaweed flower" (refreshing and cooling)

🏡 Accommodation Recommendations
🌊 Seaview guesthouses:
- Qianmo Seaview Inn (popular cliffside guesthouse)
- Thinker’s Guesthouse (favorite of artsy youth)
💰 Price range: 300-800 RMB/night (book 1 month in advance!)

📷 Full Photo Guide
👗 Outfit ideas:
- Abandoned village: bright yellow long dress + straw bag
- Dongya Cliff: white long dress + wide-brimmed hat
- Western Bay: JK uniform + canvas shoes

🎨 Filter settings:
• VSCO A6+8
• Contrast -2
• Saturation +1
• Split tone (highlights blue +2)

⚠️ Hard-Learned Pitfall Avoidance
✅ Best season: September-October (fishing season + fewer crowds)
❌ Avoid: June-August fishing ban (scarce and expensive seafood)
☀️ Weather alert: water turns yellow on cloudy days! Always check the forecast
🦟 Mosquito defense: mosquitoes on the island are like fighter jets!
🧴 Sunscreen focus: back of the neck! back of the neck! back of the neck! (Don’t ask how I know)

🗓️ 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary
Day 1:
• Noon: Arrive on island → seafood noodles at guesthouse
• Afternoon: Wade at Dawang Beach
• Evening: Mountain-Sea sunset spectacle
• Night: Night market + try your luck chasing the bioluminescent sea

Day 2:
• Early morning: Dongya Cliff sunrise
• Morning: Abandoned village adventure
• Noon: Tigerhead fish feast
• Afternoon: Relax at Western Bay
• Night: Stargazing on guesthouse terrace

Day 3:
• Morning: Buy dried seafood souvenirs
• Noon: Return trip (having instant noodles on the boat is also an experience)

💡 The beauty of Gouqi Island is the passion of chasing the sunrise at 4 AM, the civilization swallowed by nature in the abandoned village, and the sudden blue tears flashing on the beach at midnight... This summer, why not become an islander for a few days?