Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area

1. Introduction

The Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area is located at No. 38 Haibin Road, Zhapo Town, Hailing Island, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province. Covering a total area of 750,000 square meters, it is a coastal leisure and holiday destination integrating sightseeing, leisure vacations, sports competitions, and technological applications.

In early 2014, Hailing Island integrated the island's "Pearl" Dajiao Bay Scenic Area and the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum to form the Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area, which was successfully established in October of the following year. The Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area includes the new eight scenic spots: Hailing Island Zhapo Dajiao Bay, Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum, Hailing Island Mangrove Wetland Park, Hailing Island Zhapo Fei'e Ridge Wind Power Park, Hailing Island Coastal Sports Ecological Park, Hailing Island Xueliu Bay, Hailing Island 270° Sea View Book Bar, Hailing Island Coastal Silk Road Boardwalk, as well as the old eight scenic spots: Nanpeng Green Island, Baipu Ancient Village, and Taifu Loyalty Shrine.

2. Geographical Environment

2.1 Location and Territory

The Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area is situated on Hailing Island, the fourth largest island in Guangdong Province, located at No. 38 Haibin Road, Zhapo Town, Hailing Island, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province. It lies at the intersection of land and water transportation routes connecting Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and other provinces, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, and close to the Pearl River Delta region. The total area is 750,000 square meters.

2.2 Climate

The Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area has a subtropical maritime climate, with an average annual temperature of 22.3°C, annual rainfall of 1,816 mm, and 310 sunny days per year. Winters are mild without severe cold, and summers are warm without extreme heat, making it spring-like all year round.

3. Scenic Area Layout

The Yangjiang Hailing Island Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area includes the new eight scenic spots: Hailing Island Zhapo Dajiao Bay, Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum, Hailing Island Mangrove Wetland Park, Hailing Island Zhapo Fei'e Ridge Wind Power Park, Hailing Island Coastal Sports Ecological Park, Hailing Island Xueliu Bay, Hailing Island 270° Sea View Book Bar, Hailing Island Coastal Silk Road Boardwalk, as well as the old eight scenic spots: Nanpeng Green Island, Baipu Ancient Village, and Taifu Loyalty Shrine.

4. Main Attractions

4.1 New Eight Scenic Spots

4.1.1 Hailing Island Zhapo Dajiao Bay

Located on the southwest side of Hailing Island, Hailing Island Zhapo Dajiao Bay is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the vast South China Sea. The bay resembles a giant ox horn, hence the name "Dajiao Bay." The scenic area features attractions such as the National Marine Park, seawater bathing area, sea amusement park, release platform, and windsurfing and water sports base. Dajiao Bay Scenic Area was rated as one of the first provincial-level tourist attractions and provincial-level civilized scenic tourist demonstration sites in Guangdong Province in 1994. It has since been awarded titles such as "Guangdong's Most Popular Self-Driving Destination," "Guangdong's Best Sandy Beach," and "Guangdong's Top Ten Coastal Tourist Attractions." In 2001, it was rated as a National AAAA Tourist Attraction, and in 2003, it was recognized as one of the "Ten Scenic Spots of Yangjiang."

4.1.2 Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum

The Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum is located on the west side of Hailing Island's Ten-Mile Silver Beach. The scenic area includes the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum, a replica of an ancient Song Dynasty ship, a thousand-year-old camphor tree, boardwalks, and Dongfang Lansheng (Eastern View) attractions. The Southern Song Dynasty shipwreck "Nanhai I," dating back over 800 years, was salvaged intact in December 2007 and placed in the "Crystal Palace" of the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum. It is currently the world's earliest known, largest, and most well-preserved ancient ocean-going merchant ship with the largest number of cultural relics (60,000–80,000 pieces), providing rare historical materials for uncovering and reconstructing the history of the Song Dynasty and the ancient Maritime Silk Road. The main building of the Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum covers an area of approximately 130,000 square meters, with a construction area of nearly 20,000 square meters. It is the world's first underwater archaeology-themed museum, focusing on the excavation, protection, display, and research of the "Nanhai I" Song Dynasty shipwreck, showcasing the dynamic demonstration process of underwater archaeological excavation. It is a National Second-Level Museum and a National AAAA Tourist Attraction. The museum includes eight thematic exhibition areas: Nanhai I Ship Structure and Crew Daily Life Exhibition Area, Salvaged Trade Goods Exhibition Area, Overall Salvage and Trial Excavation Exhibition Area, Salvaged Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration Exhibition Area, Maritime Trade Exhibition Area, Maritime Silk Road and Religious Culture Dissemination Exhibition Area, Zheng He's Voyages Exhibition Area, and Precious Cultural Relics Exhibition Area.

4.1.3 Hailing Island Mangrove Wetland Park

Located in Shenqian Bay on the eastern side of Hailing Island, Hailing Island Mangrove Wetland Park is the island's best-preserved, largest, and most beautiful mangrove forest, stretching 4 kilometers along the shore and covering an area of 400 mu (approximately 26.7 hectares). This scenic area is a multifunctional ecological park characterized by South Asian subtropical mangrove wetlands, focusing on ecological protection while also offering sightseeing, leisure, and popular science education. Attractions within the park include Linghou Mountain Island and the cross-sea boardwalk.

4.1.4 Hailing Island Zhapo Fei'e Ridge Wind Power Park

Hailing Island Zhapo Fei'e Ridge Wind Power Park is located on Fei'e Ridge Mountain in Zhapo, Hailing Island, connected to Huashan Mountain and Dajiao Mountain to the east. The scenic area features attractions such as Windmill Valley, Huashan Misty Rain, and Fei'e Verdant Layers. The mountain is lush with trees, abundant flowers, and fragrant flora, offering a tranquil and refreshing environment. Large wind turbines stand atop the mountain, stretching for 5 kilometers.

4.1.5 Hailing Island Coastal Sports Ecological Park

Hailing Island Coastal Sports Ecological Park is located at the westernmost end of Hailing Island's Ten-Mile Silver Beach, adjacent to the "Nanhai I" Crystal Palace. The scenic area includes a sports park, golf course, seaside bathing area, and wedding photography base.

4.1.6 Hailing Island Xueliu Bay

Located on the southeastern side of Hailing Island, Hailing Island Xueliu Bay is rich in natural resources such as mountains, sea, and bays, featuring two bay areas: Xueliu Bay and Dinawan Bay, with viewing platforms and wooden boardwalks. The artificial "Crystal Lake" is one of the most spectacular tourist attractions along China's coastline, described as "half natural, half man-made." It offers a variety of leisure and entertainment activities, including sailing, floating, jet skiing, and water slides. A uniquely designed island is situated in the center of the lake, connected to apartments and the beach by Lingbo Bridge. It is a comprehensive tourist leisure and holiday resort integrating tourism, vacationing, wellness, yachting, and mountain-sea sports.

4.1.7 Sea View Book Bar

The Hailing Island 270° Sea View Book Bar is located on the southern beach of the Evergrande Sea View Hawaii project on the eastern side of Hailing Island's Ten-Mile Silver Beach. Backed by Caowang Mountain and facing the South China Sea, it overlooks the picturesque Sanshan Island. It is Yangjiang City's first full-sea-view book bar and officially opened to the public for free on October 1, 2016. The book bar covers a total area of 627 square meters, designed in a modern mountain-sea style that incorporates the characteristics of blue skies, clear seas, sandy beaches, and sunshine. Visitors can enjoy the tranquility of nature and appreciate the charm of the mountains and sea. The book bar resembles a small library, housing over 18,000 books donated by the public, cadres and employees, corporate sponsors, and government purchases. The collection is diverse, covering topics such as daily life knowledge, health and wellness, culture and sports, biographies of famous figures, theory, and literary works.

4.1.8 Hailing Island Coastal Silk Road Boardwalk

The Hailing Island Coastal Silk Road Boardwalk is located at Dajiao Zui in Zhapo, connecting Ten-Mile Silver Beach to the east and the Dajiao Bay Scenic Area to the west. Backed by the verdant and towering Dajiao Mountain and facing the vast sea, the boardwalk stretches for 2,500 meters. It is a coastal ecological sightseeing boardwalk that integrates natural ecology, adventure, exploration, relaxation, sea viewing, rock viewing, celestial observation, photography, fishing, and mountain hiking.

4.2 Old Eight Scenic Spots

4.2.1 Nanpeng Green Island

Nanpeng Green Island is located in the waters off the eastern end of Hailing Island, covering an area of 1.63 square kilometers. It consists of two small hills that resemble a giant eagle spreading its wings when viewed from the side, hence the name Nanpeng Island. The scenic area features attractions such as a navigation tower, mine exploration, and Peng Island Grassland. The island is surrounded by numerous strange reefs and dangerous shoals, with cliffs standing tall and a beautiful coastal curve. The northern shore of the island is Amber Bay Beach, crescent-shaped with pure sand and clear water, abundant with various fish, shrimp, shellfish, and coral. The southern shore is a rocky beach with gentle slopes and strong waves. The island is lush with trees, dense vegetation, and abundant wild fruits, providing a habitat for a large number of rare birds such as egrets and night herons. It was designated as a provincial-level marine ecological nature reserve in 2007.

4.2.2 Baipu Ancient Village

Baipu Ancient Village is located in the central part of Hailing Island, adjacent to Xueliu Bay. The scenic area features attractions such as the Liang Clan Ancestral Hall, a clear pond in front of the village, verdant mountains behind the village, and an ancient banyan tree square.

4.2.3 Chebo Fengqiu (Wind Ball)

Chebo Fengqiu, also known as the Hailing Island Wangliao Ridge Beiluo Bay Scenic Area, is located at the southwestern end of Hailing Island, facing the South China Sea. It borders the Dajiao Bay Scenic Area to the east and Mawei Mountain to the west. The scenic area includes attractions such as Beiluo Bay Seawater Bathing Area, General Iron Hat Mountain, Immortal Cave, and Strange Stone Beach.

4.2.4 Taifu Loyalty Shrine

Taifu Loyalty Shrine is located at the eastern end of Hailing Island. Surrounding the shrine and tomb are attractions such as Taifu Tomb, Lian Fishermen's Songs, and Guishan Shell Collecting. According to historical records, in February of the second year of the Southern Song Dynasty's Xiangxing era (1279), Yuan general Zhang Hongfan led troops to besiege Song forces at Yashan in Xinhui. The Song forces were defeated, and Zhang Shijie, one of the "Three Heroes of the Late Song," who served as the Song Taifu (Grand Tutor) and Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs with the title Duke of Yue, led the remaining Song troops to break through the encirclement. They intended to head to Gucheng (present-day Vietnam) but encountered a typhoon near Hailing Island, Yangjiang (then part of Nanzhou), and perished when their ship capsized. Taifu Tomb is backed by the high Pingzhang Mountain, which is lush with trees. Stone pillars on either side of the tombstone are inscribed with the couplet: "Incense and dew pray to heaven, but fate cannot be reversed; Loyal bones buried in the earth, the spirit remains."

4.2.5 Jinsha Liying (Golden Sand Beautiful Shadow)

Jinsha Liying, also known as the Hailing Island Jinsha Bay Tourist Area, is located on the eastern side of Hailing Island. The scenic area features attractions such as East Island Golden Sand Beach, Tong'ao Tongxin Wedding Photography Base, and Golden Turtle Gazing at the Moon.#### 4.2.6 Yugang Huadeng (Fishing Port Brilliant Lights) Yugang Huadeng is located within the Zhapo National Central Fishing Port. The scenic area features attractions such as Butterfly Islet, Harbor Embankment Lighthouse, Ancient Cannons Guarding the Territory, and the Trading Wharf. Zhapo National Central Fishing Port is one of the first six national central fishing ports in China. Nestled against mountains on three sides, it boasts a wide harbor basin covering approximately 2 square kilometers, with an average water depth of 10 meters. It can simultaneously accommodate over 5,000 vessels of various sizes, making it an ideal haven. The area enjoys convenient land and water transportation and is rich in marine resources, earning it the reputation as the "Guangdong Fish Warehouse." Seafood available includes lobster, abalone, prawns, mud crabs, sea urchins, white pomfret, grouper, and cuttlefish.

4.2.7 Yintan Guyun (Silver Beach Ancient Charm)

Yintan Guyun is situated in the central-southern part of Hailing Island, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on one side. It stretches for about 8 kilometers in total length, with a vast inland depth. The beach width ranges from 60 to 250 meters, featuring clean and uniformly textured sand and clear, transparent water quality. It is one of the most renowned scenic spots on Hailing Island. Attractions within the area include the Ten-Mile Silver Beach, Seaside Park, and Huang Song Luo Cheng (Imperial Song Snail City). This scenic area was recognized by the Shanghai Great World Guinness Headquarters in 1994 as China's largest seaside bathing beach and was selected as one of the "Top Ten Scenic Spots of Yangjiang" in 2003.

5. Cultural Activities

5.1 China South Sea (Yangjiang) Fishing Festival Opening Ceremony

Since 2003, the annual China South Sea (Yangjiang) Fishing Festival Opening Ceremony has been held at Yugang Huadeng (the Zhapo National Central Fishing Port Scenic Area on Hailing Island).

5.2 National Day Activities

From October 1st to 7th, 2024, the Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourism Area on Hailing Island will host cultural and tourism activities during the National Day holiday, including dragon dance square parades, Ocean Mobilization events, and stage performances of "Snow White." Two performances will be held each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.