Located in the Haitang Bay, Sanya City, Wuzhizhou Island is 30 km (18.6 miles) away from the downtown area. Since Sanya Phoenix International Airport and an expressway are nearby, travel to and from the island is easy. Wuzhizhou Island has an area of 1.48 square kilometers (365.7 acres), and the coastline extends 5.7 km (3.5 miles). The east, south, and west are occupied by hills. In the south, the peak of the island rises 79.9 m (262 feet) above sea-level. The middle of the island is covered by dense forests and green meadows, while crystal waves wash the white sandy beaches to the north. On this island, thousands of aboriginal plants bloom everywhere, especially Alsophila Spinulosa which dates back to the Age of Dinosaurs, and Dracaena Angustifolia - the longest surviving plant on the Earth. The clean seawater surrounding the island provides a comfortable environment for colorful sea creatures, such as the Great Green Turban, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, lobsters and corals.
Wuzhizhou Island Resort was once known as Guqizhou Island; the story goes that once upon a time, there was a river and the people upstream always cut down trees to make fires, polluting and destroying the river. Every year when floods came, mud and rocks from the hills flowed down to the sea and polluted the seawater. The Dragon King reported the situation to the Jade Emperor who then cut off one section of Qiongnan Mountain which was seven Li (2 miles) away from the river and sent two sacred bulls to dam up the river. However, the cat was let out of the bag, and the sacred bulls changed into two huge rocks forming an island. The name 'Guqizhou' came from this legend (in Chinese, 'gu' means 'ancient', 'qi' means 'rugged', and 'zhou' means 'island'; hence put together, 'Guqizhou' means ancient rugged island). Later, when Sanya City was set up, the local government changed the name to 'Wuzhi', because the island resembled a sea creature named 'Wuzhi' which has an irregular butterfly shape.
There are several scenic spots on the island, such as the temple of the Goddess Matsu, the Lovers Bridge, Sunrise Rock, Gold Turtle Stretching forward to the Sea, the Lovers Island, the Well of Life and so on. In 1893, Matsu's Temple was constructed in order to commemorate Cangjie, the creator of Chinese characters. However, after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), the temple was abandoned in a state of neglect. Local people thus transformed it into a temple, because Matsu is the Goddess of the sea and is said to protect the local people. Sunrise Rock is the best site to see sunrise in the island and you can overlook the whole island and the South China Sea from this vantage point. Under the Sunrise Rock, there is the Gold Turtle Stretching forward to the Sea which is a huge rock rising above the sea that resembles a giant turtle trying to swim to the sea.
Besides the beautiful landscapes, you can also enjoy exciting recreational activities on the sea or beaches on Wuzhizhou Island. For example, you can dive 10 - 18 m (32.8 - 59 feet) under the sea and enjoy the marvels of the sub-aqua world. You can also take part in thrilling motorboat racing across the white breaking waves. There are plenty of other distractions besides these, such as crab fishing, beach football and fishing.
Tips:
1. Communication:
There are no public phones on the island.
You can get an outside line after paying a deposit to the hotel.
There is cell/mobile phone signal coverage on the island.
2. Shopping:
There are only a few small shops and diving companies with equipment and underwater cameras, so prepare the necessities before you come to Wuzhizhou.
3. The sunshine here is very strong, so remember your sun-tan lotion, sun glasses and hats.
4. Take care of your camera, in case your camera is damaged by seawater or sands.
5. If you choose packages for recreational activities, you will enjoy the preferential prices or discount.
6. You don't need to rent a car for a round trip to Wuzhizhou Island. There are many taxis waiting on the Wharf, and it only cost 30 Yuan to return to Sanya.
7. Sight-Seeing Rock is the best spot to see sunrise on Southern Sea (the Sun rises at about 6:00).
Entrance Fee:
CNY 123 (including the round-trip ticket for the hovercraft)
Opening Hours: 08:30 - 16:00
Best Time to Visit: Sep. to the Chinese New Year
Transportation:
1. If you have reserved and prepaid the rooms at the hotel on Wuzhizhou Island, there will be free shuttle service provided by the hotels. (You have to reserve the service if your group is larger than 10).
2. Take the bus from Sanya to Lingshui and get off at Linwang Town (CNY 5), take a tricycle to Houhai Village (CNY 5), and then take a hovercraft to the shore (CNY 123, including a round-trip ticket and the entrance fee).
3. Take a minibus to Tielu Port (from Sanya), and board the ship to Wuzhizhou Island.
4. Take a taxi to the Wuzhizhou Wharf (CNY 50).
5. Rent a car (CNY 150 - 200 for a round trip from Sanya to Wuzhizhou Island).
6. The operating times of the commuter ferry between Wuzhizhou Wharf and the Island are as follows:
The Wharf to the Island: 08:00 - 16:00
The Island to the Wharf: 08:00 - 17:00.
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