Deep Dive into Xiapu Part 5: Xiyang Island and Dongchongkou
D1: Xiapu County Chengnan Road Station - Xiaohu Town (about 1 hour drive) - Xiaohu Town Xiaohu Village Lion Mountain - Xiaohu Pier - Xiyang (departure at 12:00 noon, sailing about 1 hour) - Xiyang Island tour (stay overnight on Xiyang Island)
Arrived at Xiaohu Town at 8:30, with plenty of time before departure, headed straight for Xiaohu Fengshui Mountain - Lion Mountain
Please enjoy the video "Lion Mountain"
No matter how fun Lion Mountain is, remember to descend before 10 o'clock, because you still need to go to Waihu Pier, and besides, the Pipa Island near the pier is also worth a visit
Waihu Beach "Xiapu in the Eyes of Writers" by Xie Yixing
In my memory, the southern part of Xiapu has five large beaches: Beidou, Gaoluo, Dajing, Lüxia, and Waihu. The sand is clean, the water blue, vast and flat. Among them, Waihu Beach is the most beautiful. It is known as the "Beidaihe of Northeast Fujian."
Waihu Beach stands alone on the Dongchong Peninsula, over a thousand meters long and more than two hundred meters wide, like a piece of celestial brocade fallen to earth. The sand is like gold dust, with gentle slopes, resembling an autumn-colored sports field. A poem says: "Here the yellow sand is as fine as dust, light vehicles leave no trace." It is said that the sand of Waihu is so fine and pure because across from it, Masi Island gathers coarse sand, and the ebb and flow of tides wash away the roughness. In summer, whether stretching your arms in gentle waves or surfing, swimming in the blue sea and sky, grateful for nature's creation, you forget all honor and disgrace; or walking barefoot on the beach, lying on the sand carpet, letting the sea breeze caress your face, listening to the melodious fishing songs, you feel as if in a poem or painting. Picking up shells along the beach, you regain childlike innocence; building sand sculptures near the water, you suddenly realize that philosophy lies between your fingers. Here, the sun, waves, and beach are all irresistible temptations.
To the right of the beach are Pipa Island and Shigong's Nose, like a green brocade screen, making Waihu "hold a pipa half-hidden," subtle and alluring. Pipa Island is named for its shape resembling a pipa (Chinese lute). There is a pipa cave on the island. During high tide, waves rush into the cave, gently dripping and making a tinkling sound, as if intermittent pipa music drifts out. Legend has it that long ago, a fisherman returning home saw an osmanthus tree suddenly appear on the island, its fragrance rich and refreshing. He took off his clothes to mark the spot, intending to transplant it home. When the fisherman returned with a hoe, the place where his clothes fell no longer had the tree, only the clear sound of pipa and the scent of osmanthus. Indeed, the fragrance of the immortal osmanthus, like the beauty of Waihu, is a gift of nature not meant for anyone's exclusive possession.
Shigong's Nose has scattered trees and green mist, like a green cloud, making Waihu Beach even more golden and charming. When I came to Waihu again, a Shigong Temple was built beneath Shigong's Nose, with white walls and red tiles, pointed arches and upturned eaves, magnificent. The temple keeper said that the temple enshrines three masters, all protective deities of the Waihu fishing families. When fishermen encounter danger at sea, the masters walk on the sea to rescue them, very efficacious.
Closely adjoining the beach is Waihu Fishing Village. Surrounding the village is a Ming Dynasty ancient fortress covered with lichen and shaded by ancient banyan trees. The northeastern part of the city wall has been destroyed and is no longer intact. According to research, when the fortress was first built, there were only three surnames in Waihu, and it took over sixty years to complete the four walls. One can imagine how hard and persistent the ancestors of Waihu were to defend against pirates and create peace!
Please enjoy the video "Xiyang-Dongchong"
Xiyang Island is not only unique in scenery but was also a military strategic location; citizens have a duty to keep secrets.
D2: Xiyang (9:00 AM ferry) - Xiaohu Pier - Dongchongkou - Beibi Chi'ao - Waihu - Xiaohu Town - Xiapu County.
Chi'ao, also known as Fengwo or Zhupai Di, is located south of Xiapu County, Fujian, at the southern prominence of the Dongchong Peninsula. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on one side, bordered to the east by Waihu Golden Sand Beach, to the west by Dongchongkou, and to the south facing the Matsu Islands. The terrain here differs from the surrounding areas, with many rocky mountains, rugged peaks, cleverly arranged stones, deep gullies, and narrow crevices, sparking endless imagination. Surrounded by peaks behind the village is Mount Jinji (Golden Rooster Mountain), which preserves Northern Song Dynasty grotto statues and architectural components from the Song Dynasty. According to research, there was a Jinji Temple on the mountain during the Song Dynasty, with a rice-flowing altar beside it. According to local county records, before the Song and Yuan dynasties, due to rampant piracy and plague, Chi'ao was sparsely populated. It was only at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty that migrants from other counties moved here, mostly from Lianjiang County. After more than 200 years of reproduction, there are now over 300 fishing households, more than 1,700 people. The locals make a living from the sea, fishing in offshore waters and engaging in aquaculture, hardworking and content, with simple folk customs.
County records state: "Ten li south of Waihu Ancient Fortress, there are two huge stones standing on the mountain peak, strikingly resembling human figures, standing shoulder to shoulder." Legend has it that every night, the stone figures would transform and go into Waihu Village to molest women. The villagers were terrified and blocked the south gate of the fortress, but the "ghosts" still caused trouble, and nothing could be done. One day, the "ghosts" harassed a new bride in a fisherman's home. Everyone was frightened and helpless. Only the bride's mother-in-law had a sudden idea: she secretly tied a thread from her fishing net to the ghost's hem. The next day, following the thread, they discovered that the stone figures were the culprits. They then invited a deity to suppress them. "One year, lightning struck and one of the stone figures' heads fell off. From then on, the villagers had no more trouble from ghosts." The south gate of the fortress was reopened.
Climbing the ancient fortress, looking into the distance at the boundless blue waves where the sea meets the sky; nearby, watching waves and returning boats. Feeling exhilarated, I can't help but sigh: Waihu Beach is the greatest wealth of the Waihu people! But the Waihu people hold a piece of jade and think it's an ugly stone, truly distressing!
Between the ancient fortress and the beach, there used to be a half-kilometer-long belt of cobblestones. The pebbles were exquisite, spotless, with brilliant patterns and colorful, known as Phoenix Eggs. Their quantity and beauty were a wonder. Above the pebble belt, there was also a large area of wild daffodils, with green leaves and jade stems holding golden cups and silver platforms, their fragrance permeating the entire beach. An elderly villager explained that this flower patch originated from a shipwreck offshore: the daffodil bulbs on the ship drifted ashore with the waves. On summer nights, listening to the tide on the pebble belt, thoughts wandered to the vast sky and sea, moonlight accompanied by floral fragrance—who could resist such poetry? But now the pebble belt has disappeared without a trace, the daffodil patch is gone, and the beauty of Waihu has been forcibly torn open!
Waihu Beach, a miraculous work of nature, has been waiting for eyes that truly appreciate her. Standing on this beach that is beautiful yet a bit lonely, sleeping yet a bit desolate, thinking of the ancient fortress's mottled face, the legends of good and evil about the masters and the stone figures, and the sadness of the pebbles and daffodils, all come flooding into my heart. They profoundly remind us: the beauty of nature and the peace of the world both require our careful protection!
This is a series of travel notes. Comments are welcome. Thank you for watching!
