Suddenly Hearing of a Fairy Mountain on the Sea, a Heavenly Lake on the Sea, and Myriad Acres of Grassland — Fuding Yushan Island

China is so vast, I want to see it. Let me take you to a place you may have visited or never been to.

Suddenly hearing of a fairy mountain on the sea, a heavenly lake on the sea, and myriad acres of grassland — Fuding Yushan Island.

In 2005, the Chinese National Geography magazine, together with other well-known media, selected the 'Ten Most Beautiful Sea Islands in China.' Fuding Yushan Island ranked eighth. 'Compared to other selected islands, the beauty of Dayushan Island lies in its purity, naturalness, and otherworldliness' – this was the comment from the judges. Fifteen years have passed, and Yushan Island remains relatively low-key, not yet tied to the label of 'internet celebrity.' I visited the island in 2015, and now the tourism environment should be even better.

Yushan Island is located in the southeastern sea area of Fuding City, Ningde. It consists of 11 islands and reefs, including Dayushan, Xiaoyushan, Yuanyang Island, and Yinyu, collectively known as Fuyao Islands, the largest archipelago in eastern Fujian. On the map, Dayushan Island is closer to Xiapu County in Ningde. Dayushan Island has five natural villages. Mazu Village is the only external passenger ferry terminal on the island, and it is also the administrative center of Yushan Town.

In 2015, tourism development on the island was still rudimentary, with limited reception capacity. During summer and autumn weekends, especially holidays, many people came to the island, and camping in tents was the main accommodation.

Yushan Island is scattered across the vast blue waves of the East China Sea, with landscapes of mountains, sea, lakes, islands, and grasslands condensed here. It has long been known as the 'Southern Country Tianshan' and 'Pearl of the East China Sea.' Even the largest island, Dayushan, is not very big. The must-visit spots are the Big and Small Tianhu Lakes at over 200 meters above sea level and the Tianshan Myriad-Acre Grassland. You can drive or take a tourist shuttle up, especially if you have large luggage or camping gear. I walked along the coastal ring-road to enjoy the sea views.

Just outside Mazu Village is the Dashi'ao Hundred-Acre Sandbank. Many tourists pick seashells and catch crabs here, and at night they set up tents on the beach for bonfires and barbecues. For tourists, this is a very enjoyable activity. But as the saying goes, there are three hardest labors in the world: fishing, blacksmithing, and making tofu. Those who make a living by fishing actually endure great hardship.

Backpackers on the ring-road.

Along the coast, you can see marine erosion landforms. If you take a boat around the island, the more than 30 kilometers of coastline is mostly rocky shores. The waves crashing against the cliffs create erosional features, forming sea cliffs, sea platforms, sea caves, sea stacks, and other strangely shaped rock formations worth seeing.

Scattered sparsely along the ring-road are relatively primitive villages, each with stops for the shuttle bus. Although these villages are tranquil and peaceful, they are mostly hollowed out—perhaps the residents have gone out to sea or left the island to work.

In the past, village buildings on the island were square little houses built with large granite blocks cut into shape, called 'stone houses.' These old houses were sturdy but low, simple in structure, lacking decoration, and emphasized practicality. Stones were placed on the roof tiles to prevent typhoon damage.

Fishing and tidal flat aquaculture remain the primary industries for local livelihoods.

There are also some guesthouses catering to tourism on the island. You can rent a fishing boat and go out to sea to catch fish—whatever you catch is yours. This allows you to experience the hard work of fishermen.

Dayushan Island guards the maritime throat of Fujian and Zhejiang, holding great strategic importance throughout history. From here, it is only 120 nautical miles to Taiwan and 150 nautical miles to Diaoyu Island (Diaoyutai). The island used to be garrisoned, with military facilities such as trenches, gun emplacements, lookout posts, air-raid shelters, and an intricate underground tunnel network. Now these have become potential heritage tourism resources awaiting development.

Passing through the coastal villages, I began to climb the island's highest mountain, Hongjiong Cave Mountain. Halfway up is the 'Southern Country Tianshan' grassland. I was also curious: at an altitude of just over 200 meters, how could there be meadow vegetation? But facing the sea with strong winds, tall trees struggle to grow.

Reaching the hillside, I arrived at the 'Heavenly Lake on the Sea'—there are two lakes: Big Tianhu and Small Tianhu. They are about 1,000 meters apart, each with springs that never dry up, providing freshwater sources for the island. The surrounding peaks encircle the lakes in the shape of a 'yu' (a kind of vessel), which is how Yushan Island got its name. The gentle slopes around the lakes form the myriad-acre grassland.

Big Tianhu. A dam was built, forming a lake surface.

Small Tianhu is like a star in the sky, also called Star Lake.

Feel the sea breeze on the grassland—it just gently brushes against you, lifting your clothes.

Even as one of the most beautiful sea islands in China, not many people know about it. During the National Day Golden Week camping festival, it becomes like this. Most people camp at Tianhu and the grass sea. At over 200 meters above sea level, this is an excellent spot for viewing the scenery and watching sunrise and sunset.

The island's highest point, Hongjiong Cave Mountain, is 541.4 meters above sea level. On the mountain is a cave with many mysterious legends. It is said that pirates once hid treasure in that cave, but no one has ever entered it.