Wild Camping on Dayu Mountain Island – One of China's Top Ten Most Beautiful Islands
This trip has been a long time coming.
As early as last year, while visiting Xiapu to watch the sunrise and sunset, I discovered a semi-wild island—Dayu Mountain Island.
So I made a plan to go there.
There are few boats to the island, so a two-day trip is usually appropriate.
What attracted me was the opportunity to camp on the island with tents.
For camping, timing is crucial. In Fujian's weather, it would be unbearably hot before October, and too cold after that for outdoor activities. So September and October are perfect.
Thus, it's easy to miss the chance and have to wait another year.
Fuyao Archipelago, also known as Yu Shan Archipelago, is located in the southeastern sea of Fuding, 5 nautical miles from Sansha Ancient Town Port. It is the largest archipelago in eastern Fujian, consisting of eleven islands including Dayu Mountain, Xiaoyu Mountain, Yuanyang Island, and Yinyu. It is part of the Taimu Mountain scenic area.
This trip was to its main island, Dayu Mountain Island.
The land area is 28.3 square kilometers, the sea area is over 300 square kilometers, the coastline is 30.12 kilometers, 5 nautical miles from Sansha Ancient Town Pier, and 25 kilometers from Taimu Mountain scenic area.
Dayu Mountain Island is not very famous; even among locals in Fujian, probably more than 60% have never heard of it.
Yet this small place was ranked eighth in the 'Most Beautiful Islands' category of 'The Most Beautiful Places in China' by Chinese National Geography magazine, commonly known as one of the 'Top Ten Most Beautiful Islands in China'.
Dayu Mountain Island has lakes, and the slopes around the lakes are gentle, with a vast grassland of ten thousand mu, known as the 'Tianshan of the South'.
Xiaoyu Mountain Island is an uninhabited island with an area of 3.28 square kilometers. Due to seawater erosion and weathering, the coast has exposed bedrock, numerous reefs, and prominent sea erosion landforms, creating peculiar landscapes. The island is only 50 meters above sea level, with lush vegetation, inhabited by thousands of seagulls and other migratory birds. When they suddenly take flight, it is a spectacular sight!
I set out from Fuzhou by bullet train, which is very convenient for those coming from afar.
'Far' refers to distances over 100 kilometers.
Public transportation is somewhat complicated but smooth. Since cars are not allowed on the island, public transportation is the most suitable.
Although it seems a bit troublesome, it is actually quite straightforward. Just follow these steps:
1. Arrive at Xiapu Railway Station
Take a bullet train from anywhere in the country to Xiapu Station.
2. Way to 'Sansha' – Option 1
Exit Xiapu Railway Station, and on the right side, there are regular buses and minibuses to 'Sansha', which is a town.
Given the boarding time, it is not recommended to go directly to Sansha.
3. Way to 'Sansha' – Option 2
Take a bus (1 yuan) or a taxi/ride-hailing to the North Long-Distance Bus Station.
Note: It is the 'North Station'! Also called the 'Old Long-Distance Bus Station'.
There you can stroll around and stay overnight. There are many places to eat nearby, quite lively.
That's what I did for this trip.
The next day, I took a bus from the North Station to Sansha, with the earliest bus available around 6 am.
Go directly into the station; it's easy to miss because it looks too shabby and not like a station at all.
One option is a minibus for 12 yuan (price as of October 2021), another is a small car for 18 yuan. The small car is an ordinary 5-seater sedan, departing when full.
The minibus takes about 50 minutes, and the small car takes about 40 minutes. Both arrive around Sansha Town Government area.
After getting off, it's advisable to stock up on food and drinks.
I was afraid there would be no place to buy food and drinks on the island, thinking it was all wilderness, so I foolishly brought everything from my starting point.
In fact, here in Sansha Town, you can find everything. Just buy two or three bottles of water—climbing the mountain consumes a lot of water!
I took a small car this time and told the driver I wanted to go to Yu Shan Island, and he stopped nearby.
I couldn't understand the Xiapu dialect, so while the driver chatted happily with other passengers, I gazed out at the scenery alone...
The driver told me to get off and pointed to a nearby minibus that goes directly to the pier.
So I got on that bus and paid 2 yuan fare.
Again, I told the driver I wanted to go to the pier.
Fortunately, 'Guzhen Pier Stop' is the terminal, so I couldn't miss it.
The pier is inside a company that is still operating in the fishery industry.
Upon entering, I bought the island ticket (specific price in the appendix).
The scenery at the pier was already very nice, and I was very excited!
Boarding started at 9:30, and the boat departs when full. So to be safe, it's best to arrive before 9:30.
The return trip is not earlier than 16:00, meaning boarding at 16:00, departure when full.
Today is a holiday, so there were extra ferry trips, many of them, all departing when full.
Normally, there are two round trips per day.
To go to Dayu Mountain Island, this side is called Guzhen Pier, and the opposite side is Dayu Mountain Island Pier.
From the shore, you cannot directly see Dayu Mountain Island because it is part of an archipelago, and you have to pass through many small islands. That was quite interesting too.
Boarding began~
What is that green device next to the people? I'll answer on the return trip~
The entire island is surrounded by sea.
After disembarking on the island, you arrive at the tourist center, located in Mazu Village.
From here, you set out, and finally leave the island from here.
Island transportation is covered in the appendix.
All routes in this article are based on the following map for reference:
I decided to go to the Great Tianhu Scenic Area first, only to realize later that it wasn't a good plan.
Great Tianhu is officially called a 'scenic area'.
The entire Dayu Mountain Island has playable areas including the scenic area and villages.
Upon arriving at the tourist center, the operating company naturally recommends visiting the scenic area first to sell tickets.
This scenic area is the only one on the island. Villages are not considered scenic areas; they are just for 'free travel'.
Take the scenic shuttle bus to Great Tianhu (note: the shuttle to Great Tianhu does not go to villages; if you board, you can pay a supplement).
Great Tianhu Scenic Area includes Great Tianhu, Little Tianhu, and many other small spots. If you don't go down to see Little Tianhu, two hours is enough.
It is said that camping was previously allowed at both Great Tianhu and Little Tianhu, but due to lack of management, the environment was damaged, and later camping was banned in the Tianhu Scenic Area.
There are three lakes on the island, with Great Tianhu being the largest, hence the name of the scenic area.
The three lakes never dry up; the water is sweet and clear, often shrouded in mist, like a celestial pool, so it is called 'Great Tianhu'.
Great Tianhu covers over 1,000 mu, Little Tianhu over 200 mu, and the two lakes are about 500 meters apart, so it's easy to walk between them on the mountain.
Along the entire coast of Dayu Mountain Island, the rocks have been eroded by waves over a long time, creating various shapes—a masterpiece of sea erosion landforms.
Taking the scenic shuttle to Great Tianhu Scenic Area, there is no ticket inspection, and the route is as follows:
The interior of Great Tianhu is as follows:
Below Great Tianhu is the tea garden.
Unlike Wushan, here there are vast fields of white tea!
The sun was still very strong today.
Tianhu Temple is also one of the main destinations, not far from the tourist center, but unfortunately, it was closed due to the pandemic.
From the outside, you can see that the main hall is still under construction.
The butterfly in the picture above was truly serendipitous, full of artistic conception.
After leaving the scenic area, take the shuttle back to the tourist center.
Next, it's time to explore the villages.
After leaving the scenic area, take the shuttle back to the tourist center.
Next, it's time to explore the villages.
Buy a ticket for the 'Island Loop Line' shuttle; note that it is different from the scenic area shuttle.
The tourist center is in the first village—Mazu Village.
Take a short stroll, no need to take the shuttle.
From Mazu Village, walk down a bit to reach it.
You can play on the beach here, but the sand quality is probably not great, so to save time, I didn't go down.
Next to it is 'Jinsha Feipu', a hotel with a large garden that is worth visiting.
Barbecue equipment is available for rent, and the scenery is excellent!
From the map, it seems that Yuniao Village is close to Mazu, but the mountain road is under repair and not passable.
So you have to take the shuttle, which also takes a detour.
Thus, the closest place becomes the farthest—the terminal.
Sometimes life is like that, haha~
Yuniao Village is located on a prominent part of the island, so it's a great spot to watch both sunrise and sunset.
From a distance, you can see the famous 'Twelve Constellations' hotel halfway up the mountain.
It's also a popular check-in spot, with twelve guest rooms named after the constellations.
A bit further up is the camping area.
Down in the village, there are homestays related to the Twelve Constellations and camping tents. There are also dining services.
From Yuniao Village, wait for the shuttle and take it one stop to Moon Bay.
Moon Bay and Mang Dang are adjacent, one stop apart, just 100 meters apart.
Moon Bay has wooden cabins, and you can also camp on the beach.
Mang Dang is also a camping spot, but not on the beach.
There are more than one homestay in Mang Dang Village, offering better value for money.
Moon Bay, being in a 'bay', can only see sunrise, not sunset.
Watching sunrise also depends on the time. I went in October, and the sunrise direction was off, so I had to go to the far end of Moon Bay to see it; it wasn't visible from Mang Dang.
To see the full sunrise, you need to go to Dongjiao Village.
So if you plan to watch sunrise and sunset, choose your spot in advance.
For this trip, staying at Moon Bay meant missing out on sunset.
At this point, I could get into the water.
That is, wading in slippers, not really swimming!
This place is half sandy beach and half reef.
Tonight, I stayed in a tent for the night, and it was okay.
When I first fell asleep, it was still hot. I opened both tent windows, and luckily there was a breeze.
So, for camping in Fujian, it's only suitable after October. September is still too early and would be too hot.
After midnight, it turned cool, but the tent had a blanket, so it was fine.
Tomorrow, I'll get up early to watch the sunrise.
In the distance, it was pitch black, the sea, but without light at night, it doesn't matter how close you are to the sea because you can't see it.
However, the sound of the waves all night was quite healing.
If I couldn't sleep, I could come out and drink some tea, which was also nice.
Early the next morning, I got up at 5 am and hurried to Moon Bay to watch the sunrise.
The weather was good, without thick clouds.
If I had all the gear, setting up a chair and brewing milk tea while watching the sunrise would have been even more romantic (for one person):
Waiting for sunrise took half an hour, but the actual beautiful sunrise lasted only about 5 minutes, very quick.
Once the sun was fully out, the temperature immediately rose.
So, once again, you must come after autumn, otherwise it would be torture.
During the day, I could see that the place where I camped had really nice scenery!
I planned to take the shuttle to the next stop, Dongjiao Village.
But the official schedule said I had to wait two hours for the next bus.
Since it was still early after watching sunrise, instead of waiting, I decided to walk.
From Dongjiao Village, you pass by Yuanyang Island.
Normally, Yuanyang Island is not a scenic area, so it's not convenient to go onto it.
If you really want to go, you could talk to the fishermen privately.
From Dongjiao Village, you can see Yuanyang Island in the distance:
From Dongjiao Village, continue walking to Taohua Island:
Taohua Island, though called an 'island', is actually not an island.
It is on the mountain.
It is said that there used to be peach trees, hence the name.
But now there are no peach trees, so it's just a name.
Taohua Island is not a village, so there are no people. There is only a camping spot with special homestays where you can set up tents.
There were road signs along the way. After walking a bit, I realized it required climbing uphill, so it wasn't worth it, and I didn't go up.
I enjoyed the view and waited by the roadside for the shuttle to Zaoyu Village.
So, camping on Taohua Island is very quiet, being on the mountain, but transportation is also the most inconvenient.
At night, you definitely can't go anywhere.
However, if you come camping, you naturally have all the gear, so you don't need to go anywhere.
But there is still a long uphill section to climb, so it's not highly recommended. Maybe I'll try it on a future visit.
I took the shuttle to Zaoyu Village:
To reach Yangguwei, there is no road for vehicles; I walked all the way from Zao'ao Village.
Actually, I could have taken the shuttle and asked the driver to drop me at the fork for Yangguwei, which is also a shuttle rest stop.
But I ended up walking from Zao'ao Village, wasting energy for nothing; it wasn't worth it.
Yangguwei used to be a military base, only opened later.
So there are abandoned watchtowers, bomb shelters, etc.
As I walked, the road disappeared and turned into a dirt path.
Then even the dirt path almost disappeared, with wild grass over a meter tall.
Looking at the endless mountains under the scorching sun, I decisively gave up continuing.
On the way back, I joked with the driver about big tigers. The driver said, 'No tigers, but there are snakes,' hmm...
Taking the shuttle for the last stop, I returned to Mazu Village.
At noon, I could eat at the tourist center, just bring some dry food; there was hot water.
In the afternoon, after checking the boat departure time and still having some time, I went to the last stop—Luzhu Village.
According to the guide, Luzhu Village is not accessible by vehicle.
But there were shuttle signs on the road, though it seemed there were no shuttles running.
I didn't ask and just walked there.
Due to inconvenient transportation, Luzhu Village remains very peaceful, preserving a very primitive fishing lifestyle.
This old, abandoned sewing machine had a lot of character.
From Luzhu Village, I walked back the same way to Mazu Village and then to the pier.
Make sure to take the boat to Sansha!
The boat ticket is a round-trip; keep it safe for re-inspection.
Arriving at Guzhen Pier.
Earlier in the article, I asked what the green device was for. It turns out the boat carries not only people but also fish.
Fish caught on the island are transported by boat to the pier, and via this conveyor belt, directly into refrigerated trucks for freezing.
Arriving at Guzhen Pier:
At the pier, there were minibuses waiting.
I didn't look closely when I came, but now I did, and it was interesting:
The minibus had no 'route number'. Could it be that Sansha only has one route?!
I asked the driver, and there were no 'stops' either. When getting on, you tell the driver where to get off, and he'll call out.
So primitive and quaint, haha:
I told the driver to stop at the bus station, and he did.
This is the bus station:
Similarly, you can choose the 12-yuan minibus to Xiapu or wait for the 18-yuan small car.
Note: From Sansha to Xiapu, the bus goes to the 'New Station', not the 'North Station' where I started.
So you can easily take a bus, taxi, or ride-hailing to Xiapu Station; it's not far, about a 10-minute drive.
And thus ended my wonderful 'camping trip'.
The trip lasted three days, but except for the first day in Xiapu, I actually spent two days on Dayu Mountain Island.
Overall, it was very enjoyable and a good workout.
The entire Yu Shan Island, due to government control, has not been truly developed for tourism.
The tourism company only provides shuttle services. There are a few local homestay areas.
Therefore, here you can experience the authentic life and culture of eastern Fujian fishermen.
In fact, even Xiapu itself has not been heavily developed, which adds to its charm.
For Dayu Mountain Island, I recommend public transportation. It sounds like a lot of transfers, but it's actually quite convenient.
You can prepare more food, but don't pack too much water.
Dayu Mountain Island, and even Xiapu, are fishing communities, so seafood is the main fare, with very few vegetables, if any.
Even the simplest bowl of noodles comes as seafood noodles.
If there is a chance for a 100% pure camping trip in the future, I can set up my own tent, cook in the wild, and live carefree for two or three days, watching the sun rise and set every day, cooking my own meals by the sea or in the mountains—that would be a unique experience!
But then the luggage would be heavier.
If by chance, three or five friends come together, you can rent a 'direct shuttle' (see 'Transportation Section') to easily bring heavy luggage and camping gear.
October 1-3, 2021 trip, recorded on October 8, 2021.
Camping is very convenient; there are several places, each with pros and cons.
Basically, where there is camping, there are tents for rent, or you can bring your own. If you bring your own, you might still have to pay a small management fee.
Yuniao Village: On a platform halfway up the mountain, with a view of the sea below. For showering and fetching water, you need to go down a small slope to the homestay, about 200 meters. It's a bit inconvenient due to the up and down, but you can see both sunrise and sunset.
Moon Bay: Close to the wooden cabins, with complete facilities, can shower, rental tents are on the beach, seaside, best sea views. If you bring your own tent, there is a separate area 150 meters away, where you can cook in the wild. But you can only see sunrise, not sunset.
Mang Dang: This is a homestay area with convenient transportation and good value. It's about 200 meters from the beach, adjacent to Moon Bay. You can walk to Moon Bay to see sunrise. Since it's a homestay area, you can only rent tents; not sure if you can bring your own, as it's on private land.
Taohua Island: Inconvenient transportation, no shuttle stop, but you can ask the shuttle to stop midway. It's on the mountainside, requiring a lot of uphill climbing.
Here, let's talk about transportation on Dayu Mountain Island. There are mainly two types of shuttles: regular shuttle and direct shuttle:
One route goes to the Tianhu Scenic Area, costing 36 yuan for the ride, plus 40 yuan for the ticket. If you have a discount ticket, you only pay 36. But this does not go to villages.
The other route goes to villages, costing 30 yuan round trip. You can get off and reboard midway, but you cannot go back the same way. Although it passes by the Tianhu Scenic Area, you cannot board or alight there because it's a different route, and you would need to pay an extra 10 yuan difference (so the system seems flawed).
Although the regular shuttle has fixed stops, you can flag it down midway.
The round-trip route map is as follows:
The ticket is valid for two days; confirm when buying.
The official schedule is as follows (there were additional buses during this holiday, so actual frequency was higher):
2. Direct shuttle
Direct shuttles are charged per trip and per vehicle. So they are suitable for multiple people going to the same destination. The location is not limited by shuttle stops; you can go anywhere.
Ctrip does not allow posting contact information, but it's easy to find the contact number at the tourist center.
Transportation from various places to Xiapu Station is omitted.
Accommodation in Xiapu for one night: 210 yuan;
Bus from Xiapu to Sansha: 18 yuan;
Minibus from Sansha Town to Guzhen: 2 yuan;
Round-trip ferry ticket + island entry fee: 100 yuan (free island entry for boats after 3 pm);
Tianhu Scenic Area ticket 40 + shuttle 36: 76 yuan total (during National Day promotion, free ticket after 3 pm);
Two-day village shuttle ticket: 30 yuan;
Tent for one night: 120 yuan;
Total expenses for three days and two nights (excluding long-distance transportation): about 800 yuan per person.
Additionally, if driving to Guzhen Pier, daytime parking costs 30 yuan, and overnight costs 60 yuan.
Travelogue table of contents:
1. About this trip
2. About Dayu Mountain Island
3. Day 1: Departure to Xiapu
4. Day 2: Departure to Dayu Mountain Island
5. Overview of island geography
6. Day 2, Stop 1: Great Tianhu Scenic Area
7. Tea garden, Tianhu Temple
8. Great Tianhu, Little Tianhu
9. Day 2, Stop 2: Mazu Village
10. Day 2, Stop 3: Dasha Sandbank
11. Day 2, Stop 4: Yuniao Village
12. Day 2, Stop 5: Moon Bay
13. Day 3, Stop 1: Moon Bay Sunrise
14. Day 3, Stop 2: Dongjiao Village
15. Day 3, Stop 3: Passing Taohua Island
16. Day 3, Stop 4: Zao'ao Village
17. Day 3, Stop 5: Yangguwei
18. Day 3, Stop 6: Mazu Village rest
19. Day 3, Stop 7: Luzhu Village
20. Day 3: Boarding the return boat
21. Day 3: Leaving Xiapu
22. Summary
23. Camping section
24. Island transportation section
25. Budget section
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