Skip Wuyuan: Guangzhou's Stunning Rapeseed Flower Sea Lies on an Island Still Without Cars

If not for this flower-viewing trip, I wouldn't have known that Guangzhou has such an island—still no cars, no bridge linking it, and the only way to get on and off the island is by ferry.

Dajisha Island, nestled between Huangpu and Panyu, is a small alluvial islet in the river. With spring arriving on schedule, the blooming rapeseed flowers here bring a strong sense of the season and are naturally quite captivating.

Guangzhou has been on the warm side lately, so the rapeseed flowers have bloomed earlier than usual. The peak blooming period is likely from late February to early March; after that, it might be hard to catch them at their most beautiful.

So at the start of March, we decided there’s no time like the present and made time to visit Dajisha.

Since the island still has no road access, we first had to take a boat from Wuchong Pier. The nearest subway station to this pier is Yufengwei on Line 13.

Metro Line 13 opened at the end of 2017, currently only Phase 1 is in operation, running from Yuzhu Station to Xinsha Station. Although it’s been open for over three years, this was my first time riding it. I usually stick to the old city center and Tianhe/Haizhu areas and rarely head this way.

The olive-green color of the metro signs feels inviting. The overall environment is quite new, clearly a recently opened line. Once Phase 2 is up and running, ridership is likely to double.

At least for now, it’s still relatively uncrowded, not packed at all.

After leaving the metro and heading toward the pier, you can see the busy riverside scene along the way. This is also the old port of Huangpu, one of Guangzhou’s excellent harbors, ranking among the top in the country in throughput—its importance goes without saying.

Exiting the metro, you’ll spot Wuchong Pier after walking a few hundred meters. To reach Dajisha Island, you board the boat here. I’d recommend taking the regulated big ferry to cross the river, as it’s more established with better safety measures.

The ferry ticket is just 2 yuan; if you bring a vehicle, it’s an extra 1 yuan—about the same as a bus fare. For that price, you get to experience the thrill of setting off by boat toward the unknown, which is already a great value.

The ride takes only a few minutes, and soon we docked at Shengyuzhou Pier in the middle of the river. Would this land I’d never set foot on before surprise me?

It wasn’t until I saw the shimmering golden sea of rapeseed flowers that I could confidently say this trip was more than worth it—truly unforgettable.

It happened to be a weekday when I visited. According to the islanders, not too many people come specifically to see the flowers on regular days; it’s on holidays and weekends that the crowds flood in.

Not long after setting foot on the island, I spotted someone selling tofu pudding. This reminded me of a trip to Lamma Island in Hong Kong, where I stumbled upon a roadside stall called ‘Jianxing Yapo Tofu Pudding’ while hiking—such a sweet find.

Unfortunately, I noticed a notice on this stall saying ‘Only available on Saturdays and Sundays,’ so I had to give up and head straight to the rapeseed fields.

Dajisha Island covers over 1,500 mu (about 100 hectares), most of it farmland. With only a few hundred residents, and no road access while water routes aren’t exactly convenient, the island still retains a relatively pure and simple way of life.

Given the large planting area, the rapeseed flowers here are far from confined to a tiny patch—calling it a sea of flowers is no exaggeration.

There are several spots planted with rapeseed, each in a different state of bloom. Since we came all this way, we certainly weren’t settling for anything less than the largest and most beautiful display.

Because we left a bit late and spent extra time en route, it was already past 4 p.m. when we finally saw the rapeseed flowers. The sight was so delightful that we ended up lingering too long at one spot without realizing it.

As we walked further, we discovered another, even larger field of rapeseed, thriving and much denser.

By then it was almost dusk, so we had very little time left for photos. I had to skip quite a few nice compositions I had in mind.

So I strongly suggest that anyone planning a flower-viewing trip there budget extra time—don’t forget that waiting for buses and ferries also takes time. That way, you can feel more at ease in the gorgeous flower sea and strike poses for photos to your heart’s content.

After admiring the flowers, we strolled leisurely toward the riverside. The pastoral scenery along the way was lovely—a rare outing to relax, just perfect.

From the riverbank, you can gaze into the distance at Huangpu Bridge spanning the two banks. Completed at the end of 2008, the bridge has been in use for 13 years now. Stretching over 7,000 meters across the Pearl River, this grand bridge structure is rightly hailed as the ‘No. 1 Bridge in South China.’

The bridge connects Huangpu and Panyu at both ends, ending the era of no direct road link between the two districts and strengthening their exchanges.

Time always flies when you’re having fun, and by evening there wasn’t much to do on the island. In a hurry to catch a boat back, we waited by the river for quite a while but saw no ferry coming.

As far as I know, there’s only one big ferry, and it departs every half hour. Luckily, there were private small boats waiting, which cost just 1 yuan more than the big one—3 yuan in total. As long as they get a few passengers, they’ll set sail, which is relatively more convenient.

But for safety’s sake, I’d still recommend taking the regulated big ferry. On the way back, if it’s dark and waiting for the ferry isn’t ideal, then you can consider the private boats as an alternative.

All in all, the trip to Dajisha Island was very pleasant. Behind the bustling city, finding a hidden gem like a secluded paradise and spending half a day there felt wonderful.

I came for the rapeseed flowers, but unexpectedly, the island’s scenery itself was captivating enough.

Steal half a day of leisure from a busy life—spring is back, and it’s time to enjoy the flowers. Friends heading to Dajisha to see the rapeseed sea, with the good weather ahead, you might want to plan your visit soon!

I’m Ci Ye Wu Wei, a content creator passionate about travel and life. Let the little hedgehog show you the big world—follow me, and you won’t have to worry about where to eat, drink, and have fun!