Home to what might be China’s best waters for scuba and snorkeling, Wuzhizhou Island lies within easy reach of Sanya and makes for a nice alternative to the increasingly busy resort town’s enclaves of five-star hotels and overdeveloped beachfront.
Wuzhizhou Island was known as Guqizhou Island in ancient times and the earliest records date from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when a temple was built to commemorate the originator of Chinese characters, Cang Jie. Following the Qing Government’s fall from power, the villagers rebuilt the temple to honor the Goddess Matsu, who bestowed good fortune on the local fishermen. From 1949 Wuzhizhou Island became an important strategic defence zone. However, from the 1990s, the island began to enjoy a completely new role as a romantic place for holiday and leisure.
Divers will appreciate the clear seas (10-30 meters visibility, depending on location and weather), especially off the southern end of the island, where coral reefs host a colorful range of tropical sea life.
Traffic:
(1). There is a tour bus (line 28) connecting Sanya East Bus Station (Sanya Qichedongzhan) with Wuzhizhou Island. You can choose it if you wanna save some money.
(2). For driving from Haikou to Wuzhizhou Island: Dongxian Highway – Laodongxian Highway – Linwangzhen – Wuzhizhou Wharf.
(3). For driving from Sanya to Wuzhizhou Island: Tiandu – Yalongwan Fenchakou – Laodongxian Highway – Wuzhizhou Wharf.
What to eat:
You can find lots of delicious food here: Lexie crab, Huaxie crab, Xiaoxiangbibangke, Baochao Mangguoluo, Shanbei, Baoyu, Shibanyu fish.
Shopping in Wuzhizhou:
The traditional coconut products are very popular here. Coconut candy, coconut si, coconut gao, coconut jiang are all good choices for the tourists. Some people also recommend these: Kafeidou, Surongkafei, Yenaikafei, Shengyaoguoren, Jishiguoren, Kelihujiao, Hujiaofen. You can find all of these in Hongqi (red flag) Street.
Tips:
(1). The beach of Wuzhizhou is better than Xidao. The sand here is white and fine but the beach is smaller than Xidao.
(2). The food in Wuzhizhou Island is very expensive. A bowl of noodle will cost you 20 – 30 rmb. Some people bring snacks here to save some money.
(3). Although this is a very beautiful island, to live here is ridiculously expensive. A little cabin will cost you more than 1200 rmb for a night. If you wanna live in the hotels here, the cost is about 3000 – 8000 rmb for a night.
(4). The services of Wuzhizhou Island is pretty good. You can ask the employees for directions if you need them to help.
(5). There are some tour buses in Wuzhizhou Island. (cost 80 rmb for a person)
(6). You will need to arrive here early in the morning if you are not using a travel agency because buying the tickets in line will cost you a lot of time.
(7). Remember to bring a backup battery for your camera because there are some many places worth taking pictures of.
(8). You can book your Wuzhizhou Sanya trip online. This way is convenient and cheap.