Zhoushan Fishing Ground
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Island paradise becoming a getaway resort
An isolated island, a limited number of tourists and elegantly decorated guesthouses sounds like a paradise for a weekend getaway from metropolitan madness, which is exactly what Huaniao Island, in Shengsi, Zhejiang province, offers, thanks to residents' efforts to restore the ecosystem. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, a few hours away from the metropolises of Shanghai and Hangzhou, Huaniao and other islands in Shengsi have been a fishermen's paradise for centuries. It's the core area of the Zhoushan fishing ground, long considered the largest of its kind in China and one of the biggest worldwide. According to local yearbooks, the annual harvest accounted for 20 percent of China's total fishery yield at its peak. But due to overfishing, as well as pollution from the Yangtze River and the coastal shore, yields have plunged since the 1980s. Almost all pine trees on the island were wiped out by parasites present in furniture from the mainland, with the forest coverage rate plunging by more than 20 percent at the start of the 21st century. The government has since invested 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) annually to address the issue. "The ecosystem is always so fragile on islands like ours," said Tang Jinji, deputy head of Shengsi county. Locals began to realize the need to take better care of their environment. Island paradise becoming a getaway resort For better regulation, small wooden fishing boats have been replaced by big steel ships. Small fish have been released into the ocean and harvesting has been banned during spawning season. Thousands of hectares of mussel farms have become a major source of income, while mussels also help to clean the water. Conservation zones and reef restoration programs have been adopted, and authorities have started monitoring poachers, who face strict fines if caught. In addition to the transformation of the fishing industry, tourism has played a key role. Once a boat captain, Hong Yongjun is now the owner of an ocean-themed guesthouse. Visitors can enjoy the ocean view and murals made by fishermen's wives, as well as go on fishing trips. "We've been developing this industry since 2006," said Zhang Zhiyan, head of Tian'ao village. The "Five Fishing Villages of the East Sea", which includes Tian'ao and four neighboring villages, provide fishing experience, each with a unique style. About 30 kilometers to the northeast lies Huaniao Island, where the Huaniao Lighthouse has been guiding ships since 1870. The island now offers tours for a limited number of guests centered at the lighthouse. The tour limits visitors to one boat - holding 280 people at most - and includes a two-night stay in guesthouses on the island. "We're very cautious when it comes to the environmental capacity of the island, plus we don't plan to build any big, fancy hotels," Wang said. "So it's actually difficult to make a booking during the summer." "This fits our idea of high-end tourism, as we are building China's first high-end micro-resort on an outlying island," said Cao Jiayan, head of the Huaniao Tourism Development Company. liangshuang@chinadaily.com.cn
Sands of time wash over Zhujiajian
Island plays temporary home to exquisite beach art, Tang Zhihao reports. Travel to Zhujiajian Island in neighboring Zhejiang province this month and get two experiences for the price of one: chilled-out Chinese beaches, and sand sculptures inspired by exhibits at the Expo 2010 Shanghai's Africa Joint Pavilion. The sculptures, which will stay in place until next year, are situated inside the Zhujiajian Natural Scenic Area, which is nestled beside the island's most picturesque beach. Some 50 sculptures take up a 10,000-square-meter plot under the banner "A Trip to Africa" to form the island's 12th annual sand sculpture show. Organizers used a massive five tons of sand to produce the exhibition, which features the works of 30 international sculptors. Zhujiajian is the fifth largest of 1,390 islands that are collectively known as the Zhoushan Archipelago. The nearest mainland destination, Zhoushan City, lies about a four-hour drive from Shanghai, or 45 minutes from the city of Ningbo. To support the ongoing Expo 2010, the exhibition includes a replica of "The African Smiles", which stands in the communal area of the Africa Joint Pavilion to welcome Expo guests. Another standout piece is a replica of the Great Mosque of Old Towns of Djenn. The original was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. "By showing visitors the real situation in Africa, we want to help them find out more about this mysterious continent and its splendid culture," said Wang Xuguan, vice-governor of Zhoushan's Putuo district. He oversaw the building of bridges and tunnels in the park to connect the artworks and make touring the area more fun, he said. The sculptors said they plan to create a 25m piece symbolizing a classic Nigerian myth about a hummingbird. Officials from the Guinness World Records will be invited to witness its creation, which should be unprecedented in size, they said. For those who want to explore Zhujiajian in greater depth, we recommend taking a 20-min bus journey to Wushitang beach to admire its rare black cobblestones. Visitors can also board a boat operated by local fishermen to try their hand at deep-sea angling. Zhoushan's rich natural resources mean it has plenty to offer. Meanwhile, the sacred shrines on nearby Putuo Mountain make it a top draw for Chinese Buddhists. The mountain is a one-hour ferry ride away from Zhujiajian and is considered one of China's top four sacred Buddhist sites. The temples of Puji, Fayu and Huiji combine for some great scenery and short trips One of the best things here is the seafood. Zhoushan Fishing Ground is one of China's largest, meaning it offers much greater choice, at much cheaper prices, than you will find in Shanghai.
About Zhejiang
As the easternmost coastal province of China, Zhejiang is the region of the earliest sunrise. Zhejiang shares a border with Jiangsu and Shanghai in the north, Anhui and Jiangxi in the west and Fujian in the south, while in the east is the East China Sea, beyond which lie the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The word “Zhejiang” is previously the name of the longest river in the province, the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital. Zhejiang covers a total area of 101.800 square kilometers, of which hills and mountains account for 70.4 percent, plains and basins 23.2 percent while the remaining 6.4 percent is rivers and lakes. With a coastline of 6,486 kilometers which is the longest for a single province in China, Zhejiang is the province with most islands and isles in the country which possesses more than 3,000 islands along its coast with Zhoushan Island as the largest which is also Mainland China’s third largest island, after Hainan Island and Chongming Island. Known as “a land of fish and rice”, Zhejiang is comprehensive productive in agricultural products, rice, tea, silk, oranges, jute, bamboo products as well as seafood feature largely in China. The Northern Zhejiang Plain provides the ideal conditions for growing rice while Zhoushan Fishing Ground is China’s largest ocean fishery base and the four largest fisheries in the world. Originating in Hangzhou, the world-famous Longjing (also called “Dragon Well”) green tea, is one of the most prestigious Chinese tea, if not the most prestigious. Zhejiang Cuisine Travel to Zhejiang, do treat yourself a feast of Zhejiang cuisine. Naturally, as a coastal province and “the land of fish and rice,” Zhejiang has always be a great place for eating. Zhejiang cuisine, is one of the eight famous culinary styles in China. It consists of three major styles, namely Hangzhou style, Ningbo style and Shaoxing style, each having its own special characteristics. Among them, Hangzhou cuisine is considered to be the most representative one. Taking in Hangzhou’s exquisiteness and diversification, Ningbo’s freshness and originality, as well as Shaoxing’s softness and mellow fragrance, Zhejiang cuisine is noted for its elaborate preparation, sophisticated cooking and refreshing taste. Special care is taken in the cooking process to make the ingredients not only fresh and tender in taste, but also extremely elegant in appearance. Some of the most popular dishes are Dongpo Pork (Stir-Fried Pork), Beggar’s Chicken, West Lake Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Shrimp with Longjing Tea, Fish Balls in Clear Soup. Culture and Tradition As one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization, Zhejiang is blessed with rich cultural heritage. Zhejiang is extremely diverse in languages, most Zhejiang people speak Wu dialects, which are so diverse that one valley may speak a dialect completely unintelligible to the next valley a few kilometers away. Non-Wu dialects such as Mandarin, Huizhou dialects, Min dialects, are also spoken, mainly along the borders. To allow for better communication, there have been a series of lingua francas throughout history. Zhejiang province, more specifically, the city of Shengzhou, is the home of Yueju opera, the most popular form of Chinese opera after the Peking opera. Due to the elegance and softness, Yueju Opera is suitable for telling love stories. It was initially performed by men only, but since 1930s, Yueju Opera is performed by females alone, who also play the male roles. There are also some other important opera traditions include Yongju (of Ningbo), Shaoju (of Shaoxing), Ouju(of Wenzhou), Wuju(of Jinhua), Zhuji Luantan (of Zhuji) and Taizhou Luantan (of Taizhou). Zhejiang has always be among the best in Chinese literature, painting, calligraphy, theater as well as arts. Travel to Zhejiang Marco Polo, an Italian traveler, writing at the end of the 13th century, described the city of Hangzhou as “the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”. Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, as well as the capital of Southern Song Dynasty from 1127 until 1276, is the political, economic and cultural center of the province long since ancient times. Famous for its natural beauty and historical & cultural heritages, Hangzhou, along with its West Lake is immortalized by thousands of outstanding poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. Undoubtedly, the most famous attraction in Hangzhou is West Lake. West Lake, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, was considered a cultural landscape that has influenced garden design in the rest of the country as well as in Japan and Korea nearby over the centuries. Known as the “Venice of the East”, the beautiful water town Wuzhen, located in Tongxiang, northern of Zhejiang province, is a charming place with time-honored houses, bridges, water system as well as culture and traditions. With a age of as old as 7,000 years, the town is one of China’s most significant relic. Other famous tourist destinations in Zhejiang include: Thousand-island lake, a man-made lake in Chun’an County, Mount Putuo, one of the most notable Buddhist mountains in China and Baoguo Temple, one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Southern China.
Knowledge Graph
Examples
1 The oils from fishes caught at Zhoushan Fishing Ground were saponified and esterified. Fatty acid methyl esters were analysed by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spetrometer.
2 The lipids extracted from 13 specieces of fish caught in Zhoushan Fishing Ground were saponified and esterified. Fatty acid methyl ester was analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spetrometer.
3 Based on the samples gained from the Lusi and Zhoushan fishing grounds, the study was conducted to discover the interrelation between the reproductive ability of Pseudosciaena polyactis and its pure body weight, body length and age.