Wanshan Archipelago
| Wanshan Archipelago | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 萬山羣島 or 萬山群島 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 万山群岛 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Ten Thousand Islands Archipelago[1] | ||||||||
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The Wanshan Archipelago (which means Myriad Islands Archipelago), sometimes referred to as the Ladrones Islands (Thieves Islands), is a 104-island archipelago that is part of Zhuhai Municipality in Guangdong Province in the People's Republic of China. Most of its islands are in the Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone[2].
Geography
The islands are situated in the South China Sea, to the south of the opening of the Pearl River estuary and Hong Kong.
Wanshan Islands also include some islands in Hong Kong and Macau, such as Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island in Hong Kong, Taipa-Coloane Island in Macau. [citation needed]
The archipelago, as featured on modern maps,[3] includes several groups of islands. On the older European maps, the western group, located south of the Pearl River estuary and Hong Kong's island of Lantao, and including. among others, the Greater Wanshan Island (Da Wanshan Dao), Guishan Dao, Zhizhou Liedao (蜘洲列岛) group, Wai Dangling Dao, Sanmen Liedao (三门列岛) group and Aizhou Liedao (隘洲列岛) groups, was known as the Ladrones Islands (i.e., Thieves Islands, in Spanish or Portuguese). The eastern chain of islands, located south of Hong Kong, was known in the west as Lema Islands; these days, the western half of this chain is known as Pengjia Liedao (蓬佳列岛), while the eastern is Dangan Liedao (担杆列岛).
The largest island, Dangan (担杆), features mountainous terrain similar to Hong Kong.
List of islands
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Islands of the archipelgo include:
Dangan Liedao (the eastern group of Wanshan archipelago, and the eastern half of the former Lema Islands chain) - 13.2 square kilometres in area and the largest of the islands; 200 permanent residents
- Dangan Dao
- Erzhou Dao
- Zhiwan Dao
- Xidan Dao (细担岛)
Pengjia Liedao (蓬佳列岛) (the southern group of Wanshan archipelago, and the western half of the former Lema Islands chain)
- Beijian Dao (北尖岛)
- Miaowan Dao - 1.46 kilometres in area with a small population of fishermen. Lighthouse on the island was built by the British in 1884
- Shan Zhou (杉洲)
- Wanzhou Dao (湾洲岛)
- Ping Zhou
Southwestern group, apparently without a general name
- Dawanshan Dao
- Xiaowanshan Dao
- Baili Dao (白沥岛)
- Dong'ao Dao - 4.62 square kilometres in area with population of 500
- Heng Zhou (横洲)
- Zhu zhou (竹洲)
- Gui zhou (贵洲)
- Dalie Dao
- Huangmao (黄茅岛)
Central group, apparently without a general name; located south of Lantau
- Wai Lingding Dao - 3.7 square kilometres in area and a tourist attraction with natural sites and temples
- Sanmen Liedao (三门列岛)
- Sanmen Dao (三门岛)
- Yuangang Dao (圆岗岛)
- Zhuwantou Dao
- Henggang Dao
- Aizhou Liedao (隘洲列岛)
- Ai Zhou (隘洲)
- Ai Zhou Zi (隘洲仔, i.e. "baby Aizhou")
Norhwestern group, apparently without a general name; located between Lantau and Macau
- Zhizhou Liedao
- Dazhi Dao
- Xiaozhi Dao
- Guishan - formerly PLA base from the 1950s
- Zhongxin Zhou
- Niutou Dao (牛头岛)
- Chitou Dao (赤滩岛)
- Sanjiao Dao
- Qing Zhou
- Sanjiao Zhou
- Daliu Dao (大碌岛)
- Datou Dao
Other geographically important points of interest:
- Lema Channel is a major waterway in the archipelgo.
- Dahengqin Dao is an island off Macau and not part of this archipelgo.
- Erzhou, rising to 437.7m above sea level, is the highest point in the archipelago
Population
There is a small local population. mostly in small fishing villages:
- Dan'gan
- Dan'ganwei
- Nacun
Economy
The archipelago's economy is mainly fisheries (crystal prawn, peeler crab). There is a growing tourism industry with a focus on history (Blundbuss Tower is a major attraction on Dong'ao Island), beaches, and the natural beauty of the islands. About 350,000 tourists visit the islands annually.
There is also potential for petroleum extraction in the waters off the islands.
Tourist Sites
- A-Ma Temple on Wanshan
- Floating Cobbles Bay - Wanshan
- Son-Soliciting Springs - Dong'ao
- Wen Tianxiang Park - Guishan
- Monument to the Martyrs of Guishan Warship - Guishan
- Xiafeng Bay - Miaowan
- Dan'gan Village - Dan'gan
Transportation
- Ferry service from Zhuhai to Guishan, Wai Lingding, Dan'gan, Dong'ao and Wanshan
- Fast/Slow Ferry service to Guishan, Wai Lingding, Xiangzhou
- Sightseeing Ferryboats from Zhuhai
See also
References
Notes
- ^ 山(Shan) literally means hills and mountains. Before the emerging of Modern China, 山 also refers to islands.
- ^ http://www.zhuhai.gov.cn/english/SurveyofRomanticZhuhai/Funtionzone/200708/t20070808_14741.htm
- ^ Xingzhu Ditu Chubanse (2007), p. 30 (Zhuhai)
Sources
- Aerial image of the islands (Google map)
- Wanshan Qundao
- Enjoying sunlight and sea in Zhuhai Islands
- The Atlas of Guangdong (广东省), published by 星珠地图出版社 (Xingzhu Ditu Chubanshe), 2007. ISBN 978-7-80212-086-0.
