Wailingding Island, a romantic seaside retreat

Whenever we watch TV series or movies, it’s pretty common to see scenes of lovers, embraced by the cozy sea breeze, sitting or strolling together along a beautiful beach while watching the sunset and chatting away.

两个人坐在海边、看日出、吹海风、聊聊天。面朝大海、春暖花开，简直不要太诗情画意。

We probably wish we could do the same with our other half at such romantic places, indulging in the sweet dream of being together forever.

However, most of the time we are fretting that places like this are millions of miles away and can only be reached during holidays.

But fret no longer, there is in fact a place within easy reach for those who live in Shenzhen. This place is called Wailingding Island and it is just 27.5 nautical miles from the city center of Zhuhai and only 70 minutes from Shekou by ferry.

而在深圳附近，也有一个这样的地方。这个地方是外伶仃岛，位于珠海市区27.5海里处。前两天，在深圳的蛇口开通了邮轮直达的线路。从蛇口出发，最快70分钟就可以到达。

Wailingding Island is located in the waters just southeast of Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai.

外伶仃岛位于珠海市香洲东南海域，是中国唯一能看到香港市区的海岛。

Talking about the island, there is a bit of sad story linked to its past. Wen Tianxiang, a scholar-general from the time of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was entering Lingdingyang Channel when he was captured by the invading Yuan armies of Kublai Khan in 1278. During the time he wrote the famous classic “Passing Lingdingyang.”

说起外伶仃岛，它还有一段伤心的故事：1278年文天祥在广东海丰被元军俘虏，因此进入了“伶仃洋”。最终在百感交集中，写下一首流传千古的七言律诗《过伶仃洋》。

Today, Wailingding Island has become a perfect place to escape from the crowds. The pristine natural beauty of the island, with its fine and soft sand and crystal-clear water, is on full display.

700多年后的今天，外伶仃岛已变成人们休闲娱乐的好去处。

The island remains undeveloped, with most of its residents living as simple fishermen. During the summer, you might glance upon the racks of drying fish the villagers have set up.

Unlike the suffocating concrete and steel jungles most of us live in, here you will only find tile-roof houses bleached by the baptism of time.

What to do for fun

Here, you can bicycle freely as there are no crowds to worry about. You can take photos at will without fretting about being stuck with a crowd behind you when taking your selfies or snapshots. As well, there are majestic dives to check out and mountain trails to explore.

What to eat

Wailingding Island’s “three treasures” are not to be missed. Sea urchins, dog paw sea snails and abalone are the island’s main specialties.

Transportation

On June 15, the ship route from Shekou to Wailingding Island officially started operations.

6月15日，蛇口至珠海外伶仃岛航线正式开航。

The ferry from Prince Bay Cruise Homeport to Wailingding Island departs at 10:10 a.m. every day while the ferry from Wailingding Island to Prince Bay Cruise Homeport departs at 11:45 a.m. every day.

开航航班10时10分于蛇口开航，70~80分钟抵达外伶仃；返程航班11时45分于外伶仃开航。航班日期为每天一班。