Saturday, September 13, 2008

Zhoushan Island

Zhoushan Island is the principal island of the namesake archipelago Zhoushan Islands, governed by Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, the People's Republic of China. Its name means "Boat Mountain", because its shape. It is the province's largest island, and China's third largest . The island is the district seats of both and Putuo.

Geography


At 30° N. 122° E., it lies northwest to southeast, and has a circumference of 170.16 km , with a maximum length of 44 km , and a maximum width of 18 km . Its area is 502.65 km? . At its closest point, it is 9.1 kilometres from the Chinese mainland. The tallest point is 503.6 metres.

The island is beautifully diversified with hill and dale, and well watered with numerous small streams, of which the most considerable is the Dongjiang, faffing into the harbour of Dinghai. There are several hundred ports around the islands, separated into three areas: Dinghai Port Zone, Shengjiamen Port Zone , and Laotangshan Port Zone . The tourism regions include the regions of Chengjiamen and Dinghai.

Subdivisions


440000 people, mostly , in 150000 households live in the following 17 subdivisions of Dinghai and Putuo Districts are on Zhoushan Island:



Tourism


The peak of Qinglong Mountain has a memorial tablet dedicated to revolutionary martyrs. Dinghai has a number of sites related to the Opium War:
* Opium War Memorial Park
* Temples of the Three Loyalists
* The Tablet of the Martyring Site of Lord Yao
* The Tablet of the Martyring Site of Mr. Li
* Zhengyuan Cannon Platform
* Daotou City

There also those about the - contention:
* Tonggui City
* The Well of Imperial Consort Yuan of King Lu

Other sites include:
* Zuyin Temple , from 940年
* San Mao Memorial Museum

Zhoushan

Zhoushan , formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang , People's Republic of China. The only prefecture-level city consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay, and is separated from the mainland by a narrow body of water.

Administration



The prefecture-level city of Zhoushan administers 2 and 2 .

*Dinghai District
*Putuo District, Zhoushan
*Daishan County
*Shengsi County

These are further divided into 45 , including 24 , 12 and 9 subdistricts.

History



The archipelago was inhabited 6,000 years ago during the Neolithic by people of the Hemudu culture. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhoushan was called Yongdong , referring to its location east of the Yong River, and belonged to the State of Yue.

The fishermen and sailors who inhabited the islands often engaged in piracy and became recruits for uprisings against the central authorities. At the time of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Zhoushan Islands served as the base for Sun En's rebellion. Sun En, an adherent of the sect Wudou Midao , launched his rebellion around the year 400 and was defeated by Jin forces in 402.

In 863, the Japanese Buddhist monks Hui'e and Zhang-shi of Putuoshan, Zhoushan placed a statue of Guanyin at Chaoying Cave that would later become popular tourist destination.

During the Ming dynasty, especially between the years 1530 and 1560, Japanese and Chinese pirates used Zhoushan as one of their principal bases from which they launched attacks as far as Nanjing; "the whole Chinese coast from northern Shandong to western Guangdong was ravaged to a distance of sixty miles inland."

After suppression of the pirates, Zhoushan became an important commercial entrep?t. Under the early dynasty, it played a similar role to and as a frequent port of call for Western traders. The restriction of all European trade to the port of Canton in 1760 forced Westerners to leave Zhoushan. One of the requests of 's embassy to emperor in 1793 was an acquisition of "a small unfortified island near Zhoushan for the residence of English traders, storage of goods, and outfitting of ships." Emperor Qianlong denied this request together with all the rest.

British forces under Captain Charles Elliott seized Zhoushan in the summer of 1840 during the First Opium War and evacuated it in early 1841, after Elliott reached an agreement with Qishan, the governor general of Tianjin and grand secretary to emperor Daoguang, in exchange for cession of Hong Kong. At that time, Zhoushan was a well known port while Hong Kong was only a fishing village. The British Foreign Secretary was famously livid when he learned that Elliott agreed to cession of Hong Kong while giving up Zhoushan. Elliott was dismissed in April 1841 for his blunder. His replacement led a British fleet that recaptured Zhoushan in late August 1841. The First Opium War ended with conclusion of the Treaty of Nanjing in which China opened up the cities of Canton, Fuzhou, Amoy, Ningbo, and Shanghai to residence by British subjects for the purpose of trade. As a result, Britain had no longer any use for Zhoushan but it kept the island until 1846 as a guarantee for the fulfilment of the stipulations of the treaty.

Zhoushan was also occupied by the British in 1860 .

In February 13, 1862, Wang Yijun of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping attempted overtake Zhoushan from forces, but died in the unsuccessful attempt.

Sun Yat-sen visited Zhoushan on August 25, 1916 and wrote ''Travelling to Putuo'' .

On October 1, 1942, the Japanese ''Lisbon Maru'' transported 1,800 POW back to Tokyo, but ''Lisbon Maru'' sank after being hit by a torpedo near Qingbing Island . 384 of the British POW overboard were rescued by the fishermen of Dongji Township nearby.

Administrative history


Today's Zhoushan city was made Wengshan District of Ming Prefecture in 738 . In 1073 , it was renamed Changguo . It was upgraded to a prefecture in early Yuan Dynasty, and changed to Dinghai District of Zhejiang Province in 1688 . It was upgraded to a direct-control subprefecture in 1841, but reverted to a county after the end of empire.

Under the Republic of China's rule, Dinghai County was, as during always in the Qing Dynasty, part of Zhejiang Province. However, Shengsi was separated into an Archipelago Direct-control District of Jiangsu Province in 1946, and made a county in October 1949. In that same year, the last year under rule of the Republic, the remaining Dinghai County was divided into Dinghai and Wengzhou Counties.

Zhoushan came to be under communist control on May 17, 1950, and Wengzhou was merged back into Dinghai County, which was then under Ningpo ''Zhuanqu'' .
Shengsi was made a ''tequ'' of Songjiang ''Zhuanqu'' , still of Jiangsu this year, and upgraded to a county the following year.

In March 1953, the Council of Ministers approved to divide Dinghai County into the counties of Dinghai, Putuo, and Daishan. In addition, Shengsi County was returned to Zhejiang, to be administered, with the three former Dinghai counties, as Zhoushan ''Zhuanqu'' of Zhejiang County of Ningpo ''Zhuanqu'' was briefly incorporated into Zhoushan from 1954 to 1958.

All subdivisions' county status abolished, the commission became a county of Ningpo ''Zhuanqu'' in 1958, and was reverted to a ''zhuanqu'' on its own in May 1962, and changed to a prefecture on 1967 .

Shengsi was temporarily assigned to Shanghai in the early 1960s. Created in 1962, the short-lived Daqu County was halved into parts of Daishan and Shengsi four years later.

The prefecture-level city status was granted on January 27, 1987 to Zhoushan, and Dinghai and Putuo Counties were upgraded to districts. The municipal People's Government was established on March 8 of that year. April of the same year, the ports of Zhoushan became open to foreign ships. On April 10, 1988, it became a coastal economic open zone.

Geography



The Zhoushan Archipelago, comprised 1,390 islands and 3,306 reefs, is located outside Hangzhou Bay. It is the largest archipelago of China . Among these islands, 103 are inhabited all year round, 58 are larger than 1 km?; , and only 15 have populations over 10,000. The larger islands, mostly closer together in southern part of the archipelago, include:



Zhoushan includes 20,800 km? of marine territory, but only 1440.12 km? of land, 183.19 km? of which are submerged at high tides. It is 182 km east-east and 169 km north-south. It is heavily populated, but now has little farms.

Demographics



As of late 2001, there are 981,014 people in 351,224 households, with a birthrate of 6.34‰ and death rate of 6.37‰, and population growth rate of -0.03‰ . Population density was 683 persons per km?, which is one time higher than provincial average and six times national average. There are 100,000 overseas Zhoushan people.

Notable people



* , founder of several major companies
*Great Monk Guoru , a National Monk under Cixi
*The Great Lord of Yang Estate , a local fisherman who rescued many later deified in a small temple in Daishan
*Liu Hongsheng businessman and politician
* ,famous Taiwanese writer
*Wang Xipeng , high-ranking official died in a fight against the British
*Yang Jingjuan , famous female communist
*Ying Yao , a martial official who has a biography in ''Song Shi''

Sister City


Zhoushan is the sister city of the San Francisco Bay Area port city of Richmond, California.

Zhifu Island

Zhifu Island , or North Island , is an islet with historical significance in Shandong, China. The name of the islet -- Chefoo -- was generalized to mean the entire Yantai region in older western literature.



* Area: 11.5
* Coast line: 22.5 km
* Average temperature: 11.40-13.50°C


Administratively, Zhifu Island is a part of Dàtuǎn Village , Xingfu Sub-district, Zhifu District, Yantai City, Shandong Province. Dàtuǎn has a part on the mainland, where the offices and most residents are.

Geography


Located in Bohai Sea, the island is 4 from Downtown Zhifu and is 10 km x 1 km. Part of Public Road No. 26 connects the western end of the island and the north part of the mainland peninsula. Originally, the island was disconnected from the mainland, but for a period of millennium of years, the sand and soil in the ocean floor built up a 600-metre wide pathway. Thus the island is called the "Mainland-connecting Island" in Chinese ; it could even be considered a small peninsula.

The island's largest mountain is Laoye Mountain at 294.1m. The Old Lady Stone is on a cliff, at 43.49 metres above sea level, named because of its resemblance to a woman hugging the ocean waves. The southern part of the island is forested.

History


Archeological exhibitions discovered over 200 artifacts, including stone axes, and short axes , pottery fragments, bone needles, and bone hairpin. These and Carbon-14 dating indicated that the island has been settled since the Neolithic period.

People were buried here during the Zhou Dynasty, including Lord Kang of Qi State , who died on the island. The ruins of the cemetery still exist today. Lord Yang Temple was built during the early Zhou Dynasty by the State of Qí to worship Lord Yang, the fifth deity of the Eight Divine Generals .

Because of a legend of a Mountain of Immortality, Qin Shi Huang visited the island three times looking for the elixir. He left a couple of stone inscriptions still visible today:
* During his second visit in 218 BC, he left the inscription: "Arrived at Fu, and carved the stone" .
* The last time , "Came to Fu, saw enormous stone, and shot one fish" .
Today, there are places like Shihuang Way , and Fish-shooting Tower named after the emperor. Having failed to discover the elixir, he sent a Xu Fu off the mainland from Yantai, to sail away and find the elixir of life with hundreds of men and women.

After performing a ceremony in the Yangzhu Temple, also left an inscription in 94 BC: "Arrived at Zhifu, which floats on Great Ocean. Mountains call out 'Ten thousand years!" .

Now, the island is mainly a tourist attraction, although clams and abalones can be fished here in abundance.

Etymologies


Possibilities include:
# "A Barrier in the Shape of a Magical Plant"
#* ''Zhi'' is a magical and powerful plant, which the island's shape resembles
#* ''Fu'' a barrier of ocean
# A magical mountain name
#* From Qin Dynasty's Zhifu , officially changed to the present character in late Qing Dynasty.

Zhenbao Island

Zhenbao Island or Damansky Island is a small island of in the Ussuri River on the border between Russia and the People's Republic of China . It was the subject of a territorial dispute between the Soviet Union and the PRC. On May 19, 1991, the two sides came to agreement that the island belongs to the PRC.

Battles with considerable loss of life were fought by the Soviet Union and the PRC over this island during the Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969. In total, the Soviet forces claimed that the Chinese suffered 800 casualties while the Soviets only had 60 killed or wounded; the Chinese claim to have suffered only a few casualties, far less than Soviet losses. At the time, there were almost one and a half million troops deployed along the border.

A Soviet documentary movie ''Damansky Island. Year 1969.'' was made interviewing participants and leaders from both sides.

Zha Xi Island

Zha Xi Island is a small island in the middle of Lake Basum Tso a green salt water lake approximately 300 km east of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.There are many large stones on Zha Xi Island and each big stone is a symbol of a different Bodhisattva.

Yinlong Island

Yinlong Island is a sedimentary island at the confluence of the and Amur rivers in . The island has an area of between 50 and 100 km?. It is bounded closely by Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island.

Until 2008 Yinalong Island and its neighbouring islands were the site of a territorial dispute between China and Russia. Russia occupied the islands in 1929. However this was never accepted by China. While Russia governed the islands as a part of Khabarovsk Krai, China claimed them as a part of Fuyuan County, Heilongjiang province.

The dispute over Yinlong Island and its neighbouring islands weas finally resolved on July 21 2008. On that day the Foreign Ministers of the two countries signed an agreement in Beijing. Under the agreement, Russia ceded approximately 174 km? of territory to China. This comprised all of Yinalong Island and approximately half of the larger Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. At the time of the territory transfer, Yinalong Island was largely uninhabited. The settlement of their border dispute followed over 40 years of negotiations. The final settlement was the result of the which was concluded on June 2 2005.

Yinalong Island and the surrounding islands are the most eastern part of China and are the first place on mainland China to see sunlight.
Some news reports suggest that China is considering developing tourism on Yinalong Island.

Yijiangshan Islands

The Yijiangshan Islands are two small islands eight miles from the Tachen group, located between Shanghai and Keelung in the Taiwan Strait. On January 20, 1955 it was captured by the People's Liberation Army from Republic of China Nationalist forces in the Battle of Yijiangshan even as the U.S. Seventh Fleet was patrolling nearby.

Yangshan

The Yangshan deep-water port is a new port in Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai, at . Built to circumvent growth limitations for the Port of Shanghai as a result of shallow waters, it allows berths with depths of up to 15 metres to be built, and is capable of handling the largest container ships today. The port achieves this by building on the offshore islands of Greater and Lesser Yangshan , which have been amalgamated by land reclamation and connected to the mainland via the Donghai Bridge, the latter of which was opened on 1 December 2005 as the third-longest bridge in the world at 32.5 km in length.

Berths


In 2000/2001, the decision was made to commence construction on the first of four phases. The first two phases are currently operational, with nine berths in total along a 3 km quayside. The first phase, which commenced operations in 2004, can accommodate 2.2 million containers annually and includes 10 quay cranes. The second phase was opened in December 2006, and comprises 72 hectares with 15 quay cranes.

The third phase, to be opened in stages, will be completed by 2010 with seven berths, with phase 3A scheduled to be opened by the end of 2007. When fully completed in 2012, the port will have four phases in operation with 30 berths capable of handling 15 million s annually.

Cost


The total cost of Yangshan port may reach US$ 12 billion over 20 years

Abagaitu Islet

Abagaitu Islet is an islet in the Argun River forming the border between the People's Republic of China and Russia.

The island was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1929, a move not accepted by China, resulting in a border dispute that lasted more than seventy years.

On October 14, 2004, the Complementary Agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the China-Russia Boundary was signed, in which Russia agreed to relinquish control over Abagaitu Islet. In 2005, the Russian Duma and the Chinese National People's Congress approved the agreement.

Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island

Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island , or Heixiazi Island , is a sedimentary island at the confluence of the and Amur rivers, along the border between the People's Republic of China and Russia. Its area is about 327 to 350 km?. It is bounded closely by Yinlong Island, or Tarabarov Island, and over ninety islets . Its position at the confluence of the Amur and the Ussuri and right next to the major Russian city of Khabarovsk, has given it great strategic importance.

Until 2004, Bolshoy Ussuriyskiy Island was the site of a territorial dispute between China and Russia. The Soviet Union occupied Bolshoy Ussuriyskiy and Yinlong Islands in 1929, but this had not been accepted by China. While Russia governed the islands as a part of Khabarovsk Krai, China claimed them as a part of Fuyuan County, Heilongjiang province, and the easternmost part of China.

On October 14, 2004, the Complementary Agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation on the Eastern Section of the China-Russia Boundary was signed, in which Russia agreed to relinquish control over Yinlong Island and around half of Bolshoy Ussuriysky. In return, China agreed to drop all territorial claims to the remainder of Bolshoy Ussuriysky kept by Russia. In 2005, the Russian Duma and the Chinese National People's Congress approved the agreement. On July 21, 2008, an agreement was signed in Beijing by the Chinese and Russian Foreign Ministers, that finalized the border demarcation and formally ended negotiations. Under the agreement, Russia will transfer approximately 174 km? of territory to China. The area being transferred to China is largely uninhabited.

The agreement has not met complete approval on either side of the border. In May 2005, Cossacks in Khabarovsk demonstrated against the loss of half of Bolshoy Ussuriysky. In return, some Chinese commentators, especially the media in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas which are outside the control of PRC government censorship, criticized the PRC government for signing the agreement, which they regarded as sealing as permanent the loss of former Chinese territory, such as Outer Manchuria, to Russia.

The government of the Republic of China has never recognized border treaties signed by the PRC or any other countries. Therefore Taiwan still formally claims all parts of the Heixiazi Islands.

Changdao County

Demographics


Ten of the islands are occupied, and there are twenty-two uninhabited islands, some little more than sand spits. There is one large town, Touji Town , population 8,495; and seven smaller towns with forty villages, with a total population in the county of 52,000.

Economy


The major occupation is marine farming, producing products such as sea cucumbers, abalone, sea urchins, bivalves, kelp, scallops, and even fish. Tourism is also important; many of the villages sport resort hotels.

Transportation


The islands are regularly served by a ferry from Penglai. There is a small military airport on the largest island, Changdao Island.

Tourism


Both Changdao National Forest Park and Changdao National Nature Reserve are located on the islands, which are on a cross-Bohai Sea flyway.

The islands are often referred to as the Temple Islands because of the large number of temples that were built there. Xianying Palace is a temple that was built during the Northern Song Dynasty, starting in 1122. It was originally a Taoist temple to the sea goddess , but became Buddhist later. At the present time the local government has restored the temple to its Ming Dynasty appearance, although many additions had been made during the .

Changdao Island is closed to non-Chinese nationals. Westerners found on the island are swiftly taken to the passenger ferry terminal and placed on the next ferry back to Penglai by the islands Police service. Islanders promptly report all "outsiders" to the islands police service. '''' Police explain the reasons for this, due to the high number of military installations on the Island.

Chongming County

Chongming County is the only under the jurisdiction of Shanghai, China. The county consists of three main islands: Chongming Island ; Changxing Island; and Hengsha Island. These are low-lying alluvial islands in the mouth of the Yangtze River. With an area of 1041 km? Chongming Island is the second largest island in the People's Republic of China after Hainan. The island first emerged in 618 due to a change in the water level of the river.


Once the most rural area of Shanghai, it is now the subject of a major urban and agricultural master-plan led by Philip Enquist of . With the construction of a trans- tunnel, the island is expected to increase in population while incorporating specialized agriculture in a sustainable design. It is also a major relocation centre for migrants from Three Gorges Dam area. Chongming has an area of 1041.38 km? and a population of 694,600 as of 2001. The city of Dongtan is currently being planned in this county.

Chong Ming National Forest Park is also located there.

Dachen Archipelago

The Dachen Archipelago or Dachen Islands or Taizhou Islands , formerly known as Tachen Islands is an archipelago of Jiaojiang District of Taizhou, Zhejiang strategically located in the Gulf of Taizhou, Zhejiang, off the coast of Zhejiang, the People's Republic of China. The archipelago is sandwiched between Zhoushan in the north and the Southern Muntjac Archipelago in the south, and it is located 52 km from Jiaojiang District, which it administratively belongs to. Dachen Archipelago is consisted of a total 29 islands, islets, and rocks, totaling 14.6 square km. It was the capital of Chekiang Province, Republic of China government-in-exile from 1951 to 1955.

Fishing industry had long been the backbone of the local economy and the region was one of the largest of the Chinese class II fisheries. However, after decades of over fishing, the natural resources were depleted and as a result, most of the local population was force to migrate to the mainland in the late-1980’s and the local populace experienced a drastic decrease to a fraction of what it once was. To compensate for the depletion of natural resources, aquaculture has become prosperous and the archipelago is currently one of the largest aquaculture bases in the region. However, due to the adaptation of advanced technology which significantly reduced the need of manual labor, the local population has not recovered to its peak level despite the income generated has already been higher than that of the traditional fishery peak in the past, and in fact, the current local population was not much higher than the lowest point in the late-1980’s.

To diversify the local economy, tourism had become another major source of income. The annual average temperature is 16.7°C, and the climate was the typical subtropical climate. The forest coverage rate is greater than 56% and it is the provincial level forest park. Due to the forces of nature such as that of tides and winds, there are many spectacular sceneries and the archipelago is called the Chinese Number One Oceanic Penjing . Another tourist attraction was the military fortifications left behind by the s during the Chinese Civil War in the post-World War II era, because the archipelago was the site of the Battle of Dachen Archipelago in the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.

Dashandao

Dashandao Island("达山岛"),(AKA "达念山岛", "Qingbujiao"

Dashandao is located 28 nautical mile from Lianyungang, and it belongs to the Qiansandao Town of Lianyungang city. The island has an area of 0.115 km?, and is one of the islands in the Qiansandao Islands.
Qiansandao produces world famous pearl, and is visited by 150 000 tourists per year.

Dashandao is the baseline point of the Chinese territorial sea.

In 2006, PLA erected the Territorial sea steles on Dashandao.

Notes & References

Dongnanjiao

Dongnanjiao Island("东南礁"), .
Dongnanjiao locates in northeast corner of Zhoushanqundao ,76km from Shengsi County。 it belongs to the Shengsi County of Zhoushan city.
Dongnanjiao is the baseline point of the Chinese territorial sea.

Notes & References

Gulangyu Island

A tourist island off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian province in southern China, about one km2 in area.

Administration


In October 1999, Gulangyu became one of the first four districts of Xiamen City. However, in May 2003, Gulangyu District was absorbed into the larger Siming District .

History


The island became a foreign enclave following the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, hence the predominantly Victorian-era style architecture throughout the island, of which many were offices and residences of Consulate-Generals, as well as that of the thriving expatriate business community. The Fujian dialect Min Nan is spoken on the island.

Attractions




As a place of residence for Westerners during Xiamen's colonial past, Gulangyu is famous for its architecture and for hosting China's only piano museum, giving it the nickname of "Piano Island" or "The Town of Pianos" or "The Island of Music" . There are over 200 pianos on this island.

The Chinese name also has musical roots, as ''gu lang'' means ''drum waves'' so-called because of the sound generated by the ocean waves hitting the reefs. ''Yu'' means "islet".

In addition, there is a museum dedicated to Koxinga, Haidi Shijie Marine World, a subtropical garden containing plants introduced by overseas Chinese, as well as Xiamen Museum, formerly the Eight Diagrams Tower .

The island of Gulangyu is a pedestrian only destination, where the only vehicles on the islands are several fire trucks and passenger transport vehicles. The narrow streets on the island, together with the architecture of various styles around the world, gives the island a unique appearance.

Transportation




Gulangyu is connected to the main Xiamen island by ferry.

Haijiao

Haijiao (海礁), also known as Tong Island , Taibujiao or Taijiao , is located at 30°44'6"N, 123°9'24"E in the northeast corner of Zhoushanqundao and belongs to Shengsi County of Zhoushan city. The name Haijiao literally means 'the ocean reef', and its generally accepted cartographic name of Taijiao literally means 'the extreme reef', a reference to its isolated position on the edge of China's maritime territory. It is a baseline point of China's territorial seas.

Notes & References

Jintang Island

Jintang Island is an island in the Zhoushan prefecture-level city in China's northeastern Zhejiang . It has a population of about 41700.

It is one of the closest islands to the continental shore of Zhejiang, being only 3.6 km from the southern Ningbo Beilun port and 6.25km from the eastern Zhoushan Island.

It is most famous for the production of Jintang Plums , a local fruit. The fruit has received a number of awards and accolades, earning a Zhejiang Province High Quality Agricultural Product Exhibition Silver Award in 1998 and subsequently a Gold Award in 1999 when the island was also conferred the namesake of "Jintang Plum Township " by the provincial government.

Jintang Island coastal waters produce a large number of marine products, such as squid, cuttlefish, fish, and more.

Xihoumen Bridge



The 5.3-kilometer-long Xihoumen Bridge, linking Jintang and Cezi, two major islands of the archipelago, will be a suspension bridge consisting of a 2.6-kilometer sea-crossing bridge and 2.7-kilometer side joint sections on both ends, costing 2.48 billion yuan . It will allow the passage of ships of 30,000 dead weight tonnage.

Jintang Bridge


The Jintang Bridge, linking Jintang Island and Zhenhai , will be 27 kilometers long. The 7-billion-yuan project consists of an 18.5-kilometer sea bridge and joint sections totaling 8.5 kilometers.

In 27 March 2008, there has been an accident involving a that hit the bridge construction site. Two pieces of reinforced concrete from the bridge weighing 3000 tons each got stuck in the cockpit of the freighter, which was moving at a fast pace. The accident will result in further delay to the completion of its construction.

There are plans by a - consortium to build an archimedes bridge in the 3,300m Jintang strait.

is also planning to build a proposed 12 container berths worth 10 billion yuan in future at Jintang Island in anticipation of fierce competition from Shanghai's .

Junshan

Junshan , is an island in Hunan province in China on Dongting Lake. It is only 1 kilometre in width but was formerly a Daoist retreat.

Kutsuzov

Kutsuzov is the largest island along the Ussuri River, a disputed region along the Russian and border. Under former possession it was known as Daxitong dao. Control was transferred to the Soviet Union by the government of Manchukuo. Under the terms of the agreement, the island remained in Russia's possession with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Republic of China does not recognize this and other transfers to the USSR or Russia since 1931.

Langhuajiao

Langhuajiao Island,is one island of Paracel Islands,also called "Pengbojiao".
There is Chinese lighthouse on it.
People call it "Qilianyu" together with six other islands close by. It is open to tourists.
There is temple ruin of Ming dynasty on the islands. It is patrolled by Chinese border police.

Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the baselines of the territorial sea(May15th, 1996)

4 points on Zhaoshudao are the baseline points of the Chinese territorial sea.

# Langhuajiao(1)16? 04·4'N112? 35·8'E
# Langhuajiao(2)16? 01·9'N112? 32·7'E
# Langhuajiao(3)16? 01·5'N112? 31·8'E
# Langhuajiao(4)16? 01·0'N112? 29·8'E

Notes & References

Liangxiongdiyu

Liangxiongdiyu Island("两兄弟屿"), .
Liangxiongdiyu locates 67Km northeast of Shenjiamen . It belongs to the Dongji Town of Zhoushan city.
Liangxiongdiyu is the baseline point of the Chinese territorial sea.
2006, The stele of "Chinese territorial sea baseline point" erected.

Notes & References

Liugong Island

Liugong Island is a small island
located on the northeastern edge of Shandong Peninsula, China at the mouth of Weihai Bay. It is known as the "birthplace of China's first navy".

Geography


Liugong Island is located about 4 kilometers from the city of Weihai. It has an area 3.15 square kilometers, with a maximum length of 4.08 kilometers and a maximum width of 1.5 kilometers. The coastline has a total length of 14.93 kilometers. In general, the terrain of the island slopes down from the north to the south. With an altitude of 153 meters, Qiding Mountain, is the highest point of the island. Its northern slope is made up of cliffs, whereas the southern side of the hill slopes down more gently.

More than half the of island's area is covered by forest, predominantly consisting of black pine trees. The forest is protected by a national forestry park.

History



Archaeological evidence suggests that the island has been inhabited at least from the Warring States Period onwards. During the times of the Han Dynasty, the island was settled by members of the Liu family which resulted in the present-day name.

The use of the island was subject to several changes during the Ming Dynasty: At first, all inhabitants left the island because of pirate threats. During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor, a rebel force led by Xian Wang sought refuge on the island, but the rebellion was put down shortly thereafter. Towards the end of the reign of the Wanli Emperor, settlers were recruited to re-cultivate the island. They were guarded against pirate attacks by a detachment of troops. Subsequently, a rise in shipping activities between the north and the south of China brought prosperity and an
increase in population to the island.

In 1663, the island's population was evacuated yet again, this time in response to the outbreak of an epidemic. 27 years later, in 1690, the island was resettled by three families . In 1703, the island was chosen as the base for another rebel force, but again the rebellion was short-lived.


During the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, the Beiyang Fleet was founded as China's first modern navy and a telegraph center, a naval academy, and the headquarter of the Beiyang Naval Units were set up on Liugong Island. This resulted in the construction of many facilities and an increase in the island's population. 8 out of 15 modern warships which were bought from the United Kingdom and Germany where assigned to the Beiyang Fleet. On September 14 1888, Ding Ruchang was given the command of the Beiyang Fleet. From
1887 onwards, more than 100 cannons were setup up around the harbor of Weihai as well as on the islands of Liugong and Ri. Eventually, Ding Ruchang made Liugong Island his official residence. A t-shaped dock, known as the "iron dock" was constructed in the years 1889 to 1891.

During the First Sino-Japanese War, the Beiyang Fleet suffered a crushing defeat and in the spring of 1895, the island was occupied by Japanese forces. Ding Ruchang committed suicide. The Japanese occupation lasted for about 3 years. In 1898, the United Kingdom bought the island off the Japanese and agreed to hand it back to China after 25 years of use or when the Russians left the nearby . Local Chinese were recruited into a British regiment but the island was not fortified. The Royal Navy established a base on Liugong Island occupying and extending the existing facilities. Residences, hospitals, churches, tea houses, a sport ground, a post office, and navy cemeteries were constructed as part of the British development of the area. When the Russians left Port Arthur in 1905, the terms of the lease meant Britain should return the island to China. Britain re-negotiated the lease with the Chinese to counter a new German presence in the area. Weihaiwei was returned to the Republic of China in 1930, after which it was a . The Chinese government allowed the Royal Navy to continue to use the naval base for another ten years, but this was cut short when Japan invaded in 1938. In 1949, the island was occupied by the People's Liberation Army.

Macaiheng

Macaiheng Island("麻菜珩"),, is a small sand island locates in the East China Sea adjacent Jiangsu, there is Waikejiao close by.

Macaiheng is one of the baseline point of the Chinese territorial sea.

Notes & References

Peach Blossom Island

Peach Blossom Island is an island in Zhejiang Province, East China. It is often praised for its beauty.

It is most famous in the Greater China area mainly because of a novel entitled ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'', created by Jinyong, in which the island is a mysterious, beautiful island filled with peach blossoms and secluded from the outside world.

Meizhou Island

Meizhou Island is close to the shore of Putian, Fujian, China. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the goddess . Meizhou has 38,000 inhabitants, most of which have traditionally been in fishery.

Meizhou Island is entirely under Meizhou that is divided into 11 villages:
* Gaozhu
* Xiashan "Downhill"
* Lianche " Pond"
* Beidai "North Dam"
* Dongcai "The East s"
* Xiting "The Western Pavilion"
* Ganglou "The Tower by the Port"
* Xaixia
* Dayang "Great Ocean"
* 3 more

Meizhou Township is a sub-organization of Putian Municipality.

Geography



In the northern part of the mouth of Meizhou Bay, Meizhou Island is 14.35 , 9.6 north-south, and 1.3 km east-west. The beach is 20-km.

History



In June 1988, Meizhou became an open provincial tourism economic region . And in April 1992, Taiwanese were allowed to have landing s on the island, and in October of the same year, it became a national tourism-vacation region . In October 1999, the island is formally opened to foreign nations.

Annually, 100,000 Taiwanese pilgrims come to Meizhou to see the place where Matsu once lived. Some pilgrims make the visit every year. A celebration takes place in October, with 1,200 attending.

Tourist attractions



The Heavenly Empress Palace-Meizhou Ancestral Temple started as a small shrine soon after Matsu's death in the 10th century. It is now renovated and greatly enlarged to accommodate the pilgrims.

Senkaku Islands

The , also known as Diàoyútái Qúndǎo , or the Pinnacle Islands, are a group of , uninhabited islands currently controlled by Japan, but also claimed by the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. The islands are located roughly northeast of Taiwan, due west of Okinawa, and due north of the end of the Ryukyu Islands in the East China Sea.

Their status has emerged as a major issue in and . Japanese government regards these islands as a part of Okinawa prefecture. While the has affected efforts to demonstrate Chinese sovereignty over the islands, both governments agree that the islands are part of Taiwan province.

Naming


Diaoyutai Islands


The first recorded naming of the islands dated back to the Ming Dynasty of China in books such as ''Voyage with the Tail Wind'' , ''Journey to Ryu Kyu'' . The Chinese Imperial Map of the Ming Dynasty also used Diaoyudao Islands.

The name for the island group and the name for the main island both literally mean "Angling".

Pinnacle Islands


In the 19th century, the Pinnacle Islands or Pinnacle Group was an English-language name used for the rocks adjacent to, but not including, the largest island ''Uotsuri Jima''/''Diaoyu Dao'' . Neither ''Kuba Jima''/''Huangwei Yu'' nor ''Taishō Jima''/''Chiwei Yu'' were part of the Pinnacle Islands either.



However, in recent years the name "Pinnacle Islands" has come to be used to refer to the entire island group, as an English-language equivalent to "Diaoyu" or "Senkaku".



Senkaku Islands


In the late 19th century, and were translations used for these "Pinnacle Islands" by various Japanese sources. Subsequently, the entire island group came to be called ''Senkaku Rettō'', which later evolved into ''Senkaku Shotō''.


Geography


* Total islands area:
* Population: 0
* Geographic coordinates: 25°58' - 25°41'45" N, 123°27'45" - 124°41'30" E around

The islands group


The islands sit on the edge of the continental shelf of mainland Asia, and are separated from the Ryukyu Islands by a sea trench.
Japan argues that these islets are part of the Ryukyu Islands. They are north of Ishigaki Island, Japan; northeast of Keelung, Taiwan; and west of Okinawa Island.

The group is made up of five small non-volcanic islands:

Uotsuri Jima/Diaoyu Dao


Uotsuri Jima or Diaoyudao is the largest island of the Senkaku Islands. The Island located at has an area of 4,3 km? and a highest elevation of 383m .

Uotsuri jima has a number of species such as the Senkaku mole and ''Okinawa-kuro-oo-ari'' ant, but these have become threatened by that were introduced to the island in 1978 and whose population has increased to over 300 since that time.



Kuba Jima/Huangwei Yu


Kuba Jima or Huangwei Yu is located at has an area of and a highest elevation of .

Taishō Jima/Chiwei Yu


Taishō Jima or Chiwei Yu is located at has an area of and a highest elevation of . Both the People's Republic of China and Republic of China claim it as their easternmost island.

:The US Navy used Kuba Jima/Huangwei Yu and Taisho Jima/Chiwei Yu as maneuver areas after World War II.

Kita Kojima/Bei Xiaodao


Kita Kojima or Bei Xiaodao is located at
and has an area of 0.31 km? and a highest elevation of 125 m .

Nan Xiaodao/Minami Kojima


Minami Kojima or Nan Xiaodao is located at and has an area of 0.40 km? and a highest elevation of 139 m .

Minami Kojima is one of the few breeding places of the rare Short-tailed Albatross.

Other islands


There are also three larger rocks:

*
*
* , highest elevation 2m

Territorial dispute




The islands are currently administered by Japan as a part of , . According to both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan , the islands are part of Taiwan Province .

Beginning of the dispute


From the end of World War II until 1972, the United States occupied Okinawa, and controlled the disputed islands. In 1971, the US expressed its intention to hand over the occupied territories, including the disputed islands, to Japan. In response, both the PRC and ROC governments protested and reiterated their sovereignty over the islands. The ROC made the official announcement on June 11, 1971, followed by the PRC on December 30. Despite the Chinese protests, the United States handed over the disputed islands to Japan in 1972. However, the US has not taken a definitive position on the sovereignty of the territory, treating the islands only as Japan's "administrative territory". The dispute appears to date from the 1968 announcement by two Japanese scientists that there may be large reservoirs of oil under the continental shelf below the islands. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea gives a 200 nautical mile "exclusive economic zone" and sovereignty over the seabed resources therein, meaning that whoever owned the Senkakus would gain economic control over important seabed resources.

Chinese claims


The Chinese claim to Senkaku Islands, in brief, proceeds as follows: the islands were known to the Chinese at least since the Ming Dynasty, and were controlled by the Qing Dynasty along with Taiwan; they were ceded to Japan under an in 1895 along with Taiwan; Between 1895 and 1945, Japan administered the islands as part of Taiwan; Unequal Treaties are null and void; and in any case sovereignty to the disputed islands was returned to China along with Taiwan in 1945. It should be noted that well after WWII the Chinese referred to the islands as belonging to Japan. For example, a Nov 1953 Renmin Ribao article on the "Ryukyun People's Struggle Against US Occupation" has an opening sentence that refers to "the Senkakus," using the Chinese version of the Japanese name and identifying them as part of Japan. As late as 1969 maps from China showed the Senkakus as Japanese. Similarly, before 1969 maps issued from Taipei either ignore the islands or depict them as lying outside Republic of China sovereignty.

Ming Dynasty claim


China claims that the islands were within the Ming Dynasty's sea-defense area and are a part of Taiwan. According to the Chinese, China's sovereignty over the islands is dated to early 15th century, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. The name ''Diaoyutai'' first appeared in 1403 in the Chinese book ''Voyage with the Tail Wind'' , which recorded the names of the islands that voyagers had passed on a trip from Fujian to the Ryukyu Kingdom. By 1534, all the major islets of the island group had been identified and named in the book ''Record of the Imperial Envoy to Ryukyu''.

Unequal Treaties


After losing the First Sino-Japanese War, China signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki on 17 April, 1895. This ceded Taiwan and its surrounding islands to Japan. The Chinese governments see the disputed islands as having been included in the islands ceded to Japan by the treaty, because of the historical evidence discussed above, even though the Treaty did not explicitly enumerate all the islands ceded under it.

On this basis, they argue for Chinese sovereignty over the islands for two reasons. First, that all the Unequal Treaties are null and void and thus the islands are still part of of China. Secondly, that since the disputed islands were ceded along with Taiwan in 1895, therefore when Japan returned to China all territories it had obtained from China since the First Sino-Japanese War at the end of World War II, the disputed islands were returned along with Taiwan to China.

Tokyo court ruling


China also asserted that in 1944, the Tokyo court ruled that the islands were part of Taihoku Prefecture , following a dispute between Okinawa Prefecture and Taihoku Prefecture. However, the assertion was solely based on a "claim" by the president of the fishermen's association of Keelung city in 4 August, 1971. The primary source of this paragraph can be found in the journal "Modern China Studies", Issue 1, 1997 . .

Japanese claims


The Japanese claim to the islands briefly proceeds as follows: the islands were not inhabited up to 1895; several months before the cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty to Japan, Japan had already claimed and incorporated the islands into Japanese territory; as a result, the islands remained Japanese territory and were not affected by the retro-cession of Taiwan in 1945; though the islands were controlled by the United States as occupying power between 1945 and 1972, Japan has since 1972 exercised sovereignty over the islands. According to Japanese government, PRC and ROC have come to claim the sovereignty since a submarine oil field was discovered near these islands.

Formal incorporation


Japan claims that after the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government conducted surveys of the islands beginning in 1885 confirming no evidence that the uninhabited islands had been under Chinese control, though this conflicts with the earlier Chinese claim of the islands during the Qing Dynasty. At the time of this survey, Japan did not formally declare a claim to the islands. Instead, it waited until January 14, 1895, during the middle of the First Sino-Japanese War, to do this. Just three months before its military victory in the war and the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan erected a marker on the islands to formally incorporate them as its territory. This decision was not made public until 1950, however. Four of the islands were subsequently borrowed and developed by the Koga family with the permission of the Japanese government.

History of Ming


Japanese scholars claim that neither China nor had recognized sovereignty over the uninhabited islands. Therefore, they claim that Chinese documents only prove that Kumejima, the first inhabited island reached by the Chinese, belonged to Okinawa. Kentaro Serita of Kobe University points out that the official history book of the Ming Dynasty compiled during the Qing Dynasty, called the ''History of Ming'' , describes Taiwan in the "Stories of Foreign Countries" . Thus, China did not control the Senkaku Islands or Taiwan during the Ming Dynasty. The contrary viewpoint is that this evidence goes only to verify the fact that the early Qing Dynasty saw Taiwan and its surrounding islands as outside its territory. For 39 years between the end of the Ming Dynasty and the conquest of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was indeed ruled by a separate regime, the Kingdom of Tungning which swore loyalty to the Ming. Such evidence is thus not relevant to the Qing Dynasty's attitude towards the islands after its conquest of Taiwan.

A Letter from a Chinese Diplomat


In a letter sent to Japanese fishermen, who rescued a number of shipwrecked Chinese in 1920, a Chinese Consul in Nagasaki, representing the Beiyang Government, a warlord regime, referred to the islands as "Senkaku Islands, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture, the Empire of Japan". Both the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China point out that such arguments lend no value to Japan's claim post-1945.

United States occupation


Japan claims that after World War II, the islands came under the United States occupation of Okinawa. During this period, the United States and the Ryūkyū Government administered the islands and the US Navy even used Kuba-jima and Taisho-jima as maneuver areas. In 1972, sovereignty over Okinawa, and arguably the surrounding islands, was handed back to Japan as part of the termination of United States Military Government jurisdiction over the Article 3 territories of the Treaty of San Francisco.

Recent developments


*1978: The Japan Youth Association set up a lighthouse on the main island.
*July 14, 1996: The Japan Youth Association builds a 5 m high, solar-powered, aluminum lighthouse on another island.
*September 14, 1996: a US State Department spokesman referred to the US's neutral position on the Senkaku Islands issue.
*September 26, 1996: David Chan , a Hong Kong protester, drowns near the islets, after leaping off one of the protest vessels with several companions with the object of symbolizing Chinese claim of sovereignty.
*October 7, 1996: Protesters plant the flags of the and the on the main island, but are later removed by the Japanese.
* April 09, 1999: US Ambassador to Japan Thomas S. Foley said "we are not, as far as I understand, taking a specific position in the dispute.... we do not assume that there will be any reason to engage the security treaty in any immediate sense."
*April 2002: The Japanese government leased Uotsuri and other islands from the purported private owners.
*March 24, 2004: A group of Chinese activists from the PRC planned to stay on the Islands for three days. The seven people who landed on the islands were arrested by the Japanese for illegal entry. The Japanese Foreign Ministry forwarded a complaint to the PRC government, but the PRC in turn demanded the release of the activists. They were then sent to Japan and deported from there. Japan subsequently stated that it would prohibit anybody from landing on the islands without prior permission.
*March 24, 2004: Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman at the US State Department said "The U.S. does not take a position on the question of the ultimate sovereignty of the Senkaku Diaoyu Islands."
*February 2005: Japan planned to take ownership of a privately-owned lighthouse on Uotsuri, after it was offered to them by the owner, a fisherman living on Ishigaki, Okinawa. The lighthouse is expected to be managed by the Japanese Coast Guard.
*February 10, 2005: On Voice of America, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton said that Japan's new assertiveness is in line with the desires of many Japanese politicians to take their country beyond its post-World War Two reliance on the United States. "It's a question of the evolution of Japanese thinking on its own. Japan has made it clear they want to resolve all of the territorial disputes by diplomatic means and that's certainly something that we agree with. Our kind of getting in the middle of it is probably not the most productive way to proceed."
*June 2005: The ROC dispatched a frigate into disputed waters after Taiwanese fishing vessels were harassed by Japanese patrol boats. The frigate, which was carrying Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng and ROC Defense Minister Lee Jye, was not challenged and returned to Taiwan without incident. Fisheries talks between Taipei and Tokyo were held in July, but did not cover sovereignty issues.
*March 17, 2006: Kyodo News reported the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, , presented that he considered "the Islands as territory of Japan" in his talk in Tokyo.
*October 27, 2006: A group of activists from Hong Kong, the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands, including Tsang Kin Shing and several members of the April Fifth Action, approached the islands in order to show the support for Chinese claims to the Senkakus. They were stopped from landing on the islands by the Japan Coast Guard. Later on, the conducted a military exercise in the area.
*June 10, 2008: The 270 ton sport fishing vessel Lien Ho of Taiwan suffered a collision with a Japanese patrol vessel, Koshiki, and subsequently sank, while in the disputed territorial waters that have been claimed by Japan and Taiwan. The Taiwanese crew who were aboard the vessel claims that the larger Japanese frigate deliberately crashed into them; their assertions are backed up by recently released video footage. While releasing the passengers, Japan initially detained the captain and sought reparations. The captain has now been released and has returned to Taiwan. Liu Chao-shiuan, Premier of the Republic of China, has refused to rule out the use of force to defend Diaoyutai against Japanese advances. The ROC government has recalled its chief representative to Japan in protest. On June 16, a boat carrying activists from Taiwan, defended by five Republic of China Coast Guard vessels, approached to within of the main island, from which position they circumnavigated the island in an assertion of sovereignty of the islands. This demonstration has prompted Taiwanese politicians to cancel a planned trip on-board Republic of China Navy vessels to demonstrate sovereignty. The Taiwanese vessels were followed by Japanese Coast Guard vessels, but no attempt was made to intercept them. On June 20, the de-facto Japanese ambassador to Taiwan apologized, in person, to the captain of the Taiwanese boat Lien Ho..

Shengsi Islands

The Shengsi Islands are geographically part of and located in the mouth of the Yangtze River . They comprise 394 islands, each with an area larger than 500 m?, but of which just 18 are inhabitable. The largest island is Sijiao Island with an area of 21.2 km2>.

The area is administrated by Shengsi County in the Zhoushan Prefecture . The islands have subtropical climate, with yearly average temperature of 15.8 °C. The area is also notable as touristic destination and fishery area that attracts more than 100,000 fishermen every winter.

Sheshan Island

Sheshandao Island is located in 35km east of Chongming Island, in the estuary of Yangtze River.

Total island area is 0.037 .

The island belongs to Shanghai and is guarded by PLAN.

There is a 130 years old light house on the island.

2005Nov 1st, The stele of "Chinese territorial sea baseline point" erected.

Notes & References

Sijiao Island

The Sijiao Island is the largest island in the Shengsi Islands with an area of 21.2 km?. The island has subtropical climate with the yearly average temperature of 15.8 °C. It is administrated by Shengsi County , a part of Zhoushan Prefecture .

Tourism


There are regular ferry lines from Shanghai Wusong, Shiliupu and Luchao Ports operating several times a day. The average travel time from Shanghai is about 5 hours. The island is a touristic destination offering sea bathing.

Shidao

Shidao Island is one of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It is guarded by Chinese Navy. There is a Chinese sovereignty steel on the island..
There is 2km road connected to .

Triton Island

Triton Island is one island of Paracel Islands, .The island is also claimed by Vietnam.

7 points on Zhongjiandao are the baseline points of the Chinese territorial sea.

* Zhaoshudao(1)15? 46·5'N111? 12·6'E
* Zhaoshudao(2)15? 46·4'N111? 12·1'E
* Zhaoshudao(3)15? 46·4'N111? 11·8'E
* Zhaoshudao(4)15? 46·5'N111? 11·6'E
* Zhaoshudao(5)15? 46·7'N111? 11·4'E
* Zhaoshudao(6)15? 46·9'N111? 11·3'E
* Zhaoshudao(7)15? 47·2'N111? 11·4'E

Notes & References

Tree Island, South China Sea

Zhaoshudao Island,is one island of Paracel Islands,also called "Shudao、Andao、Chuanandao",0.22 km?.
People call it "Qilianyu " together with six other islands close by. It is open to tourists.
There is temple ruin of Ming dynasty on the islands. It is patrolled by Chinese border police.

Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the baselines of the territorial sea(May15th, 1996)

3 points on Zhaoshudao are the baseline points of the Chinese territorial sea.

*Zhaoshudao 16? 59.9'N 112? 14.7'E
*Zhaoshudao 16? 59.7'N 112? 15.6'E
*Zhaoshudao 16? 59.4'N 112? 16.6'E

Notes & References

Waikejiao

Waikejiao Island("外磕脚"), is a small sand island locates in the East China Sea adjacent Jiangsu, there is Macaiheng close by.
Waikejiao is one of the baseline points of the Chinese territorial sea.

Notes & References

Weizhou Island

Weizhou Island is a island in the Gulf of Tonkin. The largest island of Guangxi province, Weizhou is west of Leizhou Peninsula, south of Beihai, and east of Vietnam.

* Area: 24.74
* Temperature: 23
* : 1863 mm
Its north-south length is 6.5 km, east-west 6 km. The coast is 15.6 km, with 6 to 10 km of sandy beach. Weizhou is higher in the south, where there is Nanwan Port .

From 1869 to 1879, the built a 15 metre Catholic church in Shengtang Village , Weizhou. Weizhou Chengzai Church was built in 1880, also by French Catholics.

----

Weizhou is a town of Haicheng District, Beihai City, Guangxi. It includes Weizhou Island and a smaller 1.89 km? Xieyang Island. It includes 2 neighborhood committees, 9 village committees.
* Area: 26.63 km?
* Population: 15,900