Brave Heart Qi’ao Island

That it takes only 60 seconds to drive from Tangjia Town to the cragged coast of Qi’ao Island, it barely passes for an “island. The,486-meter Qi’ao Bridge connecting it with downtown Zhuhai, together with all the maritime cultural attractions you’d expect to find on a sea island, has made Qi’ao the backyard garden of Zhuhai. Strolling along the wild flower-strewn Qi’ao Island, a picturesque maritime hamlet located in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong- KongMacao”triangle”, one can’t’ help but notice the lush foliage that gracefully hugs the craggy cliff-side. The breeze gathers pace around you, and the flowers and leaves begin to ripple, as if enacting a kind of floral Mexican wave.

The luxuriant old banyan trees, together with chirping nestlings, dragonflies and butterflies dancing with the tempo of the sea sprays, bespeak the unparalleled natural ecology of Qi’ao Island. The crystal spring streaming down the Wangchi Hill in the northeast serves as one of the water sources for the islanders, producing sweet water that perfectly matches first-class Pu’er tea.

A large number of ceramic findings at Housha Bay and the Dong’ao Bay show that the island is the earliest human habitat in today’s Zhuhai. The unrivaled natural resources and environment remain so intact that the island hosts the country’s largest mangrove forest park and a national Chinese White Dolphin Protection Base, launched in 2010.

The seafaring “golden oldies”of the island are more than well accommodated, spending their twilight years congregating for mahjong and trading stories of their turbulent oceanic adventures. Carrying out their daily tasks in an unrushed methodical manner, the natives are unaware of what vast potential this one-time fishing village holds-something that the local government as well as a growing number of weary urbanites are keenly aware of.

For the time being, the island’s oriental, maritime splendor is pretty much still intact,although tourist barges may outnumber fishing trawlers at some points in the year.

Many of the coffee shops and B&B places here are open only on weekends.

The charming fishing village has an intriguing history of swashbuckling British opium traders, bewitching Temple of the Queen of Heaven and death-defying fishermen  intent on bringing the mother-of-all hauls back to shore before sundown.

qingquang

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