The Front Three Islands

The Front Three Islands

The Front Three Islands is the collective name for three small islands—Pingshan Island, Dashan Island, and Cheniusan Island—distributed in the southern part of the Yellow Sea northeast of Lianyungang, Jiangsu. The total area of the three islands is 0.32 square kilometers, and they are located 54.6 kilometers from Lianyungang Port.

As your boat nears the Front Three Islands, a three-dimensional painting of sky, sea, and island will immediately unfold before your eyes. Pingshan Island gets its name from its gently sloping terrain, which from a distance resembles a giant crocodile playing in the azure sea. On clear days, viewed from Dashan Island, it takes on the appearance of two noblewomen lying on their backs, feet to feet. Dashan Island, also known as Danianshan Island, is named for its resemblance to the traditional shoulder bag (dalian) once carried by travelers. Cheniusan Island is an archipelago where numerous islets together form the image of an old ox pulling a chariot across a battlefield—the "chariot" being the main island. A lighthouse stands on Cheniusan Island, casting its light across the surrounding waters at night.

The most romantic and thrilling experiences on the Front Three Islands are watching the sunrise from the east and the sunset from the west.

On a clear morning, you can witness a genuine sea sunrise. At the meeting point of water and sky, a single red dot appears first, then a line of red, as the sun seems to emerge directly from the seawater. The sun's visible face grows larger and larger, radiantly red as if still glistening with droplets. The hues of the sky’s glow shift constantly. Perhaps because breaking through the sea is strenuous, the just-risen sun isn’t perfectly round, squeezed by the ocean. Just as the sea and the blazing sun prepare to part, they seem reluctant to let go—whether it’s the sun holding onto the sea or the sea clinging to the sun, the sun stretches its face due to the sea, while the sea lifts its surface because of the sun. The seawater that has just kissed the sun blushes shyly and boils red. As the sun rises higher, the sea’s face turns redder and redder.

If the sunrise is a breathtaking spectacle, the sunset is a serene and tranquil grandeur. The setting sun dyes the horizon a faint rose-red, and a thin layer of mist hovers over the calm sea, resembling a mythical fairyland.

The nights on the Front Three Islands are also extraordinarily moving. Here, you must not miss the scene of “the moon rising over the sea.” On nights when the moon is fullest and brightest, the tides are strongest and the sound of the waves is thunderously loud. Scattered fishing lights, swayed by the tides, float across the sea and encircle the small islands, creating a poetic and picturesque scene of great beauty.

The Haizhou Bay Fishing Ground, one of China’s eight major fishing grounds, is located near the Front Three Islands. The nearby sea areas are home to a variety of economically important fish species such as mackerel, perch, yellow croaker, and prawns, as well as precious marine products and shellfish like sea cucumbers, sea bass, and rockfish. Occasionally, schools of fish and pods of dolphins gather and swim around the waters near the islands, both fascinating and spectacular. Thanks to the abundant fishing resources, the Front Three Islands have become a favorite spot for tourists and fishing enthusiasts to enjoy leisurely angling by the sea. You can try the no-rod, no-float fishing method used by the island’s garrison—tying a hook to a nylon rope, adding a weight, baiting it, and casting it into the sea. Whether you catch anything depends entirely on your sense of touch. As long as you’re interested, you’ll never leave empty-handed.

There are more than 100 species of birds on the Front Three Islands. Frequently, Class I and II protected bird species nest and breed here, including egrets, night herons, owls, eagle owls, and red-crowned cranes.

The Front Three Islands also offer a unique sight—the island’s defenders, the soldiers stationed there. The silhouette of a sentinel in the morning light, the figure of a patroller along the snow-like wave-kissed shore—these are scenes of majestic beauty. Over the years, the garrison has dedicated itself to greening the islands, and now trees as thick as bowls have taken deep root. The islands have become a maritime garden with flowers in spring, shade in summer, fruit in autumn, and greenery in winter.