Fangji Island

　　　Fangji Island is located 14.5 kilometers southeast of Shuidong Town, Dianbai County. Originally named Fenzhou Mountain, it is also known as Wan Zhou Mountain. The highest point on the island is 122 meters above sea level. Covering an area of 1.9 square kilometers, it is the largest island in the county. Legend has it that immortals once herded flocks of chickens here, prompting the establishment of a temple to worship them.

　　　　Later, sailors passing through would offer live chickens as sacrifices, hence the name Fangji Island, also called Wan Zhou, originally Fenzhou Mountain. It is said that ships had to release a chicken onto the island as an act of releasing life to pray for safety, which gave the island its name. The waters around Fangji Island are 6–12 meters deep with visibility up to 8 meters, making it one of China’s best natural diving spots. Not only does it offer high visibility, but the area also lacks strong underwater currents, with calm waters and gentle winds. The white sandy beaches provide ideal conditions for three popular international diving activities: shallow diving, deep diving, and adventure diving. In addition, the island offers recreational activities such as jet skiing, banana boat rides, and parasailing.

　　Fangji Island is located at 21.23°N latitude and 111.00°E longitude, lying across the southern sea of Dianbai County, in the southwestern part of the Bohai Harbor Bay. It is 8 nautical miles from the Bohai boarding pier and serves as a crucial passageway from eastern Guangdong to Zhanjiang and the Beibu Gulf. At the summit of the island stands a solar-powered lighthouse with a range of 15 nautical miles, guiding ships safely.

　　Shaped like an olive, Fangji Island stretches 2 kilometers from northeast to southwest, with a maximum width of 0.91 kilometers and a minimum of 0.10 kilometers. Its coastline extends 5.96 kilometers, and its highest peak reaches an elevation of 135 meters (in the northeast). Covering an area of 1.9 square kilometers, it is the largest among Dianbai County’s 23 islands. The island can be divided into four types of terrain: eroded low hills, marine terraces, sandy beaches, and rocky shores. Due to prolonged marine erosion, bedrock is exposed, with sea cliffs, erosion grooves, and caves visible throughout. The mountain slopes feature oddly shaped rocks and lush vegetation, creating beautiful scenery. The northwest coast has soft, white, and loose sand, while the northern coastal waters are 1.3 to 2.0 meters deep, and the southeastern coastal waters range from 2.6 to 10 meters deep. The seawater is crystal clear, with visibility reaching up to 8 meters.

　　The island boasts both natural and cultural attractions. Natural features include picturesque island landscapes and diverse rock formations; it has everything from sandy beaches, eroded caves, rocks, forests, sunlight, to seawater. The southeastern waters face the vast South China Sea, where roaring waves crash against towering cliffs year-round, forming majestic and rugged formations scattered with peculiar reefs and rocks. The landscape is vivid and dynamic, with wonders dating back to the Tang Dynasty, such as “Flying Stone of the Southern Sky,” “Tidal Waves Around Chicken Sea,” “Immortal Rocks Listening to Waves,” “Goat Reef Watching Sunrise,” “Carp Spitting Pearls,” and “Sleeping Rocks Amid Waves.” Cultural attractions include “Exploring Ancient Wan Zhou,” “Fishing Fires at High Tide,” “Lighthouse Illuminating the South Sea,” “Flocks of Birds Soaring,” “White Sails Racing,” “Li and Chen Temple Shrines,” and the ruins of the “Wan Zhou Temple,” once home to Tang Dynasty Prime Minister Li Deyu when he was exiled to Yazhou.

　　There are also urban bullfighting shows, aquariums, botanical specimen museums, and coral reef viewing areas. It is the most ideal diving spot along Guangdong’s coast and the country’s largest fishing destination. Current marine recreational activities include surfing jet skis, yachts, self-rowed banana boats, parasailing, swimming, diving, fishing, and beach go-karting.

　　The development project of Fangji Island tourism has been approved by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and relevant national departments, with all procedures in place. The Dianbai County People’s Government cooperated with Maoming Fangji Island Tourism Development Co., Ltd. to develop the island with an environmental protection theme and guided by the concept of scientific development, aiming to preserve ecology, protect resources, and use them scientifically. The development is divided into three parts: Island Ecological Sightseeing — Fangji Island is a great place for sightseeing and leisure. It boasts the best vegetation coverage in the province, with lush plants including 43 species of shrubs, bushes, and weeds from 30 families and 40 genera, covering 80% of the island. Fangji Island, also called Wan Zhou and originally Fenzhou Mountain, is said to have earned its name because sailors released a chicken here for good luck. It is the largest island in Maoming. The Fangji Island Marine Recreation World is located 14.5 kilometers southeast of Shuidong Town, Dianbai County, about 8 nautical miles from Shuidong Port. The highest point on the island is 122 meters, and it covers an area of 1.9 square kilometers. The surrounding waters are 6–12 meters deep with visibility up to 8 meters, making it a beautiful and mysterious diving destination. The island also has the highest vegetation coverage among Guangdong’s islands.

　　The northeastern shore has been shaped by years of wind and wave erosion, featuring towering rocks in various spectacular forms. In the distance, the sea and sky merge into one, vast and misty; nearby, massive, steep reefs crash against the shore, sending up waves like snow. On the shore stands a giant chicken-head-shaped rock atop a sloping stone base, resembling an old man enchanted by music, listening to the “sea’s rhythm,” hence the name “Immortal Rock Listening to Waves.” To the north, the harbor bay curves like a crescent moon, with a gentle slope, white fine sand, and mild waves, making it a rare natural bathing spot. The east and southeast coasts, commonly referred to as the “chicken tail,” combine the spectacular, majestic, grand, and expansive, surpassing the “chicken head” in scenery and representing the finest viewing spots on Fangji Island. Underwater animals include lobsters, grouper, pomfret, parrotfish, and squid, along with large numbers of the nationally protected second-class fish — the redfin goatfish, known as a living fossil. The island features steep peaks, dense forests, and beautiful scenery, home to various birds such as the colorful kingfisher, junglefowl, egrets, wild cranes, mynas, and owls. It also grows unique plants like dragon’s blood trees, wild grapes, wild bananas, cacti, and mountain berries, often forming delicate scenes with large rocks. Wild bulls occasionally roam the jungle, offering both a taste of wilderness and the thrill of exploration.

　　On the western side of the mountain lies a “stone house” left over from the educated youth era, not only bearing witness to the passage of time but also telling lesser-known legendary tales. On Fangji Island, whether diving or enjoying the sea view, each experience offers its own charm. Fangji Island is one of China’s best natural diving bases, with high visibility and calm, current-free waters, white sandy beaches perfect for the three popular international diving activities: shallow diving, deep diving, and adventure diving. Shallow diving: The shallow waters around Fangji Island resemble a large piece of light green jade, with divers moving through it like black figures flowing amid the green. Deep diving: The deep areas of Fangji Island feature clusters of red and blue corals that captivate your gaze, with schools of fish of all sizes swimming carefree around you, while spotted sea urchins and giant sea cucumbers remain motionless in crevices. Adventure diving: Deep beneath the island lies a cave, rumored to have been used by pirates to hide treasure, sparking endless imagination. Though some fishermen have ventured inside, none have dared to go deep, adding to the cave’s mystery.

　　At the top of the island’s 115-meter-high main peak, under the lighthouse, you can take in the panoramic sea view. The nationally renowned Bohai and South Sea forest belt stands like a shield, protecting the island’s waters. To the east of the forest belt is Jian’gang Ridge, and to the south is the Tiger Head Mountain of the South Sea, presenting picturesque scenery. Most striking is the Golden Turtle Rock, standing 6–7 meters tall and 3–4 meters wide atop a sloped rock, supported by only three stone pads underneath. Though it looks precarious, it stands firmly. Fangji Island combines the grandeur of mountains, the majesty of the sea, and the vibrant colors of the underwater world, allowing you to dive and experience nature up close. Fangji Island — the most beautiful and mysterious island in the South China Sea!