Seaside serenity.

Tranquil setting.

Shimmering sea.

Quiet path.

Fireworks on the beach.

Harbor contemplation.

I have traveled the Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang Province on several occasions, and each time I was delighted with the experience. Zhoushan, a place of the ocean, is always pleasing, even surprising, with plenty of fresh air, romantic beaches, and very delicious and inexpensive seafood.

So, no matter if you visit with your family for tomb sweeping (my father's family was from Ningbo City, where Zhoushan is located), or travel there with several friends, Zhoushan provides happy memories and beautiful photos.

Of Zhoushan’s many islands, the most famous may be Taohua (Peach Blossom). The island is a popular destination, not because of the flowers, but for a famous martial arts novel written by Jin Yong. The renowned writer mentioned the island’s name as Taohua in his writing, and described it as a very romantic and beautiful place. Since China has many fans of books and movies about knightly acts of old, the island draws many visitors, including me.

What most surprised me was that I didn't see any peach trees, not to mention peach blossoms, on this island named after the flower. Or maybe I just didn't come across those that were there. Regardless, the temples, gardens and expansive green areas on the island are amazing. As a fan of Jin Yong, I went to the scenic spot of Taohua Zhai (peach blossom village) which is arranged according to the book. In the village, we could see elements of the knightly world: a knight's teahouse, restaurants, TCM stores and many red lanterns. It’s a good place to relax.

After freshening up, I trekked to Anqi Peak, which is said to be the highest peak in Zhoushan, at 540 meters. The day I went the sun was shining. Climbing onto the peak, around were many huge and uniquely shaped stones. Sitting atop the peak, I could enjoy the total view of all the Zhoushan islands while eating oranges sold by the village people. At that moment, all was tranquil; only the sound of the sea and wind whispered in my ear.

We spent all of the next day at another isolated island named Liuheng. I use the term ‘isolated’ because although this island is not so famous, its beach is nice. The sand here is very fine and soft. The place, thanks to its subdued reputation, still looks like a fishing village. Sitting on the beach, we enjoyed watching the venerable fishermen employing their huge nets to catch seafood. We bought five crabs and some shrimp from a fisherman, and he only asked for 10 yuan. The hotel on the island helped cook this fresh catch, and it made for a great meal.

At night, some of the hotel staff shared their fireworks with us. The fireworks display was not as brilliant as that at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, but enjoying that scene on the beach was a very pleasant experience.

Around Liuheng there are many smaller islands, and the ferry is the only transportation between these. Some fishermen offer opportunities for visitors to learn how to use a net to catch fish and shrimp. But it is not as easy as it looked. After trying four or five times, when I doubted that I could ever be a good fisherman, a miracle happened: I finally found a small crab in my net! I cherished this crab so much and decided that I would never eat it. But it fled away from my hands quickly after pinching my fingers.

Failing to take anything from the huge ocean, I went back to Shenjiamen which is located at the main island of Zhoushan. Shenjiamen is a port for various just-harvested seafood, some of which have no name. Bingang Road is a most famous seafood night stall. All the stalls are located on the seashore. They are shabby in appearance, but the food and price is fabulous. Each stall has dozens of basins holding still live seafood. Customers select their food on the spot and the stall keeper cooks it up. We ordered two types of shrimps, two types of crabs, four shellfish and two fishes, and also two vegetables and plenty of Qingdao beer for our party of 10. The food was unforgettable, all the ingredients were fresh, and the price was even more pleasing, at only 550 yuan. If in Shanghai, an equivalent meal, with so much seafood, would have cost at least 1,000 yuan.

I will here suggest that beginning in November, when the weather turns cold, the seafood along Bingang Road is not as good as in summer and early autumn. And it may be too cold to sit outside.

Travel Tips:

Transport: The tourism center in Shanghai Stadium offers buses to Zhoushan everyday at 7:25 am, 9:25 am, 1:25 pm, 3:25 pm and 5:25 pm. The price is 138 yuan. Transportation between the islands is primarily facilitated by ferry.

Accommodation: Shenjiamen has many two and three star hotels with rates starting at about around 200 yuan. The best may be Zhoushan Huafa Hotel, at 690 Donghai Road M.