Wanshan Archipelago

Wanshan / Guishan / Dangan
万山镇 / 桂山镇 / 担杆镇
万山海洋开发试验区
Coordinates: 21°59′42″N 113°45′54″E / 21.99500°N 113.76500°E / 21.99500; 113.76500
CountryChina
ProvinceGuangdong
CityZhuhai
DistrictXiangzhou
Area
 • Total
86 km2 (33 sq mi)
Population
 • Total
4,813
 • Density56/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (China Standard)
Websitehttp://www.wanshan.gov.cn/
Wanshan Archipelago
Simplified Chinese万山群岛
Traditional Chinese萬山羣島
Literal meaningMyriad Islands Archipelago
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWànshān Qúndǎo
Wade–GilesWan-shan Ch'ün-tao
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingMaan6-saan1 Kwan4-dou2

The Wanshan Archipelago, formerly known as the Ladrones Islands, is a 104-island archipelago that is a part of Xiangzhou District in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China.

Administration

Most of the islands of the archipelago are in the Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone [Wikidata] (万山海洋开发试验区) which consist of three towns: Guishan Town (桂山镇), Dangan Town (担杆镇) and Wanshan Town (万山镇).

Before Chu-Hai County [zh-cn] was created in 1953, the islands were part of Po-On County.

Geography

The islands are situated in the South China Sea, to the south of the opening of the Pearl River estuary and Hong Kong.

The archipelago includes several groups of islands. The western group, located south of the Pearl River estuary and Lantau Island, was formerly known to Europeans as the Ladrones, from the Spanish for "thieves". It comprises Greater Wanshan, Guishan, and Wai Dangling Islands and the Zhizhou, Sanmen, and Aizhou groups. The eastern group, located south of Hong Kong Island, was known as the Lema Islands. Today, they are known as the Jiapeng Liedao and Dangan Liedao, respectively.

The largest island, Dangan, features mountainous terrain similar to Hong Kong.

List of islands

Erzhou Dao, seen from Ocean Park Hong Kong.
Beijian Dao

Islands of the archipelago include:

Dangan Liedao (担杆列岛), the eastern group of Wanshan archipelago, and the eastern half of the former Lema Islands chain

Jiapeng Liedao (佳蓬列岛), the southern group of Wanshan archipelago, and the western half of the former Lema Islands chain

Dong'ao Dao

Southwestern group:

Shek Kwu Chau (left), an island of Hong Kong and Wai Lingding Dao (right), part of the "Central group" of Wanshan Archipelago.

Central group, located south of Lantau:

View from Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong. The closest islands are the Soko Islands, part of the territory of Hong Kong. The four most distant islands are part of the Wanshan Archipelago. From left to right: Ai Zhou, Ai Zhou Zi, Dazhi Zhou, Xiaozhi Zhou.
Dazhi Zhou (upper) and Xiaozhi Zhou (centre).
Ai Zhou Zi (bottom) and Ai Zhou (top).

Northwestern group, located between Lantau and Macau:

Other geographical elements

Other geographically important points of interest:

Population

There is a small local population, mostly in small fishing villages:

Economy

The archipelago's economy is mainly fisheries (crystal prawn, peeler crab). There is a growing tourism industry with a focus on history, beaches, and the natural beauty of the islands. About 350,000 tourists visit the islands annually. Club Med opened a holiday resort on Dong'ao in 2014.

There is also potential for petroleum extraction in the waters off the islands.

Tourist sites

Wen Tianxiang statue on Guishan

Tourist sites of Wanshan Archipelago include:

Transport

Ferry in Dong'ao Dao

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As with the Greek μυρίος, the Chinese word 萬 refers variously to the exact number 10,000 and any indiscriminately large amount.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Zhuhai Municipality website: Wanshan Ocean Development Testing Zone (archive)
  2. ↑ "Introduction: The Origins and Early Years of the County of San On" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  3. ↑ "伶仃岛上叹伶仃 深圳珠海争权属". 16 February 2004. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  4. 1 2 3 South China Sea. Volume 161 of Pub. (United States. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency). ProStar Publications. 2004. p. 20. ISBN 9781577856528. Archived from the original on 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  5. 1 2 3 ""Enjoying sunlight and sea in Zhuhai Islands"". Archived from the original on 2007-12-22. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  6. ↑ Ha, Louis; Waters, Dan (2001). "Hong Kong's Lighthouses and the Men Who Manned Them" (PDF). Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch. 41: 281–320. ISSN 1991-7295. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  7. ↑ "The Gap Rock Lighthouse | HKU Faculty of Architecture". Archived from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  8. ↑ "A brief history of the Gap Rock Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  9. ↑ "History of Hong Kong Lighthouses: Gap Rock Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  10. ↑ "Gwulo: Gap Rock Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  11. ↑ Zhuhai Municipality website: Xiaowanshan Dao Deprecated link archived 2013-06-28 at archive.today (in Chinese)
  12. 1 2 Elliott, Mark (24 June 2014). "Club Med opens beach resort in China". Travel Daily. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.

Bibliography

Further reading