My first glimpse of Weizhou Island, the youngest and second largest volcanic island in China, came on a bright early winter afternoon as I disembarked at Nanwan Bay after a 3-hour voyage from Beihai city, Guangxi. Against a radiant sunny sky, the tranquil and natural island, surrounded by sea and covered with dense vegetation, suddenly was overrun with the hustle and bustle of hordes of tourists.
While most couldn't wait to see the island's popular spots, I made a break away from the crowds to the back streets in an attempt to mix it with the locals. My driver He Guowei, also the owner of the family hotel I was booked to stay at, had been waiting for me. After exchanging greetings, he drove me to his home in Dong'an Village on the southeastern coast.
Touching tranquility
The 10-minute drive was lovely and immediately the throngs of tourists gave way to row upon row of banana trees. Although the island has been a popular tourist destination since the mid-1990s and is visited by thousands of tourists a day, I was surprised to notice that there were no cafés or fancy restaurants along the way. Referred to as the countryside by locals, my destination was more like an enclosed territory that had retained much of its natural beauty and scenery.
Located south of Beihai in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Weizhou Island covers a total area of 25 square kilometers and is inhabited by 16,000 people in about 50 villages. Formed by volcanic eruptions 13,000-7,000 years ago, the remote island is rich in lava-eroded caverns, terrain and a variety of sea animals. A 16-kilometer-long road circles the island, linking scenic spots, villages and ports.
It is said that to keep away from chaos on the mainland, three Hakka sisters went to live on the island and raised their families there hundreds of years ago. Today, Hakka people, making up three quarters of the total population, often go to worship the sisters' statues in temples on major festive occasions.
Finding a feast
On the day of my arrival, a close Hakka friend of my driver was preparing for a feast the next day to celebrate the completion of his new house. I was told some 300 villagers were invited to the lavish dinner and eight authentic Hakka dishes including pork with salted vegetables and plain boiled chicken would be served.
Arriving at the dinner-in-preparation and seeing processed pigskins and chopped-off chicken heads made into exquisite dishes, I was amazed how the Hakkas made full use of their ingredients.
After helping with the banquet, we could only manage a few tourist spots afterwards and all are worth recommending.
Natural wonders
A further 10-minute drive saw us arrive at Weizhou Island Volcano National Geopark. Located on the southwest of the island, the park is characteristic of the area with craters, different shaped marine pits, sea stacks, volcanic breccias and cacti growing on cliffs over 10-meters high. A wooden walkway winds through the sea-eroded terrain and it is easy to spot the creative names that locals have given to the marine pits based on their shapes, such as One Hundred Beasts Playing in the Sea and Canggui (turtle hiding) Cavity.
The well-known Dripping Rock, a 10-meter-high cliff by the sea to the west of Water Dripping Village, is 1 kilometer away from the park. Due to the constant dripping of water, the cliff has become a stunning combination of red and yellow and is shaped like a human head.
Walking north along the west coast is Shiluokou Beach, considered the best beach on the island to pitch camp and watch the sunset. Through the limpid seawater, the beach is a great place to enjoy some of the island's colorful coral.
Another place worth visiting is Jiaotang (church) Village in the north of the island. Providing shelter to Hakkas who were defeated in a battle with the Tujia people in the 1850s, French missionaries pleaded with the Qing government to grant the Hakkas the right to live on the island. In 1853, the missionaries began to build a church. Within 10 years it grew to a magnificent Gothic building using local coral, clay, wood and tiles. Nowadays most of the villagers are Christians and religious activities are held regularly here.
A local perspective
As it was getting dark, the driver and I began our journey to the hotel. Pitch-dark by 8 pm with no lamps on the small roads, I retreated to the living room, to chat with my host and his wife.
A native of Weizhou Island, the 38-year-old has spent most of his time here. Using money made from fishing and transporting visitors, he and his wife renovated their dilapidated house into a two-story building and opened their family hotel. Loaded with work he seldom travels off the island.
"Have you ever felt…?" I asked. "Yes," he replied before I finished my sentence.
"You know what I mean?"
"Of course, lonely and isolated. Yes I do, but what can I do? I don't even know how to use the computer," he replied with resignation. "Young women of your age from Weizhou Island they don't dare to travel alone. We know so little about the outside world," he added.
Although many residents work in the service and tourism industry, only a few have become well-off in recent years. Farmers and fishermen, who make up about two thirds of the total population, have not benefited as much.
Cao Anfang, 60, who has lived on the island since 1976, can't see the benefits of the booming tourism industry. "I don't like so many visitors," she said. "Prices for everything have risen a lot since swarms of visitors began to visit our island. "