The Paracel Islands
 
   
 
The Paracel Islands are located about 180 nautical miles to the southeast of Hainan Island. Together with the Dongsha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands, they are the southern tip of China. Since very few visitors have ever landed on the islands, Paracel has a well-preserved marine ecological system.
 
The Paracel Islands were selected as the most beautiful among the 6,500 islands of China by Chinese National Geography Magazine in 2005.
 
The Paracel Islands are the only path between the Chinese mainland and the Southeast Asia and Indian sea routes. For hundreds of years, ships loaded with china, silks, spices and pepper passed by, causing it to be nicknamed the "Silk Road on the sea."
 
The Paracel Islands are mainly composed of coral reefs. The reefs above the surface are only one-hundredth of the whole, and most of them are 1-3 m below the water. Since it is rarely visited by outsiders, the water is very clear and is transparent as deep as 40 m. Diving along the coral reefs of the Paracel Islands is not only safe, but also a great chance enjoy the wonderful underwater world.
 
More than 40 birds live in the Paracel Islands, always hovering above the sea and forests. There also exist a large number of fish around the island, including 400 kinds of coral and oceanic fish. Precious sea turtles, sea cucumbers, and abalone are also present.
 
At the Paracel Islands, you can always see numerous flying fish take off from the surface, flying like arrows, with their pectoral fins opened strong and wide like the wings of dragonflies. They burst out of the water at high speeds and open their fins to glide for tens of meters.
 
The Paracel Islands used to be under military management, but now it is open for tourism, with a focus on the high-end market. Visitors should take a boat or an airplane to travel to the confined areas or routes, taking care to follow the tour group.
 
Transportation: Tourists should take the Qiongsha II store ship to Yongxing Island first. Application is needed to travel to the Paracel Islands, and the quota is limited. Qiongshi II goes back and forth between Yongxing Island and the Paracel Islands once a month.
 
Where to live: Tourists can live in the fishermen’s houses on the island, on the ship or in self-provided tents. The fresh water on the island is purified from the rainwater, so please be mindful of water conservation.
 
Food: You can eat all kinds of seafood at the Paracel Islands. You can also take some wood or coal with you to barbecue it by yourself.
 
Diving: The water here is crystal clean, allowing you to clearly see the underwater world when diving.
 
Tips: January to April is the best season for travelling to the Paracel Islands, since there will be typhoons starting from May that become very strong from August to October. The sunshine is also very glaring, so remember to bring sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Mosquitoes are everywhere, so anti-mosquito ointment is a must.
 

 
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