Autumn Stroll on Nanji Island Where the Sea Is Not Blue

Autumn Stroll on Nanji Island Where the Sea Is Not Blue (Pingyang, Wenzhou) 🌊 Location: Nanji Archipelago, Nanji Town, Pingyang County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. 🌊 Ticket Prices: 1️⃣ Currently, Nanji Island has free admission. 2️⃣ Ferry tickets are also discounted. However, they are still relatively expensive, costing around 100 yuan or more. There are upper, middle, and lower cabins, with the lower cabin being the cheapest. I took the upper cabin on the way there and the lower cabin on the return. Personally, although the upper cabin allows you to see the sea outside, it is behind glass and you cannot go out on the deck, so the view is actually quite ordinary. It might be better to buy a middle or lower cabin ticket and just close your eyes to rest or take a nap. 🌊 Transportation: 1️⃣ Round-trip passenger ferry: Be sure to check the sailing information online in advance. When I went, only the Aojiang Port Passenger Terminal in Pingyang County had ferries to Nanji Island, with one trip per day at varying times—sometimes around 7 a.m., sometimes after 10 a.m. The whole trip takes about two hours. You also need to check the return schedule in advance. On my return day, there was only a 10:30 a.m. ferry. 2️⃣ Island bus: A 45 yuan 6-ride pass is valid for three days; just swipe your ID card when boarding. If you don’t need that many rides, you can also pay 10 yuan per ride by scanning a QR code. Note that afternoon bus scheduling can be complicated, so it’s best to arrange in advance. 🌊 Routes & Scenery: 1️⃣ Day One (Sanpanwei) Took the 7:30 a.m. ferry, arrived after two hours, then took the bus, checked the room, ate seafood noodles, and rested. By the time I went out, it was already past 11 a.m. Walked toward Touyu, made a loop along the coast to enjoy the scenery. The downside was that the sea water was somewhat murky and didn’t bring any surprises. Passed by a natural lawn area, which was also yellowing but had a unique charm. Finally returned to the hotel to charge my phone and rest. When I went out again to see the sunset at the beach, I called the driver and learned the car would return very late, so I wouldn’t be able to see the sunset. I had to find a hill to try my luck, walked toward the windmill trail area, and eventually saw the sunset. 2️⃣ Day Two (Sanpanwei + Dashao’ao + Mazu’ao + Meilingju + Hilltop Viewing Platform) The weather forecast showed rain that day, and it did rain a bit at night, but luckily it stopped by early morning. Went to the natural lawn at Sanpanwei to watch the sunrise; it was cloudy with thick clouds, so no sunrise, just wind. Returned to the hotel and checked out. There were more buses in the morning. Took the bus to Dashao’ao. Not many people there. The beach was small with some small shells and little crabs. The sea water was also murky. Walked to nearby Mazu’ao, which is just a small beach. Several fishing boats were anchored in the bay in front of the beach. It is said to be a good spot to watch the sunset. On the way back, I happened to catch a bus and took it to Meilingju. Meilingju was closed, so I just looked around outside. Near Meilingju is a hilltop viewing platform. The hill is not high, and it takes about 10 minutes to climb to the top. From there, you can see Dashao’ao Beach; it is also said to be a good place to watch the sunset. Due to time constraints, after coming down from the viewing platform, I took the bus back to the pier to catch the ferry home. 🌊 Accommodation: In the off-season, cheap accommodations on the island cost around 200 yuan. The conditions are better than expected, with hot water, air conditioning, and internet. 🌊 Food: I brought some dry food before going to the island, so I mostly ate bread and fruit on the island. I also tried a bowl of seafood noodles on the island, but it did not meet expectations. Date: 2025.11.6-7