Yantai Yangma Island: A Unique Travel Experience

Yangma Island in Muping, Yantai, is a unique tourist destination. Here's a detailed introduction: 1. Overview: ○ Location: Yangma Island is located 9 km north of Muping District, Yantai City, Shandong Province. It sits in the Yellow Sea and is connected to Muping District by a cross-sea bridge. Its geographical coordinates are 37°45′N, 121°61′E. It has a total area of 13.52 sq km, is 7.5 km long from east to west, 1.5 km wide from north to south, and has a coastline of 21.46 km. ○ Geology and Topography: Yangma Island is a metamorphic rock island mainly composed of marble. The island has rolling hills, with a mountain range running east-west. It has a long and narrow shape, oriented northeast-southwest. The northern part of the island is steep and rocky, while the southern part is gentle with sandy beaches. The highest point, West Mountain, has an elevation of 108.4 m. The island's landforms include bedrock slopes and accumulation slopes. The bottom is mainly composed of reefs, gravel, coarse sand, medium sand, silty fine sand, and sandy silt, suitable for the habitat and reproduction of various marine organisms. 2. History and Legends: Yangma Island was anciently called "Ju Island" and was also known as Elephant Island. There are two legends about the origin of its name. One legend says that in the autumn of 219 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, on his eastern expedition, saw the lush water and grass and auspicious horses on the island. He designated it as the "Imperial Palace Horse Breeding Island" and ordered horses to be raised and trained there for imperial use. The second legend says that horses were raised on the island during the Ming Dynasty for defense against Japanese pirates, hence the name. 3. Climate: Yangma Island is influenced by the warm temperate East Asian monsoon continental climate and is significantly affected by the ocean. It features cool springs, cool summers, warm autumns, and mild winters, with small temperature differences between day and night, a long frost-free period, strong winds, and high humidity, characteristic of a maritime climate.