China's Xisha Islands Cruise Tour Thrives
Tourism has been thriving on the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea as regular cruise tours have brought an increasing number of tourists to the islands.
The Xisha Islands are a cluster of islets, sandbanks and reefs in the South China Sea. China set up a city, known as Sansha, to administer the three islands in 2012, with its city government office on the Yongxing Island.
The first cruise tour began to operate in 2013. There are now three regular weekly cruise tours around the Xisha Islands.
The Changle Princess, a 126.6-meter-long, 20.5-meter-wide cruise liner, made its maiden voyage in March 2017. Replete with such entertainment facilities as bars, dance floors, cafes, shops, and reading rooms, the cruise has a carrying capacity of 1,000 people. It starts from the Phoenix Island off the coast of Sanya and it takes 14 hours to arrive at the Xisha Islands.
A typical four-day package tour takes tourists to the beaches on islands of Yagong, Yinyu and Quanfu, providing activities including diving, fishing, photography,and seafood tasting.
I've been to many sea areas in the world, including the South Pacific Ocean and Tahiti. But the seawater here is unique. It has clear graduation of colors, from deep blue to light blue, said Wang, a tourist from Beijing, capital of China.
I come from northwestern region of China. Traveling from the westernmost to the southernmost areas, I feel that China's territory is so vast and the landscapes are so beautiful, said Li, a tourist from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Tourism has brought about many changes to the islands and the life of the local residents.
The environment on the islands has become better instead of being damaged amid the influx of tourists as tourists help people pick up rubbish floating in from other parts of the sea.
There was much rubbish in the past. Now tourists are helping us pick up the rubbish. They don't liter. The island has become clean, said Lu Deyi, a local fisherman on the Yinyu Island.
Flourishing tourism has boosted the income of the local people. In the past, they fished for a living. Now they sell aquatic products and souvenirs to tourists.
We used to make a living by collecting conches, catching fish, lobsters and picking up holothurians. With the development of tourism,the annual income of a fisherman has increased to 70,000 to 80,000 yuan from only 20,000 yuan in the past, said Li Linjun, head of the neighborhood committee of the Yinyu Island.
People's livelihood has been improved since the establishment of the city of Sansha. Electricity is accessible to all households on the islands around the clock and desalination facilities make local life more convenient. The local government will also complete a settlement for the fishermen on the island of Yinyu by the end of 2017.
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Xisha Islands' Beautiful Scenery Attracts Numerous Tourists
The Xisha Islands, located in the South China Sea and famous for beautiful scenery and abundant natural resources, have attracted many visitors since Hainan Province opened tourism routes to Xisha Islands in 2013.
The cruise liner South China Sea Dream sets off from Sanya City's Phoenix Island, carrying travelers to explore the beauty of Xisha Islands in a 14-hour voyage. Traveling from offshore area to abyssal zone, visitors are excited to see the changes in the colors of seawater.
Water depth changes tremendously in this area, varying from dozens of meters to hundreds of meters. There are many marine products, like hawksbill and various fishes, said Ma Tao, captain of the liner.
The liner has to dock near the Yongle atoll due to the shallow water. Visitors can reach the three islands of Yagong Island, Yinyu Island and Quanfu Island by speed boat. Here they can dive, swim, go fishing, lie on beach and take photos of the beautiful scenery to their hearts' content.
I like photography and enjoy recording anything I think worth remembering. For example, the daily life of fishermen and natural scenery, including fishermen drying fish, and so forth, said Huang Bing, a visitor.
Many visitors put stickers of national flag of China on their face or clothes. When they step on the Xisha Islands, they would stand facing the national flag and take oath.
When I saw the five-star red flag fluttering in wind on the Yagong Island, I felt so proud to be a Chinese, said a visitor from Shanghai.
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Stunning aerial footage of the Boao Forum host, Hainan Province
Under the theme An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity, the Boao Forum 2018 opens this weekend in south China's tropical Hainan Province. Join CGTN and enjoy the stunning aerial footage of the place.
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