Xisha Islands
By admin on 2015-03-04

Attraction Type:

• Beaches & Coastlines in China

? History

Xisha (Paracel Islands) is China’s territory since ancient times, here referred to as "thousands of sands" in the past, is the only way to south of China Sea. As early as the Sui dynasty, our country has already sent envoys via the South China Sea to Malaysia, Tang monk Yijing also arrived in India via Xisha Islands. In the ancient time, those merchant ships full of pottery and porcelain, silk and spices went from here, so here is also known as “Marine silk road”. It is located about 180 nautical miles southeast of Hainan Island, and eastern sand, the Nansha Islands constitute China's southernmost territory. Paracel Islands, stretching from northeast to southwest, in the long 250 km and a width of 150 km of the sea where, from 45 islands, continents, reef, beach composition. 
 

Since Xisha Islands are far offshore and rarely visited, the water around them is very clean, with a visibility of 40 meters. Xisha has a long stretch of continuous coral reefs. Sea plants and fishes of great variety live nearby and numerous sea birds inhabit the islands. Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests but there are no permanent human residents except for a small number of troops. In recent years, some tourists have started to discover the islands. With beautiful natural scenery and fresh air, Xisha Islands have many coconut trees. The annual average temperature is around 26 degrees Celsius. The original wild islands have turned into gardens on the sea.

? Geography

Xisha islands located in the northwest of the south China sea, 310 km southeast of Hainan island, the main part is in the north latitude 15 ° 40 '- 17 ° 10', longitude 110 °, 113 °.Submarine topography of Xisha as step for the northern continental slope of the south China sea, is a sea plateau with depth of 1500-2000 m above the central deep-sea plains.

Xisha islands have many reefs, eight atolls, and 1 platform reef, one reef beach, the dry out atoll reef body area of 1836.4 square kilometers, including reef flat area of 221.6 square kilometers, the lagoon area of 1614.8 square kilometers. Atoll reef and platform reef on the development of the grey sand island are with a total of 28, moreover there is a high volcanic breccia island.

 

? Specialty

? 1. The flying fish
Visiting to Xisha Islands you can see many scene of which can not be seed elsewhere, among them, the silver flying fish “flying” on the blue sea is a spectacle.

Flying fish with developed pectoral fins are like the wings of a dragonfly, when it go up to sea surface, wide pectoral fins can make it glide tens of meters in the air. When flying fish spring out of sea surface one by one, ups and downs, it is very charming.

? 2. Natural forest
Xisha islands are located in the south of the tropic of cancer with enough rainfall; water temperature changes are small in the islands nearby waters. The superior natural conditions forming the Paracel islands peculiar landscape-natural forests.