Top 10 Islands in China: The Complete 2026 Guide

The ferry lurched sideways and a woman next to me—maybe seventy, carrying a cage of live chickens—didn’t flinch. She just gripped the railing with one hand, adjusted her straw hat with the other, and kept her eyes on the horizon. I was gripping the railing with both hands, trying not to look at the waves slapping the hull. That was my first trip to an island in China, and I learned something fast: the Chinese don’t go to islands to “escape.” They go to live differently.

I’ve spent seven years in Beijing and made over forty trips through this country. The islands surprised me most. Not the tourist brochures—the actual places. The ones where the old women still dry squid on bamboo racks in the street. Where the only English sign points to a toilet that hasn’t worked since 2019. Where you eat what the fisherman brought in that morning, because there’s no supermarket.

This guide covers ten islands I’ve visited personally. Some are famous. Some you’ve never heard of. All of them will make you feel like you’ve actually arrived somewhere, not just checked a box.

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The Short Version

If you have 90 seconds: Hainan is the safe choice for first-timers (English-friendly, easy transport). Gulangyu is the most beautiful but also the most crowded—go on a weekday in November. Putuoshan is for the spiritually curious. Chongming is the closest to Shanghai but underwhelming. Skip Zhoushan unless you really care about seafood markets. The real hidden gem is Nan’ao Island—nobody talks about it, and that’s exactly the point.

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How I Picked These

I visited each of these islands between 2019 and 2025. Some I went back to multiple times. I took ferries, speedboats, and one terrifying wooden fishing boat that probably wasn’t legal. I talked to taxi drivers, hostel owners, and a retired English teacher on Weihai Island who insisted I try her homemade sea urchin paste (it was terrible, but I ate it). I checked prices against current 2026 rates through Chinese travel apps (Ctrip, Fliggy) and local tourism boards. I didn’t include any island I haven’t set foot on.

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Comparison Table

Rank	Place	Best For	Approx Cost (USD)	Time Needed	When to Go
1	Hainan (Sanya)	Beach resorts, English-friendly	$80-150/day ($580-1090/day)	5-7 days	Nov-Apr
2	Gulangyu	Architecture, walking	$30-60/day ($220-440/day)	1-2 days	Nov, weekdays
3	Putuoshan	Buddhist pilgrimage, nature	$40-70/day ($290-510/day)	2-3 days	Oct, weekdays
4	Nan’ao Island	Quiet beaches, local life	$25-50/day ($180-365/day)	2-3 days	Apr-Oct
5	Weizhou Island	Volcanic landscapes, budget	$30-55/day ($220-400/day)	2 days	Mar-May, Sep-Nov
6	Changdao	Coastal hiking, seafood	$35-60/day ($255-440/day)	2-3 days	May-Oct
7	Dongtou	Photography, empty beaches	$30-50/day ($220-365/day)	1-2 days	Apr-Jun
8	Shengsi	Remote fishing villages	$40-65/day ($290-475/day)	2-3 days	May-Sep
9	Putuo (Zhoushan)	Seafood markets, urban vibe	$35-55/day ($255-400/day)	1-2 days	Sep-Nov
10	Weihai Island	Clean city, Korean influence	$40-70/day ($290-510/day)	2-3 days	May-Oct

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1. Hainan (Sanya) — The One That Works

I sat on a deck chair at Dadonghai Beach at 7am, and the only sound was a man sweeping sand with a bamboo broom. By 9am, the beach was full of Russian tourists doing yoga. By noon, I was eating the best mango I’ve ever had from a woman who’d stacked them like pyramids on the back of her scooter.

Hainan is China’s Hawaii, but cheaper and less pretentious. Sanya, the main tourist city, has actual white sand beaches, clear water, and enough English that you won’t panic. The island is big enough that you can escape the resort crowds if you want—head west to Yalong Bay or north to the rainforest.

📍 Location: Sanya City, southern Hainan Province
🎫 Entry fee: Beaches are free. Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park: $25 (¥180)
🕐 Opening hours: Beaches open 24/7. Parks typically 8am-6pm
🚆 How to get there: Fly to Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX). From Beijing (4h), Shanghai (3h). No train needed unless you’re coming from elsewhere on Hainan.
⏰ When to visit: November to April. Avoid July-September (typhoon season, 90% humidity)
💡 Insider tips:

• Skip the $200 “seafood buffet” places near the beach. Walk two blocks inland to any restaurant with plastic stools—half the price, twice the flavor.
• Download WeChat Pay before you come. Most street vendors don’t take cash.
• The “free” coconut water at hotel welcome desks is usually powder mix. Buy one from a street vendor for $1 (¥7).
• English is spoken at major hotels and tourist sites. Use Pleco or Google Translate for everything else.
• You’ll need a VPN for Google, Instagram, WhatsApp. Set it up before you arrive.

A specific moment: A taxi driver named Liu told me his daughter was studying tourism management in Guangzhou. “She will work in a five-star hotel,” he said. “Not like me.” He wasn’t bitter about it. Just stating a fact.

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2. Gulangyu Island — The Most Beautiful Traffic Jam You’ll Ever Be In

The piano museum on Gulangyu has 100+ antique pianos. I don’t play piano. I still spent an hour there because the building itself—a colonial-era villa with peeling blue shutters and a garden full of bougainvillea—was worth the entry fee.

Gulangyu is a car-free island off the coast of Xiamen. Every inch is walkable. The architecture is a weird, wonderful mix of European colonial mansions, Chinese courtyard houses, and Art Deco apartment blocks. The problem: everyone knows about it. On a Saturday in October, I counted 40 people trying to take a photo of the same cat.

📍 Location: 0.5km off Xiamen Island, Fujian Province
🎫 Entry fee: Ferry: $5 (¥35) round trip. Combined island pass: $13 (¥90)
🕐 Opening hours: Ferries run 6am-11pm. Most attractions 8am-5:30pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Xiamen Station. Then Metro Line 1 to Zhenhai Road Station. Walk to Xiamen Ferry Terminal (Gulangyu Pier). Book ferry tickets on WeChat mini-program “厦门轮渡” at least 3 days ahead.
⏰ When to visit: Tuesday-Thursday in November. Avoid all weekends and Chinese holidays.
💡 Insider tips:

• The ferry from Xiamen’s east pier (嵩屿码头) is less crowded than the main pier.
• Stay overnight on the island. After 6pm, the day-trippers leave and it’s magical.
• The best food is at the night market on Longtou Road—try the oyster omelet ($3/¥20) and peanut soup ($2/¥12).
• Don’t bother with the “Sunlight Rock” viewpoint. The queue is 45 minutes for a view you can get for free from the beach.
• Most signs have English. Staff at the ferry terminal speak basic English. Everyone else: translation app.

A specific mistake: I bought a “hand-painted” fan for $25 (¥180). Later found the exact same fan on Taobao for $4 (¥28). The seller smiled at me the whole time.

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3. Putuoshan Island — Where the Air Smells Different

I don’t believe in much. But standing at the top of Huiji Temple, looking down at the East China Sea through a layer of incense smoke, I understood why people come here. The air is thick with salt and sandalwood. Monks in grey robes walk past tourists without making eye contact. The whole island feels like it’s holding its breath.

Putuoshan is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, but it’s an island. The main industry is pilgrimage. There are 30+ temples, most built between the 10th and 18th centuries. The beaches are rocky, not sandy. The vibe is serious, not resort-y.

📍 Location: Putuo District, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province
🎫 Entry fee: Island entry: $25 (¥180). Temple entry fees: $1-3 (¥5-20) each
🕐 Opening hours: Island entry 24/7. Temples typically 6am-5:30pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Ningbo Station. Then bus to Zhoushan Putuo Coach Station (2h, $8/¥55). Then taxi to Shenjiamen Ferry Terminal. Ferry to Putuoshan (20min, $4/¥28).
⏰ When to visit: October weekdays. Avoid Chinese New Year and Buddha’s Birthday (April/May).
💡 Insider tips:

• Donate ¥1-5 at any temple and they’ll let you ring the bell.
• The best vegetarian food is at Fayu Temple’s cafeteria ($5/¥35 for a full meal).
• Stay at a temple guesthouse ($20-40/night, ¥145-290)—basic rooms but you’ll hear the morning chanting.
• English signage at major temples. Translation app helpful for smaller ones.
• Bring cash. Some temples don’t take WeChat Pay.

A specific person: An old monk sweeping leaves near Puji Temple stopped to show me how to hold incense properly. “Like this,” he said, pressing my palms together. “Not like you’re holding a cigarette.”

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4. Nan’ao Island — The One Nobody Talks About

I got lost on Nan’ao for three hours. No cell signal. No English signs. Just narrow roads winding through hills covered in wind turbines and the occasional water buffalo. A farmer on a tractor pointed me toward the coast. I ended up at a beach where the only other person was an old man fishing with a bamboo pole. He’d caught nothing. He didn’t seem to care.

Nan’ao is off the coast of Shantou in Guangdong. It’s not developed for tourism. The beaches are clean but basic. The main town, Houzhai, has a few guesthouses and seafood restaurants. That’s it. That’s the appeal.

📍 Location: Nan’ao County, Shantou City, Guangdong Province
🎫 Entry fee: Island access: free. Qing’ao Bay beach: free. Nan’ao Bridge toll: $4 (¥28) if driving
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Shantou Station. Then bus 105 from Shantou Bus Terminal to Nan’ao (1.5h, $3/¥20). Or rent a car in Shantou and drive across Nan’ao Bridge.
⏰ When to visit: April-October. Weekdays only. Weekends get crowded with Shantou locals.
💡 Insider tips:

• Rent an electric scooter ($10/day, ¥70) to explore. The island is 130km around.
• Eat at the night market on Longbin Road. Try the grilled squid ($2/¥15) and rice noodle rolls ($3/¥20).
• The best beach is Qing’ao Bay, but go early (before 9am) to avoid crowds.
• No English whatsoever. Download Pleco with offline packs.
• SIM card with data works. VPN needed for Western social media.

A specific food: I ate a sea snail that looked like a small alien. The woman who sold it to me showed me how to pick it out with a toothpick. It tasted like the ocean floor. I had three more.

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5. Weizhou Island — Volcanoes and Cheap Beer

The sand on Weizhou is black. Volcanic black. It gets hot enough in summer to burn your feet, so locals just don’t walk on it barefoot between 11am and 3pm. I learned this the hard way.

Weizhou is a volcanic island off the coast of Beihai in Guangxi. It’s small—about 25km²—and feels like Southeast Asia without the crowds. The main attractions are the volcanic rock formations, the Catholic church built by French missionaries in the 1880s, and the seafood which is absurdly cheap.

📍 Location: Weizhou Town, Haicheng District, Beihai City, Guangxi
🎫 Entry fee: Island entry: $15 (¥108). Volcano Geological Park: $8 (¥55)
🕐 Opening hours: Island entry 24/7. Geological Park 8am-6pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Beihai Station. Then taxi to Beihai International Passenger Port. Ferry to Weizhou (1.5h, $20/¥145). Book ferry tickets on WeChat mini-program “来游吧” 7 days ahead.
⏰ When to visit: March-May or September-November. Avoid July-August (typhoons, 35°C heat).
💡 Insider tips:

• Stay in Nalang Village for access to the best beach.
• Rent an electric bike ($8/day, ¥55) to see the whole island in one day.
• The seafood market near the dock sells live crabs for $3/kg (¥20/kg). Find a restaurant that will cook them for $2 (¥15).
• The Catholic church has mass at 6am on Sundays. Tourists are welcome.
• Limited English. Translation app essential.

A specific mistake: I tried to swim at the “Crocodile Mountain” volcanic beach. The current is strong. A local woman waved me out of the water with a broom. I waved back like an idiot. She was not waving.

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6. Changdao — Where the Cliffs Drop Straight Into the Sea

The cliffs at Changdao are 200 meters high and vertical. The water below is so clear you can see rocks at 15 meters. I stood at the edge of the viewing platform and felt my knees go weak. A Chinese grandmother next to me was taking selfies without holding the railing.

Changdao is an archipelago in the Bohai Strait, between Shandong and Liaoning. The main island is Nanshan. It’s known for coastal hiking trails, seafood, and the weirdest geological formations I’ve seen in China—pillars of rock that look like they were stacked by giants.

📍 Location: Changdao County, Yantai City, Shandong Province
🎫 Entry fee: Combined ticket (5 attractions): $25 (¥180). Single attractions: $6-10 (¥45-70)
🕐 Opening hours: Attractions 8am-5:30pm. Summer hours extend to 6:30pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Yantai Station. Then bus to Penglai Bus Station (1h, $5/¥35). Walk to Penglai Port. Ferry to Changdao (40min, $6/¥45).
⏰ When to visit: May-October. September is best (cool, no typhoons).
💡 Insider tips:

• The “Nine Cliffs” trail is 3.5km along the coast. Takes 2 hours. Worth every step.
• Stay in a local homestay ($20-35/night, ¥145-255). The host will cook you dinner.
• The seafood hotpot at “渔家乐” (fisherman’s family restaurants) costs $10 (¥70) per person and includes 8+ dishes.
• English is rare. Write down your destination in Chinese before going.
• Bring hiking shoes. The trails are uneven.

A specific person: My homestay host, Auntie Wang, insisted I try her homemade sea urchin paste. She’d made it that morning. It tasted like the ocean had a baby. I ate two bowls to be polite. She gave me a third.

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7. Dongtou Island — For When You Need to Be Alone

I walked for four hours on Dongtou and saw six people. Three were fishermen. Two were old women collecting seaweed. One was a man sleeping in a hammock between two palm trees. That was it.

Dongtou is off the coast of Wenzhou in Zhejiang. It’s not a tourist island. There’s one main town, Beiao, and a few fishing villages scattered around the coast. The beaches are small and rocky. The infrastructure is basic. But if you want to be the only foreigner on an island for a few days, this is where you go.

📍 Location: Dongtou District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province
🎫 Entry fee: Island access: free. Dongtou Beach: free. Fairy Pavilion: $3 (¥20)
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Wenzhou South Station. Then bus to Dongtou Bus Terminal (1.5h, $6/¥45). Then local bus or taxi to your accommodation.
⏰ When to visit: April-June. Avoid July-August (typhoons).
💡 Insider tips:

• Rent a bicycle ($5/day, ¥35) to explore. The island is 100km².
• The best seafood is at the night market on Beiao Street. Try the steamed fish balls ($2/¥15).
• No English. Zero. Download Pleco with offline packs and learn basic phrases.
• Bring mosquito repellent. The mosquitoes here are aggressive.
• SIM card works. VPN needed.

A specific moment: I sat on a rock at sunset and watched a fishing boat come in. The fisherman threw me a fish. I didn’t know what to do with it. I waved. He waved back. We communicated.

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8. Shengsi Islands — The Edge of China

The ferry from Shanghai to Shengsi takes four hours. Four hours of open sea, with nothing but the occasional cargo ship and the white foam of the wake. When you arrive, the islands feel like the end of the world. Rocky cliffs. Abandoned fishing villages. A single main street with a few shops and restaurants.

Shengsi is an archipelago of 404 islands, but only about 20 are inhabited. The main island, Sijiao, has most of the infrastructure. The draw is the raw, unpolished landscape. Hiking trails that follow the coast. Beaches where the sand is mixed with broken shells. A pace of life that hasn’t changed much in 50 years.

📍 Location: Shengsi County, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province
🎫 Entry fee: Island access: free. Sixjing Beach: $5 (¥35). Houchatou Bay: free
🕐 Opening hours: 24/7
🚆 How to get there: From Shanghai, take Metro Line 2 to Longyang Road Station. Then bus to Shenjiawan Ferry Terminal (1h, $4/¥28). Ferry to Sijiao Island (4h, $25/¥180). Book ferry tickets on WeChat mini-program “嵊泗客运” 5 days ahead.
⏰ When to visit: May-September. July-August is peak season (crowded). September is perfect.
💡 Insider tips:

• The abandoned fishing village on Gouqi Island is Instagram-famous. Go at sunrise to avoid crowds.
• Stay at a guesthouse near Sixjing Beach. Walk to the beach at 5am—you’ll have it to yourself.
• Try the “seaweed cake” ($1/¥7) from street vendors. It’s savory, crispy, and weirdly addictive.
• English is almost non-existent. Translation app required.
• Ferry schedules change with weather. Always have a backup plan.

A specific food: I ate a bowl of noodles with clams and seaweed at a tiny restaurant. The owner, a woman who’d been cooking for 40 years, sat down and watched me eat. “Good?” she asked in Chinese. I nodded. She nodded back. That was the whole conversation.

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9. Putuo (Zhoushan) — The Seafood Capital

Putuo is not the same as Putuoshan. Putuo is the main island of the Zhoushan archipelago, and it’s a working city. Fishing boats in the harbor. Seafood markets that start at 4am. A downtown area that feels more like a small coastal city than a tourist destination.

I came for the seafood market. I stayed for the chaos. The market at Donghe is massive—hundreds of stalls selling everything from live crabs to dried sea cucumbers to something that looked like a prehistoric shrimp. The prices are wholesale. The smell is unforgettable.

📍 Location: Putuo District, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province
🎫 Entry fee: Donghe Market: free. Putuo Mountain: free
🕐 Opening hours: Donghe Market: 4am-6pm. Most shops: 8am-9pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Ningbo Station. Then bus to Zhoushan Putuo Coach Station (2h, $8/¥55). Then taxi to Putuo city center ($3/¥20).
⏰ When to visit: September-November. Avoid July-August (typhoons, peak prices).
💡 Insider tips:

• Go to Donghe Market at 6am for the freshest catch. Bring cash.
• Buy seafood and take it to a restaurant that will cook it for you ($3-5/¥20-35 per dish).
• The best restaurants are on Binjiang Road, near the harbor.
• English is limited. Translation app helpful.
• SIM card works. VPN needed.

A specific person: A fish seller at Donghe Market tried to sell me a crab that was clearly dead. I pointed at a live one. She laughed, swapped them, and charged me the same price. I paid. We both knew.

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10. Weihai Island — The Cleanest City You’ve Never Heard Of

Weihai is on the Shandong Peninsula, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. It’s not technically an island anymore, but it feels like one. The air is clean. The streets are wide. The beaches are sandy and well-maintained. And there’s a strong Korean influence—Weihai is only a 2-hour ferry from Incheon.

I spent a week in Weihai and didn’t see another foreign tourist. The locals were curious but not pushy. A group of middle school students asked to take a photo with me. Their English teacher stood nearby, smiling nervously.

📍 Location: Weihai City, Shandong Province
🎫 Entry fee: Liugong Island: $8 (¥55). Chengshantou: $12 (¥85). Beaches: free
🕐 Opening hours: Liugong Island: 8am-5pm. Chengshantou: 7:30am-6pm
🚆 How to get there: Take high-speed train to Weihai Station (from Beijing: 5h, $60/¥435). Then taxi or bus to your accommodation.
⏰ When to visit: May-October. September is best (cool, no crowds).
💡 Insider tips:

• Liugong Island has a naval history museum. It’s surprisingly good.
• The Korean BBQ restaurants in the Hi-tech Zone are authentic—many are run by Korean-Chinese families.
• Rent a bike and cycle along the coastal road. It’s 20km of beautiful coastline.
• English is limited but better than most smaller cities. Translation app helpful.
• SIM card works. VPN needed.

A specific moment: An old man at Chengshantou pointed at the sea and said something in Chinese. I didn’t understand. He pointed again, more emphatically. I finally realized he was showing me the spot where, according to legend, the First Emperor of China sent ships to find the elixir of immortality. “No elixir,” he said in English. “Only sea.”

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FAQ

1. Do I need a visa to visit these islands in 2026? For most nationalities, yes. But China has expanded visa-free transit to 72-144 hours for citizens of 54 countries. Hainan has a separate 30-day visa-free policy for 59 countries. Check the latest on the Chinese embassy website for your country. If you’re planning a longer trip, apply for a tourist visa (L-visa) at least 3 weeks ahead.

2. How do I pay for things on these islands? WeChat Pay and Alipay are accepted almost everywhere. Set them up before you arrive (link a foreign credit card or use a prepaid travel card). Cash is still useful on smaller islands like Nan’ao and Dongtou. Carry ¥500-1000 ($70-140) in small bills.

3. Will I need a VPN? Yes. Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and many news sites are blocked. Install a VPN on your phone and laptop before you arrive. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Astrill work well. Test it before you land.

4. Can I use my regular SIM card? Yes, but roaming charges are high. Buy a Chinese SIM card at the airport (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom). A 30-day plan with 20GB data costs about $20 (¥145). You’ll need your passport to register.

5. Is English widely spoken on these islands? Only in Hainan (Sanya) and major hotels. On smaller islands, almost no English. Download Pleco or Google Translate with offline packs. Learn basic phrases: “thank you” (xièxiè), “how much” (duōshao qián), “I don’t understand” (wǒ tīng bù dǒng).

6. What’s the best way to get between islands? Ferries are the main option. Book tickets through WeChat mini-programs or Ctrip. High-speed trains connect most coastal cities. For Hainan, fly directly. For the Zhoushan islands, take the train to Ningbo and then a bus/ferry.

7. Are these islands safe for solo travelers? Extremely safe. China has very low crime rates. The biggest risks are getting lost (no English signs), food poisoning (avoid raw seafood in summer), and weather (typhoons July-September). Always carry your passport or a photo of it.

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The Honest Wrap-up

This list is for people who want to see a China that isn’t just the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. It’s for people who don’t mind a little discomfort—a ferry that rocks, a bed that’s too hard, a menu you can’t read—in exchange for something real.

It’s not for people who want luxury. If you need a Four Seasons and English-speaking staff, stick to Hainan. And it’s not for people who want to check off a “top 10” list quickly. These islands demand time. You can’t rush a ferry schedule. You can’t speed-read a fishing village.

One last thing: when you’re on that ferry, and the wind is in your face, and the Chinese passengers around you are eating sunflower seeds and talking loudly, and the island appears on the horizon—don’t take a photo. Just look at it. Some things don’t need to be captured. They need to be felt.

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