Nan'ao Island

Nan'ao lies off the eastern Guangdong coast and was connected to the mainland in 2015 by a bridge of about eleven kilometres, which changed it from a ferry-served island to a weekend destination for Shantou and Chaozhou. It has beaches on the southern side, a ridge of wind turbines along the spine that has become a viewpoint drive, and a long maritime history: it was a Ming naval base guarding the approaches to the Chaoshan coast, and a Ming shipwreck excavated offshore in 2007 produced tens of thousands of pieces of export porcelain. Seafood, particularly oysters and squid, is the reason many visitors come.

History

People have lived on Nan'ao since about 6000 BC, when the Neolithic Xiangshan culture settled here, and a site of the Shang and Zhou periods has also been found; the island belonged to Nanyue and then to the Han, and was long a staging post for sea trade along the south-east coast. The Ming and Qing sent 158 officers to garrison it, in 1575 the Ming divided it between Chaozhou and Zhangzhou, the Qing strengthened it in 1685 and made it a ting in 1732 - the old general headquarters still stands - and in 1912 it became Nan'ao County (Wikipedia, Nan'ao County).

What's there

• The bridge crossing - eleven kilometres of causeway to the island.
• The wind turbine ridge - the drive along the spine with sea views both sides.
• The beaches - sandy bays on the southern coast.
• The naval and wreck history - Ming garrison remains and the shipwreck finds.

When to go

October to April for mild weather; summer brings heat, crowds and typhoons between July and September. Weekends fill accommodation since the bridge opened. Seafood is available year-round.

Before you go

Weekend traffic across the bridge queues badly in season. Development has accelerated since the bridge and construction is visible. Beach quality varies and facilities are basic.

Nearby

Shantou lies southwest; Chaozhou is inland.