Located south of the Tropic of Cancer, Zhanjiang enjoys a north tropical sub-humid climate. The year-round warm and humid tropical maritime air endows this bay city with its "fresh and flavorful" character. Zhanjiang's unique urban layout—"sea within the city, a city within the sea, islands within the city, a city surrounded by islands"—features five sparklingislands encircling Zhanjiang Bay: Techeng Island, Nansan Island, Donghai Island, Naozhou Island, and Nanping Island.

Zhanjiang is bordered by the sea on three sides, boasting a maritime area of 21,000 square kilometers. All ten counties and districts under its jurisdiction face the sea, making its coastline the second longest among Chinese cities. Along its 2,000 kilometers of coastline lie over 130 islands of varying sizes.

Donghai Island, the largest island in Guangdong and the fifth largest in China, features a 28-kilometer-long beach, renowned as "China's Longest Beach." Leizhou Bay, home to nearly a thousand ChineseWhiteDolphins, hosts the world's second-largest population of this species. Naozhou Island, China's largest volcanic island, is famous for its striking basalt columnar jointing volcanic rock formations and its extensive black reef coastline, showcasing nature's artistry. Techeng Island, known as the "Red Island" for its red soil and unique red rock formations, is home to nearly a hundred ancient banyan trees and tropical thickets, with mangroves covering over 1,000mu around half the island. Nansan Island, with its fertile land and beautiful scenery, is a haven for migratory birds. Nanping Island, an uninhabited ecological island, hosts "living fossils" like amphioxus and horseshoe crabs, the latter known for their blue blood.

Over the years, Zhanjiang's islands have absorbed surrounding customs and traditions, blending them with their unique characteristics to create a charming island culture.

EveryChinese New Year, Donghai Island's Dongshan Market comes alive with the human dragon dance, a folk performance art with a history of over 300 years, incorporating dragon worship and sea sacrifices to pray for peace and prosperity. Nansan Island's salt farming culture is equally vibrant. The island has a long history of salt production, with residents living by the sea, engaging in fishing, salt farming, and preserving ancient sea salt fields and traditional salt-making techniques. Xianqun Island, with its rich tradition of maritime dragon boat racing, hosts an annual Dragon Boat Culture Festival during the Dragon Boat Festival.

With island tourism becoming a key driver in the cultural and tourism industry, Zhanjiang is actively promoting the integration of coastal tourism with primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Donghai Island, the main industrial hub of Zhanjiang, is home to industrial giants like Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron & Steel, Sino-Korea Petrochemical, BASF, and China Paper, creating an impressive industrial landscape. Naozhou Island, a fusion of fishing, ecology, volcano, revolution, and cultural heritage, boasts a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, abundant resources, and rich cultural history. The island's dragon fruit demonstration base has introduced new varieties like Taiwan's honey dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), Israel's yellow dragon fruit, and Ecuador's pitaya, providing new income sources for local villagers.

Source: Lingnan on the Cloud

湛江：打造国际北热带滨海旅游目的地

湛江地处北回归线以南的低纬度地区，属北热带亚湿润气候，终年活动的热带海洋暖湿气流，赋予这座海湾城市“鲜美”的特质。“海在城中、城在海中、城中有岛、岛立城中”是湛江特别的城市格局，特呈岛、南三岛、东海岛、硇洲岛、南屏岛如5颗璀璨的明珠把湛江湾环抱于怀中。

湛江三面临海，拥有2.1万平方公里的海域面积，所辖10个县（市、区）均面向海洋，海岸线长度居全国城市第二位，在长达2000多公里的海岸线，分布着大大小小130多座岛屿。

其中，广东第一大岛、全国第五大岛东海岛，拥有一条28公里长的海滩，被誉为“中国第一长滩”，在雷州湾畅游着近千条中华白海豚，是世界第二大中华白海豚种群；硇洲岛是中国第一大火山岛，典型的玄武岩柱状节理火山石景观、绵长壮观的黑礁海岸线体现着大自然的鬼斧神工；特呈岛因具有红土地、红怪石等自然景观又被称为“红岛”，岛上有近百棵参天古榕和断续分布的热带灌丛，环绕半个岛屿的红树林覆盖面积达1000多亩；南三岛，水土肥美、风光秀美，让候鸟流连忘返；南屏岛属于原生态无人海岛，岛上生活着脊椎动物演化“活化石”——文昌鱼，以及地球唯一的蓝血“活化石”——鲎。

在多年的历史演进中，湛江许多海岛吸收周围的风俗传统，并融合自身海岛特点，孕育出独具魅力的海岛文化。

每年春节，在东海岛东山圩，人龙舞巡游均会如期上演。人龙舞是从明末清初流传至今300多年历史的民间大型广场表演艺术，以舞龙的方式，融入敬龙、祭海等多种风俗，祈求平安和丰收。在南三岛，盐耕文化也同样光彩夺目。南三岛的制盐历史久远，居民们向海而生，耕海牧渔、取水晒盐，岛上至今还保存有古老的海水盐场、晒制盐工艺及盐耕文化。仙裙岛海域拥有着悠久的海上龙舟赛传统，每年端午节在仙裙岛附近都会举办龙舟文化节。

当下，随着海岛旅游日益成为文旅产业发展的重头戏，湛江大力推动滨海旅游与一二三产业融合发展。东海岛是湛江工业“主战场”，岛上宝钢湛江钢铁、中科炼化、巴斯夫、中国纸业等工业“巨无霸”一字排开，气势恢宏。硇洲岛集渔岛、生态岛、火山岛、革命岛、文物岛于一体，气候宜人、风光旖旎、物产丰富、人文厚重。岛上火龙果示范基地积极引进中国台湾蜜玄龙和以色列无刺黄龙、厄瓜多尔燕窝果等新品种，成为村民增收致富的新途径。

文｜余胜容、李逸涛、湛新
译｜赵凡