Watching the sea is undoubtedly my favorite way of traveling. I love going to the beach every summer and enjoying different seascapes and landscapes.
In the first half of this year, I had the most frequent beach visits, including trips to Weihai, Dalian, Huizhou, Phuket, and Koh Samui.
However, when someone asked me where to find the best sea views in Zhejiang, I, as a Zhejiang native, found it quite challenging to answer. I feel that any place is fine on a sunny day, but the experience is greatly diminished on cloudy days.
I also checked our Xiyou backend and found that we had covered almost all the islands and coastal areas in Zhejiang, but surprisingly missed Dongtou in Wenzhou!Taking advantage of the good weather, I went straight to Dongtou for a 3-day and 2-night trip, which was very enjoyable.
The “Pearl of the East China Sea” is truly amazing
Dongtou is one of the 14 island counties in China, known as the “Hundred Islands of Dongtou” and the “Pearl of the East China Sea.” The larger islands, such as Dongtou Island, Damen Island, Banping Island, Lingkun Island, Huagang Island, and Zhongyu Island, are all accessible by car, eliminating the hassle of taking a boat, which is quite convenient for children and the elderly.
The major islands of Dongtou are located in the nearshore area. Just as you recover from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can smell the slightly salty sea breeze.
This time, I didn’t go to Damen Island or Xiaomen Island but followed the route along the Lingnei North Embankment towards Dongtou Island.
Perhaps due to the good weather, the sea near Dongtou was even bluer than I had imagined (bluer than the nearshore waters of Zhoushan).
During my 3-day stay in Dongtou, I had a pretty packed itinerary.
The first step in planning an island itinerary is to find suitable spots for watching the sunrise and sunset, then link the island’s worthwhile places according to their proximity.
Here’s my itinerary:
DAY 1: Zhongputuo Temple – Dongao Fishing Village – Colorful Fishing Village – Banping Island
DAY 2: Gewei Reef (sunrise) – Food hunting in Dongtou Town – Little Erhai – Wanghai Tower – Meihua Reef (sunset)
Zhongputuo Temple
🎫Free
Zhongputuo Temple is located in the center of Dongtou Island. It is named “Zhongputuo” because of its location between Putuo in Zhoushan and Nanputuo in Xiamen, and it is a famous Guanyin Bodhisattva Dojo.
The temple was expanded based on the original “Dongling Temple,” which is still preserved inside.
Entering the mountain gate, you can see a tall standing statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Follow the steps up to reach the first hall, the Heavenly Kings Hall.
The main hall, Dayuantong Hall, houses a 9-meter-tall bronze statue of the “Thousand-hand Guanyin,” the largest bronze Buddha statue in Zhongputuo Temple.
Exiting the main hall, you will see the Mazu Temple and the God of Wealth Temple. This was the first time I saw a Mazu Temple inside a Buddhist temple.
Dongtou is heavily influenced by Minnan culture, and it seems unsurprising to see Mazu Temples in Buddhist temples along the southeastern coast.
Dongao Fishing Village
🎫Free
Dongao Fishing Village is a lively small fishing village close to Xiandieyan and Banping Mountain Scenic Area.
There are many homestays and restaurants in the village, making it a good choice for accommodation. Moreover, Dongao Beach, as a free beach, has one of the best sand qualities in Dongtou.
The village features a mix of small Western-style houses and ancient dwellings, with murals depicting marine elements and fishing life adorning the streets and alleys, making it very picturesque.
Although most villagers are now engaged in the tourism and catering industry, you can still see many people continuing their daily fishing routine of setting out at sunrise and returning at sunset. Of course, if you are also interested in such offshore activities, you can experience them in Dongao Village.
Colorful Fishing Village – Dongtou Village
🎫Free
Dongtou Village is not far from Dongao Village and is located on the north side of Dongtou’s central fishing port, overlooking Banping Island and Daqiu Island.
I chose to stay in a homestay here this time, which was quite convenient for going anywhere. The Colorful Fishing Village in Dongtou shares similarities with Xiaoruo Village in Wenling. Rows of stone houses are painted in various bold colors, making you feel like you’ve stumbled into a fairy tale world as you enter the village.
You can wander aimlessly through the village, choosing randomly at forks in the road. Every corner is a surprise, and any inconspicuous spot can be turned into an island blockbuster.
Dongtou Village is not very large and is more suitable for friends who enjoy strolling or photography enthusiasts.
To capture the full view of the Colorful Fishing Village, you need to go to the Banping Bridge or Jiucaiao Beach.
By the way, on the way from Dongao Fishing Village to Colorful Dongtou Village, there is a square called “International Release Platform,” next to which you can experience offshore bungee jumping. Brave friends can give it a try.
Banping Island
🎫 Banping Mountain: 27 yuan, Jiucaiao Beach: 128 yuan
From the main island, you can reach Banping Island by walking along the Banping Bridge. This island is not large and mainly features different attractions such as Banping Mountain, Jiucaiao Beach, and the Sea Moon Embankment.
The west side of Banping Island has a fishing port, villages, and farmland, while the east side of the island looks as if it has been chopped by a sharp axe, with cliffs and precipices rising straight up, which is particularly fitting for the name “Banping Mountain.”
Since most of the natural scenic spots are distributed on the strong marine erosion coast on the east side of the island, if you want to see spectacular scenery, just head east.
The west side of Banping Island is more suitable for photography and vacationing. Jiucaiao Beach Park is the largest artificial beach in Wenzhou, with quite soft sand.
However, this beach charges an admission fee, and it costs 128 yuan per person, which is quite expensive, but it includes many experiential activities (small train, go-karts, circus performances, horseback riding photography, etc. In the evening, there are also music concerts, folk performances, fireworks shows, and other activities).
Not far from Jiucaiao Beach, there is a Sea Moon Embankment that extends straight into the sea, making it a great place to watch the sunset. There are quite a few art installations on the long embankment, which are obviously set up for photography.
Gewei Reef (Sunrise Viewing)
🎫 Free
When it comes to watching the sunrise in Dongtou, Gewei Reef and Jinsha Beach are relatively good options, but Jinsha Beach is too popular. I recommend the more niche Gewei Reef. If you are self-driving, you can navigate to “Gewei Reef Wedding Photography Base.”
There is no beach here, but the reef rocks are very beautiful. The natural double-embracing rocks on the sea surface look like a pair of lovers embracing in the sea. Coupled with the sea surface turned red by the afterglow, it is indeed breathtakingly beautiful.
Zhongyu Scenic Area (Little Erhai)
🎫 Free
The scenic area that everyone calls “Little Erhai” is actually called Zhongyu Scenic Area. It is not on the main island of Dongtou but on Zhongyu Island between Shajiao Village and Huagang Bridge.
At the entrance of the scenic area, there is a Tianhou Palace, and next to it, in the Mazu Culture Square, stands a statue of Mazu with a kind face, full of deep affection, gazing out at the sea.
Walking further in, you can see very distinctive colorful breakwaters. The nearly 1,000-meter-long breakwater is equipped with English signposts, hearts, and other creative props for photo ops, using the blue sky, white clouds, and the sea as the backdrop, capturing everyone in every corner of “Little Erhai.”
The scenic area has opened up a small beach with quite fine sand, and it is no problem for children to dig in the sand here. In addition, there are also some paid activities that are quite suitable for children, such as a water park, pedal boats, small train…
Little Erhai is also the best place to take photos of Huagang Village across the sea. This village has hundreds of “tiger skin” stone buildings, with construction dates mostly dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Before leaving Little Erhai, you can visit Huagang Village and enjoy the freshest seafood.
Wanghai Tower
🎫 12 yuan (original price 30 yuan)
Wanghai Tower is a landmark building in Dongtou, located at the highest point of the main island of Dongtou. Climbing the tower and looking into the distance, you can almost see the full view of Dongtou.
The interior of Wanghai Tower is like a museum, with the first to fifth floors featuring “Sails and Anchors,” “Farming the Sea and Herding Fish,” “Minnan and Oujiang Customs,” “Intangible Cultural Heritage Wonders,” and “Observation Gallery,” respectively.
Meihua Reef (Sunset)
🎫 Free
Speaking of places to watch the sunset in Dongtou, there are quite a few, such as the Sea Moon Embankment and Jiucaiao Beach on Banping Island, Tongxin Park near the city center, etc. But I highly recommend Meihua Reef! Because it is relatively hidden, it can be considered a private spot for many sunset lovers, with few people and beautiful scenery.
The name Meihua Reef actually refers to a reef rock protruding from the sea surface between Baidie Cape and Xiaoqu Island. It is said to resemble a plum blossom, but it is too far away for me to tell.
In the middle of the reef stands a lighthouse, and the atmosphere of the sunset and the lighthouse is really strong!
It’s worth mentioning that the route to Meihua Reef passes through a relatively narrow mountain road, where parking problems are easily encountered. Taking a taxi may be the best choice (you can also get a taxi back, but you may need to wait for a while).
Seafood is indeed the best!
I have introduced the attractions I visited during my 3-day, 2-night trip, but a trip without delicious food is incomplete!I have always felt that the seafood from the East China Sea is the most delicious (just my personal opinion), and Dongtou’s seafood is also famous for being fresh and authentic.
There are many seafood restaurants and noodle shops in Dongtou, all using the freshest seasonal ingredients and the most authentic cooking methods. Just let your stomach loose and eat!
Haha Noodle Shop
📍 No. 30, Zhenqian Street, Dongtou District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Other recommended seafood noodle shops: Zhu Jiejie Seafood Noodles, Face to Face Soup Noodle Shop.
Haha Noodle Shop is located on Zhenqian Street, where there are many delicious food options. Another popular old shop, Furong Fish Ball, is right next door.
When you come to Haha Noodle Shop, you must try their seafood noodles. There are 20 yuan and 35 yuan options, mainly differing in the seafood (the seafood is not fixed and is basically the freshest seasonal seafood).
I deliberately ordered the more expensive one, and it was very generously portioned. The presence of seafood in the bowl was extremely strong, with fresh fish, shrimp, crab, and shellfish all bathing together in a thick soup full of the taste of seawater, giving off a rich, fragrant aroma.
The small yellow croaker inside was pre-fried, and the fish meat was tender and delicious. The other seafood was all blanched, with a slightly salty and fishy taste, but I could fully accept it. The noodles, fully soaked in the soup, had the perfect softness and hardness, with a slight chewiness, which was very satisfying!
Furong Fish Ball
📍 No. 26, Zhenqian Street, Dongtou District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Furong Fish Ball has been open for more than a decade and is one of the most famous food shops in Dongtou.
The cat ears here are well-known far and wide (a specialty of Dongtou), a sweet snack similar to “tangyuan,” mainly made with sweet potato starch for the skin, which is soft, glutinous, and very chewy. The fillings are mostly peanuts, sesame, and sugar.
The seafood noodles here are also delicious, as they are seasonal, with similar types of seafood as next door, only slightly different in vegetable side dishes.
Another signature dish is the fish balls, which are made of fish paste and are very chewy, with a taste similar to Fujian meat swallows.
As for the seafood restaurants, I feel they are all pretty much the same, so I won’t introduce individual shops. Instead, I’ll summarize the main areas where these restaurants are concentrated.
- Dongtou Village Seafood Restaurants: Located on the seaside of Dongtou Qicai Village, spacious and open, with singing performances in the evening.
- Dongao Wharf Seafood Restaurants: Located in Dongao Fishing Village, with numerous shops and restaurants set up along the port and wharf. The reviews of the restaurants in this area are all quite good.
- Jiuting Seafood Food Street: If you are staying near the city area, this is your first choice.
Finally, if you want to buy seafood to take home, you can go to the “Zui Seafood” distribution center, Xincheng Farmers Market, Beiao Farmers Market, Sanpan Wharf, and other locations to purchase seafood.
Dongtou Transportation Tips
- Take the high-speed train to “Wenzhou South Station.”
- Take a plane to “Wenzhou Longwan International Airport.”
- Public transportation: You can take the S1 rail transit to Lingkun Station, then transfer to Dongtou Bus No. 9 (if you want to save time, you can also carpool at Lingkun Station for about 70 yuan).
- Rental car: It is most convenient to rent a car directly at Wenzhou South Station.
- Shareholders within Zhejiang Province can drive themselves, taking about 4.5 hours from Hangzhou; it is also suitable to drive from northern Fujian, taking about 4 hours from Fuzhou.
Dongtou Accommodation Recommendations
When going to Dongtou, it is mainly recommended to stay on the main island. There are many resort hotels and B&Bs, with those close to the sea being slightly more expensive, mostly between 600-1000 yuan.
However, some seaside B&Bs also have a good price-performance ratio, with rooms that have a relatively good view for basically 300-400 yuan. Most of the B&Bs are concentrated in the Qicai Dongtou Village and Dongao Fishing Village area.
Dongtou, half mountain and half sea, with beautiful scenery, is most suitable for leisurely strolls by the sea and experiencing endless sea fun. Moreover, because of convenient transportation, it is not stressful to bring children, so I think it is a sea island that can be considered for summer vacation with children (the quality of Dongtou’s beaches is generally average, but it is okay for children to dig in the sand; additionally, many of Dongtou’s beaches are clearly priced and require payment).
I wonder, which is your favorite sea island?
