Donghai Island

Donghai Island (东海岛) is an island in the South China Sea, located near the city of Zhanjiang. It is mostly known as a beach destination.

Understand
Donghai Island is a large flat island, located in the South China Sea southwest of the city of Zhanjiang. Its main attraction is a long beach which stretches along the entire eastern shore of the island. In the west, the island is connected to the mainland by a long causeway/bridge. The north-central part of the island has a new industrial zone, with a steel mill, an oil refinery, pharmaceutical factories, etc.; it even has a railway connection to the mainland (freight only). The rest of the island, including its south shore, is mostly rural, with fishing villages, aquaculture (shrimp) ponds, and fields of sugar cane, corn, and "lucky bamboo" (富贵竹).

Administratively, the island is part of Mazhang District of Zhanjiang city. The island is divided into three towns (镇), namely Dongshan Town (in the center), Min'an Town (in the west), and Dongjian Town (in the east).

Get in
Several city bus routes from Zhanjiang (mostly, from Xiashan, but some also from Chikan) run into Donghai Island, making frequent stops along their routes. Their destinations include Donghai Island Bus Station (东海岛客运站) in Dongshan Town, Dongjian Bus Station (东简客运站) in Dongjian, Longhaitian Bus Station (龙海天客运站) near Donghai Beach, and the Dongnan Harbor (东南码头, where ferries to Naozhou dock). Useful routes include:
 * No. 32 (Dongti bus station in Xiashan (霞山东堤站) to Dongnan Harbor (东南码头) at the southeastern tip of Donghai Island).

There are also express buses from the mainland (from both bus stations in Zhanjiang, and from Leizhou) to some points in Donghai Island, in particular to the Dongnan Harbor.

An old causeway (can be used by bicycles and motorbikes) and the new bridge parallel to it run to Donghai Island from the southern suburbs of Zhanjiang (the Huguang area). Another bridge, between Donghai Island and the Leizhou City area, is under construction as of 2018.

Owing to the existence of the bridge there are no ferries between the island and the mainland.

Get around
Local buses make frequent stops along their routes.

The island is flat, and the traffic is not heavy, so if you have a bicycle, riding is fairly pleasant.

Do

 * The beach

Sleep
The island can be visited on a day trip from Zhanjiang, but a large numbers of hotels exist in Dongjian Town, along the road to the beach (Guandao Hwy).

Go next

 * Naozhou Island, home of the Sea Turtle City, served by ferries from Donghai Island's Dongnan Wharf (东南码头).
 * Zhanjiang