Liu'ao

Liu'ao (六鳌 Liù'áo) is a peninsula in Zhangpu County of Zhangzhou City, in the southern part of China’s Fujian Province.

Understand
The Liu'ao Peninsula is located in the southern part of Fujian's coastline, south of Xiamen and Zhangzhou. It is one of the windswept sandy spits sticking out into the Taiwan Strait, along with the Gulei Peninsula farther to the southwest. While most of the peninsula is flat and sandy, it also incorporates several rocky hills, which must have been separate islands in the geological past. To China's ancient mariners, the silhouettes of these hills must have been reminiscent of ao, legendary creatures that are depicted as giant fish or turtles. They counted six of them, thus giving the peninsula its name, "Liu'ao" ("Six ao").

Historically, Liu'ao has lived on fish and vegetables. There are still fishing harbors there, and fresh fish and clams abound in local markets; the sandy soil produces sweet potatoes (known locally as 地瓜 dìguā), white radishes, onions, and other crops. These days, however, Lia'ao's relentless wind has become its main natural resource: many dozens of wind power turbine towers have been erected along the peninsula windy west shore, and more are under construction. Tourism is also developing, with people coming to the peninsula for its beaches and a bit of history.

Administratively, Liu'ao Peninsula is incorporated as Liu'ao Town (六鳌镇 Liù'áo zhèn); it includes the actual town (urban area), near the peninsula's southern end, and several villages located along the road running to it from the mainland. The town's government, shops, and services are mostly located along the main street of the Liu'ao Town proper.

By bus
There is a regular bus service from the county seat, Zhangpu, as well as (less frequently) from Zhangzhou and Xiamen.

By train
There is no train station particularly close to Liu'ao. The closest one is, served by the coastal rail line, Shenzhen-Xiamen-Fuzhou; maps indicate that Zhangpu's main bus station is adjacent to the train station, so the bus to Liu'ao probably runs from there.

A much more major train station (on the same line, but with more trains, and, in addition, with some trains from the interior of China) is. As of 2015, Zhangzhou is building its southern bus station adjacent to its train station; when completed, it is likely to become Zhangzhou's terminal for the bus to Liu'ao.

By car or bicycle
If coming by car or bicycle, you probably will be using the coastal road (Hwy S201), to which Liu'ao's main road (X523) connects on the east side of Shentu Town.

If coming from the west (say, from Guangdong), a more scenic route is possible: one can leave the main road in Jiuzhen Town 旧镇, and follow a small road east, which goes across aquaculture ponds and solar evaporation pools of Zhuyu 竹屿 village. As it approaches the base of the Liu'ao Peninsula, look at signs at road forks, and follow the direction to Dadian 大店

Get around
County Route X523 is the peninsula's main road, running mostly along its western side.

Outside of Liu'ao Peninsula
While located outside of the peninsula itself, you can visit these sites as an easy day trip from Liu'ao (which has more accommodation options than the rest of southern Zhangpu County), or see them on the way to the peninsula.

Buy
If you come during the sweet potato harvest season, you will see vendors of this crop all along the peninsula's main road. Visitors coming by car or tourist bus are seen actively buying the stuff; presumably, they view it as better than what's sold in markets in their own cities.

There are a number of small stores, along the same main road, advertising "Liu'ao specialties" - mostly dried sea food, such as seaweeds (both zicai and haidai), squid, and shrimp in various forms.

Eat
More or less upscale restaurants (fàndiàn) can be found all along the main road. Liu'ao town also has a fewer simpler options (two Shāxiàn xiǎochī 沙县小吃 noodle shops, breakfast places, etc). Sweet potato porridge (地瓜粥 dìguā zhōu) appears to be a local specialty.

Sleep
There are accommodation of various types all along the peninsula's main road, with the greatest concentration of them in Liu'ao Town proper. Expect to pay at least ¥100 per night.

Camping seems to be possible; a number of businesses advertise tent rental (帐篷出租).

Go next

 * Zhangzhou
 * Xiamen
 * The Tulou country Fujian Tulou, (Yongding County and Nanjing County)