Taishan Island: A Pearl by the East China Sea, Where You'll Find a Blue Romance Forgotten by Time

Standing on the deck of a ferry in Shacheng Port, Fuding City, the salty sea breeze mixed with the smell of diesel fuel hits you in the face. As the concrete jungle gradually recedes into the skyline, a turquoise sea suddenly unfolds before you—this is Taishan Island, the last secret place on the coast of eastern Fujian. This small island, with an area of only 3.5 square kilometers, is like an emerald washed by waves, reflecting the light and shadow of a 700-year-old fishing village on the edge of the East China Sea. I. A Natural Gallery Carved by the Sea Breeze The mornings on Taishan Island always awaken in the salty sound of the tide. When the first ray of sunlight pierces the sea, three iconic landscapes appear in turn: the morning mist on the tidal flats of Beiqi is like spilled milk, overflowing the laver frames where fishermen dry their seaweed; the red brick houses of the Caochang Village are scattered, and century-old boat anchors lean against the corners of the walls with mottled rust; and the lighthouse in Dongbi Village is casting golden light on the staggered roofs of the fishermen's houses. The islanders still retain the coastal defense traditions from the Ming Dynasty's resistance against Japanese pirates. On the rocky beach opposite Shacheng Port, the ruins of the Ming Dynasty beacon tower echo the solar warning lights of modern fishermen. Whenever the fishing season comes, a long "woo—" sound is mixed into the salty sea breeze, which is the secret language passed down by the fishermen using ancestral conch horns. The rift valley coast on the west side of the island can be called a geological wonder. Hundreds of millions of years of crustal movement have torn the granite into jagged faults. When the tide recedes, the ocher-red rock formations resemble the ribs of a giant beast propped up between the sea and the sky. People catching the sea step on the slippery volcanic rocks, bending over to pick up the mitre shells hidden in the folds, as if they are flipping through the diary of the earth. II. Slow Time Illuminated by Fishing Lights The twilight of Taishan Island always carries an amber-colored tenderness. When the silhouettes of fishing boats return to the port one after another, the pier becomes a flowing feast: the freshly caught yellow croakers with shimmering silver scales jump in plastic baskets, and the fishing grandmas use long-handled iron hooks to pick up whole nets of ghost crabs. The mellow aroma of fermented shrimp oil floats in the air. At the "Seafood Stall" in Dongbi Village, the owner will skewer freshly opened pen shell with bamboo sticks, and you can taste the freshness and sweetness of the Pacific Ocean when you eat it raw with sauce. The old times in the fishing village are hidden in the mottled brick walls. Lin, a 78-year-old grandpa in Caochang Village, still insists on drying fish in the ancient method. The Bombay duck in the bamboo sieve dehydrates and shrinks in the north wind, turning into a translucent amber-colored seafood artwork. When you turn a corner and meet an old woman drying kelp, she will always smile and hand you a bowl of freshly cooked fish ball soup, "Eat it while it's hot, warm your hands!" The sea sacrifice ceremony on the 18th day of the sixth lunar month every year is the most shocking. When the fishing boss wearing a bamboo hat throws pig heads and grains into the sea, twenty fishing boats sound their horns at the same time, and the salty sea breeze rolls the fishy fragrance straight into the sky. The old boatman said that this is the ancestors' prayer for peace to Mazu, which still echoes in the waves. III. Island Survival Guide Starting from Fuding city, it is recommended to drive to Shacheng Port Wharf, and then take the wooden ferry that runs twice a day. The 6am flight can see the sunrise piercing the sea fog, while the last bus at 5pm can encounter the spectacle of "the setting sun and returning sails flying together." Remember to bring non-slip shoes, the slipperiness of the volcanic rock beach is comparable to an ice rink. For accommodation on the island, I recommend the "Shijianhai" homestay in Dongbi Village. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is the breakwater where "The Left Ear" was filmed. If you want to experience the life of a fisherman, the Ahai homestay in Caochang Village provides rental of sea catching equipment. Follow the old captain to go out to sea in the early morning, use a long bamboo pole to fish for yellowfin seabream, and the harvested fish can be cooked on the spot by the homestay owner. The best season is the end of the fishing moratorium from May to August, when the seafood is delicious and there are few tourists. In addition to sunscreen, you must also bring windproof glasses—when the seagull flocks swoop down to grab food, the white feathers will flash so that people can't open their eyes. Special reminder: the islanders still have a life rhythm of "three days of fishing and two days of drying nets", and restaurants usually do not open for lunch until 13:30. When the ferry sounds its departure whistle, looking back at the gradually blurred red light of the lighthouse, I suddenly understand why this isolated island fascinates "National Geographic". There is no Internet celebrity filter here, but the most authentic symphony of mountains and seas; no urban neon, but you can see the Milky Way falling into the fishing nets. What Taishan Island teaches us may be the survival wisdom that modern people have lost for a long time—finding the rhythm of living in harmony with nature between the ebb and flow of the tide.