A beach lovers' paradise

Buddhist culture and beautiful landscapes make Zhujiajian Island a popular tourist destination. Photo provided to China Daily

Zhujiajian Island offers a variety of experiences, including crab catching, water sports and scenic mountains. Xu Lin reports.

When visiting Putuo Mountain in Zhou-shan, Zhejiang province, Zhujiajian Island is the best place to enjoy beautiful beaches, green mountains and fresh seafood.

A five-minute speedboat ride from the mountain will take you to the island. Your adventure starts at Daqing Mountain National Park, where you can take a stroll on the Qiansha, Lisha and Qingsha beaches. For a bird's-eye view of the beaches, climb to the top of the 378.6-meter-high Qingshan Peak.

At the foot of the mountain is Shaoji Bay, a well-preserved village where you can experience the traditional fishing lifestyle and local seafood, such as shrimps, crabs, fish and clams.

You can also visit Baishan Mountain, which is across the sea from Putuo Mountain. It's the best place to take in a distant view of Putuo and the 33-meter-high bronze Guanyin statue. Guanyin is the Chinese name of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, or Goddess of Mercy.

Baishan boasts many natural bizarre rocks in the shapes of a dolphin, frog and Zhu Bajie - a major character in the novel Journey to the West.

At night, you can watch the 70-minute show Impression Putuo. The stage is set on Baishan Mountain. The show is co-directed by Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue, with Zhang Yi - mou contributing as an arts adviser. The trio has produced similar successful shows set on mountains and along rivers in popular tourist areas.

The auditorium revolves during the show, giving you the illusion that the actors and mountain are moving. The show is about a man who leaves the frustrations of everyday worldly affairs and becomes a monk.