Why Zhoushan
Zhoushan is an urbanized island archipelago and prefecture-level city located in Zhejiang Province, China, at the southern mouth of Hangzhou Bay near Ningbo. Comprising 1,390 islands and 3,306 reefs in the East China Sea, it is the largest archipelago in China. Out of these islands, 103 are inhabited throughout the year. The administrative territory encompasses a vast marine expanse alongside a smaller land area. Major islands include Zhoushan Island, Daishan Island, Liuheng Island, Jintang Island, Zhujiajian Island, and Qushan Island. Administratively, the city is organized into Dinghai and Putuo districts, alongside Daishan and Shengsi counties.
Human presence across the islands dates back roughly 6,000 years to the Neolithic Hemudu culture. Known as Yongdong during the Spring and Autumn period under the state of Yue, the archipelago later served as a base for coastal rebellions, including Sun En's uprising around 400 AD. The area was formally organized as Wengshan County under the Tang dynasty in 738. In 863, the Japanese monk Egaku and local resident Zhang-shi placed a Guanyin statue at Chaoyin Cave, creating a foundation for religious pilgrimage on Mount Putuo. Over subsequent centuries, Zhoushan experienced periods of pirate activity, served as an international trading port under the Qing dynasty, and was occupied by British forces during the Opium Wars before being evacuated in 1846.
Historically reliant on China's largest fishery, Zhoushan's economy has expanded into shipbuilding, repair, shipping, and tourism. Key destination areas across the archipelago include Mount Putuo, known for its religious heritage and connection to Sun Yat-sen's 1916 visit, as well as islands such as Taohua, Zhujiajian, and Dongji. Off the coast of Dongji in 1942, local fishermen rescued 384 British prisoners following the sinking of the Lisbon Maru. In addition, port facilities in Zhoushan operate in conjunction with Ningbo to form one of the world's busiest shipping hubs by cargo tonnage.
Zhoushan features a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with cool, damp winters and hot, humid summers moderated by the surrounding waters of the East China Sea. Rain falls consistently throughout the year, with heavy precipitation in the summer, while the second half of the year provides the sunniest conditions. Following the completion of the Zhoushan Trans-Oceanic Bridges in 2009, the island network gained direct highway access to the mainland. Air transport is served by Zhoushan Putuoshan International Airport on Zhujiajian Island, which runs domestic passenger flights.
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