The underwater villages are a unique landscape created by an earthquake in Haikou. During the major earthquake in northern Qiong in the Ming Dynasty, more than 70 villages sank on a large scale. As a result, the land turned into the sea, and the earthquake ruins have been sleeping under the sea ever since. If you are lucky and encounter a large ebb tide, the ruins of ancient villages on the beaches from Dongzhaigang to Puqian Bay can be faintly seen. Basalt stone coffins, tombstones, stone wells, and rice pounding stones are arranged in an orderly manner. Under the sea between Puqian Bay and Beichuang Port, a finely carved ‘chastity archway’ can be clearly seen. Groups of fish and shrimp shuttle back and forth beside the archway, like the ‘underwater Dragon Palace’ in mythology. Open all year round and open all day. Must-see tips: Generally, from May to June each year when the tide ebbs, it is a good time to take a boat tour of the underwater villages. If you are lucky, you can see through the sea the outlines of houses that sank to a depth of several meters, as well as village relics such as stone wells, stone pillars, archways, and stages. Whether you can see the ‘underwater villages’ still depends on the situation.
