Qilian Islets

Qilian Islets is not a single island, but a group of seven closely connected islands (in fact, there are ten) located southwest of Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands, which are part of the Xuande Archipelago. These seven islands are closely linked and in close proximity to each other, resembling ten dazzling pearls scattered in an arc across the sea, encircling Yongxing Island. Fishermen who have fished here since ancient times have vividly named these seven islands as ‘Qilian Islets’. Qilian Islets is also one of the world’s more suitable underwater parks for diving and sightseeing.

The seabed presents a view of reef plates and scattered reefs, with beautiful corals and anemones scattered throughout, and starfish, sea urchins, and unknown shells are scattered everywhere. You can also see clusters of corals as beautiful as blooming flowers, including staghorn corals, sunflower corals, and bright red corals. Schools of colorful fish swim in groups, creating a very strange scene. ‘Qilian Islets’ consists of seven small islands: Xisha Zhou, Bei Dao, Zhong Dao, San Shi Zi, Bei Sha Zhou, Zhong Sha Zhou, and Nan Sha Zhou. Each island is about the size of ten football fields and is at an elevation of about three to four meters. There is no freshwater on any of the seven small islands, and Xisha Zhou and Nan Sha Zhou are basically barren sandy lands. In recent years, due to typhoons, two new sandbars have formed in the south – Xixin Sha Zhou and Dongxin Sha Zhou.

---

Must-see tips: 1. Watching the sunset on the small islands is great, with the red evening glow filling the sky, the vast sea, birds returning to their nests flying by the setting sun, waves crashing against the cliffs, and this artistic conception is intoxicating. Strolling on the beach to pick up shells and catch crabs is also a pleasure. 2. It is essential to pay attention to the weather conditions, as Qilian Islets are uninhabited islands, and being stranded on the island would be troublesome.

---