Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands (Chinese: 西沙群岛, Xīshā Qúndǎo; Vietnamese: Quần đảo Hoàng Sa) are an archipelago in the South China Sea, administered by China as part of Hainan Province, but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. They are a minor destination for patriotic Chinese citizens, not yet open to visitors from other countries.

Although the islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, from a traveller's point of view, the Paracel Islands are under the effective control of the Chinese government, and travellers will fall under de facto Chinese jurisdiction. This page does not represent a political endorsement of any side of the dispute.

Understand

The Paracels now have a small population of Chinese residents, mainly fishermen, who are encouraged to move here in order to bolster the Chinese government's territorial claims. (Each resident receives a daily subsidy from the government.) The islands are visited by cruises from mainland China; they're seen as a patriotic destination for Chinese tourists eager to help defend their country's territory.

China has announced plans to open the islands to resort-style tourism. In the meantime, a greenification project is turning them into "green jewels deep in the South China Sea" with coconut trees and many other plants, and the Chinese government is rapidly building infrastructure.

The islands are organized as Sansha City (三沙市 Sānshā Shì) of Hainan Province, with the main settlement and administrative center on Yongxing Island (永兴岛 Yǒngxīng Dǎo, aka Woody Island). Sansha is China's smallest city by land area, but the largest by maritime territory.

This tropical archipelago, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines, is composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group. It is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves.

It was occupied by the French in 1884, though the occuption was protested by the Chinese government. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, South Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, the South Vietnamese claim has been maintained by the unified Vietnam.

The weather is hot and humid.

Get in

View of some of the islands from a plane—this is probably the closest you'll get if you're not a Chinese citizen

Due to the sensitive security situation, China only allows Chinese nationals to visit the islands. Access is denied to foreign visitors and to residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

If you're dying to set eyes on these islands, at best you might be able to get a glimpse of them from the air. Flights between the Pearl River Delta (Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen) and Kuala Lumpur or Singapore sometimes fly over them.

By boat

There are cruises to the Paracels from Sanya, but they're only open to mainland Chinese citizens. Most of the cruises last four or five days, and include visits to Yagong Island (鸭公岛), Quanfu Island (全富岛), and Yinyu Island (银屿).

Some clubs also travel by boat, which is the freest way to travel in the Paracels.

Some supply ships can go to Yongxing Island, but you need approval from the Chinese government to enter the ship.

By plane

Sansha Yongxing Airport is the only airport in the Paracels. It has flights to Hainan Island, but only for those living on the Paracels. Outside residents need permission to fly into the Paracels.

See

On Quanfu island and Yinyu Island, you can see sunny beaches and fishermen's houses. Yongxing island has many facilities, including marine museum and general forest.

Do

Tourists mainly fish, camp and dive on the island.

Eat

Yagong Island has a seafood restaurant.

Buy

Handicrafts (bracelets and necklaces) and seafood are sold by the fishermen on Yagong Island.

More standard shopping (convenience stores, etc.) can be found on Beijing Road, the main street in town on Yongxing Island.

Sleep

There is only one hotel on Yongxing island. Most of the passengers sleep on the ship.

Go next

You will return to Hainan Island. There are also the Spratly Islands to the south, but they are closed to tourism as of August, 2024.

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