Quarried island will become human-nature paragon

Ecological restoration of Sanjiao Island will begin by the New Year to turn the devastated and uninhabited site into the first "public service + tourism" destination in the country.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Dec 20. It was announced that in five years the demonstration project will have provided the island with a Wanshan-characterized holidaymaking brand, an offshore sports and leisure resort, and education and public services.

Groundbreaking ceremony [Photo courtesy nanfangplus]

Sanjiao Island, part of the Wanshan Archipelago, is 62 hectares in size and 20 km from southeastern Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai.

Right at the geometric center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the island is about 20 minutes' ferry ride from Zhuhai and Macao. It takes 50 minutes to travel from the island by ship to Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Covered with short grass and bush, the island is strewn with granite stones on yellow sand and soil. There are also some rocky outcroppings.

The main peak of Sanjiao Mt stands in the island's west, and offers a panoramic view.

An investment of 2.2 billion yuan ($334 million) has been committed to restore vegetation, two-thirds of which was destroyed by quarrying in the past.

Zhuhai Jiuzhou Holdings Blue Marine Tourism Development Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Zhuhai Jiuzhou Holdings Group Co Ltd, is responsible for the construction. The land use right was transferred to the company through a listed transaction in February. Transferring the usage rights of an uninhabited island by a market-oriented approach was a national first-batch demonstration project.

Sanjiao Island [Photo courtesy ycwb.com]

According to the development concept of "ecological restoration, technology-driven, and all-for-one tourism," the essential task will be restoring beaches and adding greenery to the mountain's terrain.

A variety of cutting-edge technologies will be introduced to shape an environmentally protective, ecologically friendly, and intelligent all-for-one tourism demo island for the Greater Bay Area.

Advanced means include intelligent rainwater harvesting, seawater desalination, and recycled water systems. Other solutions are offshore wind power generation and harmless garbage and sewage treatment, according to a designer. The goal is to set a successful example of restoring and developing uninhabited islands that can be followed nationwide.

A leisure sports experience area, high-end leisure resort, and infrastructure construction area will be part of the development. The promised science education base will enhance public awareness of environmental protection and marine conservation by showing how the damaged quarry location was nurtured back to its former state. Coastal leisure sports will be introduced to add diversity.

The project has been included on Guangdong's key construction list this year. It will provide references for compilation of the first local laws and regulations in China targeting the protection and utilization of sea areas and islands.

Wen Bin, director of the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic & Fishery Administration, and Zhuhai Vice Mayor Liu Jiawen attended the groundbreaking ceremony.