Multiple upgrades in line for Wanshan this year

Helicopter pads, wharves, roads, submarine cables, reservoirs, and infrastructure for water, electricity, and telecommunications will be built this year in the Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone.

Party Secretary Ye Zhen outlined plans for three zones and one base in a recent interview with the Zhuhai Daily. The Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone must remove "infrastructure bottlenecks" to prosper from unprecedented opportunities brought about by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said.

Already, the vast sea islands of the Wanshan Archipelago have fostered rapid development of high-end island tourism. Now it is to become a coastal tourism demonstration zone for the province, Hong Kong, and Macao. Ye Zhen said that this year, Wanshan will promote the convenience of Hong Kong and Macao yacht cruises and international tourist access.

A marine industry innovation zone will further develop the fishery, clean-energy, and scientific and technological industries. The archipelago offers abundant fishery as well as wind, tidal, and wave energy resources.

Wanshan on the Pearl River [File photo]

As for its ecology, Wanshan is home to a wide variety of rare marine animals and plants. The upcoming marine environmental protection zone will have reserves for Chinese white dolphins, macaques on Dangan Island, and red corals on Miaowan Island, along with artificial fish reefs and a marine ranch.

Planned also is a marine service base for international vessels in the Pearl River Estuary's anchorage and global shipping channels. The base will also play a role in the free yacht travel arrangement between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

In 2017, Dong'ao and Wanlingding islands were promoted to national 4A-grade scenic spots. This created more opportunities for the Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone to develop high-end tourism.

Next, Wanshan will further promote cultural festivals featuring birthday festivities of Matsu and Pak Tai, wedding celebrations, and water sports carnivals. The islands will also accentuate history, being the site of the Wanshan Archipelago Campaign, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) customs relics, Chongcheng Castle, and the legend of former pirate Cheung Po Tsai who was a navy colonel of the Qing Dynasty.

The archipelago will also stir patriotic fervor with the poetry of Man Tin Cheung (Wen Tianxiang), a Song Dynasty (960-1279) scholar-general who refused to yield to Mongolian invaders despite being captured and tortured. His patriotic poems were passed down from mouth to mouth, notably the household line written on the Lingding Sea -- "All men are mortal, but my loyalty will illuminate the annals of history forever."