Situated south of the Pearl River Estuary, Zhuhai Wanshan Archipelago is the doorway to South China Sea for boats from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao. The island chain encompasses Dong’ao, Guishan, Wailingding, Dan’gan and Jiapeng islands.

People from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) became the earliest residents, who made a living by fishing for mostly sea bass. After the Ming Dynasty, fishermen migrated from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, Guangdong’s Meizhou, Chaoshan, Dongguan, Yangjiang, Huizhou, Bao’an, and Hong Kong to fish at offshore areas, using traditional instruments such as traps, shrimp cages, and nets.

The best fishing time is from January to April when nearly 600 boats from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian harvest in the sea areas of Wanshan Archipelago with annual output of 10,000 to 20,000 tons. Fishermen use handmade Rabbitfish Traps in the wake of the fishing period.