Yanzhou Island — China Travel

The island takes its name from one of China's most enduring legends. Bao Zheng (999–1062), the incorruptible Song-dynasty magistrate often compared to England's Robin Hood or France's legendary Judge Roland, supposedly tossed his inkstone into the Xi River as he departed his post in Duanzhou (modern Zhaoqing). Where the stone landed, an island rose—hence Yanzhou, or "Inkstone Isle." The 19th-century Baogong Temple on the island still honors him, and each year the lively Baogong Birthday Festival draws crowds in a celebration listed among Zhaoqing's intangible cultural heritages. Architecture on Yanzhou follows the classic Lingnan vernacular: whitewashed walls, dark grey tile roofs, and the distinctive wok-ear gables (curved ridge walls resembling cooking pans) that you might liken to the sculpted rooflines of Lisbon's old Alfama district. The showpiece is the former home of Chen Huanzhang, a Qing-dynasty scholar who became one of Emperor Puyi's English tutors—a curious echo of the East-meets-West atmosphere of late-imperial treaty-port mansions in Shanghai or Tianjin. A separate "Zhiqing Building" preserves memories of the 1960s–70s sent-down youth movement, lending the island a layered twentieth-century resonance. Culturally, Yanzhou functions as a living museum of the Xi River basin. Ancestral halls, village temples, and weathered homes line narrow lanes where fishermen once traded, and elders still recount Bao Zheng's tales of justice to wide-eyed grandchildren. Where Europe's great river islands—Mont Saint-Michel on the Couesnon, or Venice's Torcello—evoke medieval pilgrimage or maritime republics, Yanzhou offers a gentler portrait of southern China's agrarian and Confucian past, undisturbed by urban sprawl. Getting there is half the adventure. The island has no bridge; visitors board a small ferry at Guangli Wharf, a breezy five-minute crossing that costs only about 5 RMB round-trip. Driving yourself or hiring a car is strongly recommended—public buses are infrequent, and adventure experiences such as powered paragliding or light-aircraft flights with Ruixiang Aviation Camp should be booked ahead. The island itself is free to enter; spending concentrates on meals, camping fees, and aviation activities. For activities, rent an electric buggy to circle the island in under an hour, ride horses along the riverbanks, or pitch a tent at the Horizon Campsite, where barbecues and West River sunsets come standard. The Ruixiang Aviation Camp offers tandem paragliding and ultralight flights—an exhilarating way to see the full sweep of the Xi River from above. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable weather; allow a half to full day, or stay overnight for starry skies. Bring mosquito repellent and sturdy shoes in summer, when the surrounding wetlands make the bugs enthusiastic.