Meizhou Island, Fujian
Meizhou Island, Fujian Travel Guide
I. Preparation
1. Documents: Bring your ID card; students and others can bring discount cards.
2. Clothing: Spring and fall have pleasant weather, suitable for beach and outdoor attractions; bring comfortable clothes and sun protection. Summer is quite sunny, so good sun protection is necessary; bring swimwear if you plan to swim.
3. Other items: Camera, common medications, chargers, etc. If renting an electric vehicle, confirm parking locations to avoid extra fees.
II. Transportation Guide
1. Getting there:
• Self-driving: Navigate to Wenjia Pier, park there and take a ferry to the island.
• Public transportation: Take a high-speed train to Putian Station, then transfer to bus K09 or 363 to Wenjia Pier, then take the ferry to the island.
2. Island transportation:
• Ferry: Ferry ticket plus island entrance fee costs 110 yuan per person. You can book through the "Meizhou Island Ferry" WeChat official account. Ferries run every half hour.
• Vehicle rental:
• Electric scooters: Scan QR code with WeChat or Alipay to rent. First 2 minutes free, 2.5 yuan for up to 10 minutes, then 1 yuan for each additional 5 minutes. Note that parking spots are limited and passengers aren't allowed.
• Private electric vehicles: Suitable for groups, costs about 200 yuan per day.
• Public buses: Pay by scanning code, suitable for visitors with plenty of time.
• Sightseeing cars: Suitable for group travel, costs about 200 yuan per day.
III. Accommodation Recommendations
1. Luxury hotels:
• Junyue Hotel at Meizhou Island International Convention Center: One of the island's most upscale hotels with large, clean, bright rooms, professional service, and close proximity to the beach.
2. Boutique guesthouses:
• Bolan Xinsu: Features a private beach and large grounds with comprehensive facilities and services. Suitable for leisure vacations, family trips, team building, and gatherings.
• Meiyu Youjian: Faces the sea with ocean-view rooms, strong design elements, various room types, and complete amenities.
• Meiyu Nanxiang: White villas with open courtyards, sunken lobbies, viewing terraces, uniquely designed rooms, and excellent vacation experience.
• Yunlan Bay Guesthouse: Modern cream-colored standalone ocean-view villas. Each room features floor-to-ceiling ocean-view windows, panoramic sea-view balconies, and viewing bathtubs. Smart home features throughout and private beach and sea-view garden access.
3. Budget accommodations:
• Meizhou International Hotel: Good value, offers twin rooms and packages including two breakfasts.
• Zuohai Yushe Inn: Offers double rooms and standard rooms, excellent location near the sea, family vacation style.
IV. Food Recommendations
1. Seafood restaurants:
• Longxin Seafood Restaurant (Meizhou Island branch): Fresh ingredients, located at 187 Chongfu Street, average cost 75 yuan per person.
• Tiantian Fishing Port Seafood Restaurant: Popular dishes include fresh shrimp salad, seafood pancakes, taro pot, and Putian braised noodles. Located behind the electronic advertising screen at Meizhou Island Market Circle.
2. Fujian cuisine restaurants:
• Meizhou Island Tianmu Restaurant: Located at 691 Chongfu Street, average cost 65 yuan per person.
3. Chaoshan beef hotpot:
• Jiang Yiguo Herbal Beef Hotpot (Meizhou Island branch): Located at Room 101, 30 Chongfu Road, Meizhou Town, Putian City, average cost 67 yuan per person.
4. Local snacks:
• Mazu cake, Mazu noodles, oyster pancakes, Meizhou fish rice, pan-fried buns, etc.
• Chunweifang Pan-fried Buns: Opposite Meizhou Island Middle School, thin-skinned buns with generous filling, delicious taste.
• Heiba Qiang Meat: Next to Meizhou Island Electric Power Company, signature spicy meat rice noodles.
• Honglai Chicken Feet: At the entrance of Meizhou Island Farmers' Market, tender and flavorful chicken feet and pork trotters.
V. Suggested Itineraries
1. One-day tour:
• Mazu Cultural Pilgrimage: Mazu Ancestral Temple — Tianfei Hometown Heritage Park — World Mazu Culture Forum Permanent Venue — Reclining Buddha Garden — Mazu Ping'an Village.
• Coastal Scenic Ecological Tour: Mazu Ancestral Temple — Meiyu Tide Sound — Lianchi Beach — Hushi Quan Ecological Park — Mangrove Park — Goose Tail Divine Stone — Goose Tail Sunset View.
2. Two-day tour:
• Day 1: Mazu Ancestral Temple — Lianchi Beach — Mangrove Park — Goose Tail Divine Stone — Goose Tail Sunset View — Night visit to the Reclining Buddha.
• Day 2: Sunrise at Meiyu Tide Sound — Meiyu Rainbow Road — Tianfei Hometown Heritage Park — World Mazu Culture Forum Venue — Hushi Quan Ecological Park — Mazu Ping'an Village.
3. Three-day tour:
• Day 1: Mazu Ancestral Temple — Tianfei Hometown Heritage Park — Mangrove Park — Night tour of Mazu Ancestral Temple — Watch the "Auspicious Meizhou" performance.
• Day 2: Morning worship of Mazu — Mazu Ping'an Village — World Mazu Culture Forum — Hushi Quan Ecological Park — Night visit to the Reclining Buddha.
• Day 3: Sunrise at Meiyu Tide Sound — Meiyu Rainbow Road — Lianchi Beach — Goose Tail Divine Stone — Goose Tail Sunset View.
VI. Attraction Recommendations
1. Mazu Ancestral Temple: The world's first Mazu temple, preserving architectural structures from various dynasties, with thriving incense offerings.
2. Goose Tail Divine Stone Park: Located at the southern end of the island, featuring numerous weathered granite formations with various shapes, such as the popular "Flying Halberd Cave."
3. Meiyu Tide Sound: Rock formations at the northernmost coast of Meizhou Island that produce mysterious rhythmic sounds with the ebb and flow of tides.
4. Lianchi Bay Beach: Backed by Lianchi Village and facing the Taiwan Strait, with clean water and fine sand, perfect for enjoying the sea.
5. Hushi Quan Ecological Park: The only natural freshwater lake on Meizhou Island, where white egrets can often be seen flying among the shrubs and aquatic plants in the early morning.
6. Mazu Ping'an Village: The main filming location for the TV drama "Mazu," featuring a fishing village castle, Mazu lucky locks, a marine museum, and other attractions.
7. Tianfei Hometown Heritage Park: Located in Cai Shanglin natural village in eastern Meizhou Island, with the Mazu Origin Museum, Lin Family Ancestral Hall, and other buildings where you can experience folk customs.
VII. Important Notes
1. Sun and heat protection: The island gets very sunny in summer, so take proper sun protection measures.
2. Travel responsibly: Follow traffic rules and protect the environment.
3. Book in advance: During peak tourist seasons, it's advisable to book ferry tickets, entrance tickets, and accommodations in advance.
4. Check the weather: Monitor weather forecasts before your trip and plan your itinerary accordingly.