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Zhoushan

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Zhoushan is a huge group of islands in China.

A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor
A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor

It is called an archipelago. This group sits in the East China Sea. It is located at the southern mouth of Hangzhou Bay. The islands are near the mainland city of Ningbo. Zhoushan is the largest archipelago in all of China. It contains 1,390 islands and 3,306 reefs.

China Sheet VIII
China Sheet VIII

The islands have different sizes and many people live there. Out of all the islands, 103 are lived on all year. Only 12 of these islands have more than 10,000 people. There are six major islands that are quite large. Zhoushan Island is the biggest one of them all.

A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center
A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center

Other large islands include Daishan, Liuheng, Jintang, Zhujiajian, and Qushan. The city center of the area is called Dinghai. It is located on Zhoushan Island.

Zhoushan has a very long and busy history. People lived there 6,000 years ago during the Neolithic period. In the year 863, a monk placed a statue at Chaoyin Cave. This place later became a famous spot for travelers.

Puji Temple of Mount Putuo
Puji Temple of Mount Putuo

During the Ming dynasty, pirates used the islands as a base. Later, the islands became an important place for trade. Western traders often stopped at the ports here. The area saw many changes during the Opium Wars in the 1840s.

Today, the area is a busy place with many different jobs.

Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan
Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan

Zhoushan is the largest fishery in China. This means catching fish is a very important job. Many people also work in shipbuilding and repairing ships. Other people work in tourism and services. The economy is growing in many different ways. In 2016, the total GDP was 122.85 billion yuan.

The weather in Zhoushan changes with the four seasons. It has a humid subtropical climate. This means the summers are hot and very wet. The winters are usually cool and damp.

Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo
Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo

The ocean helps keep the temperatures from getting too extreme. There is a lot of rain throughout the year. The second half of the year is often the sunniest. Most of the people living there are Han Chinese.

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🖼️ Images & Media (19)
File:China Sheet VIII.jpg
China Sheet VIII.jpg
File:A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial Park of Dinghai.jpg
A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial...
File:A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center.jpg
A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center.jpg
File:A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor.jpg
A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor.jpg
File:Dinghai Cultural Square.jpg
Dinghai Cultural Square.jpg
File:Panorama of Hou'an Community of Changbai Island, Xiaosha Sub-District, Dinghai District.JPG
Panorama of Hou'an Community of Changbai...
File:List of Zhoushan bridges detailed with names, districts and counties belonged, start and end points, total lengths and dates opened.jpg
List of Zhoushan bridges detailed with...
File:Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.jpg
Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.jpg
File:Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan.jpg
Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan.jpg
File:Gangdao Bridge.jpg
Gangdao Bridge.jpg
File:Zhoushan Bus Terminal.jpg
Zhoushan Bus Terminal.jpg
File:Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo.jpg
Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo.jpg

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