Zhoushan Island

Zhoushan Island is the principal island of the Zhoushan Archipelago off the coast of Zhejiang province in eastern China and forms the urban core of Zhoushan city. It is a major regional fishing and maritime centre with extensive harbour facilities.

The island offers coastal scenery, working ports, seafood markets and beaches rather than a single marquee attraction. Key points of interest include the busy Shenjiamen fishing port and market, coastal roads that give views of the archipelago, and local temples and small museums in the island towns. Ferry links provide access to nearby islands and short boat trips to scenic spots in the archipelago.

The island has long been settled as a maritime and fishing community and developed as the administrative and commercial centre of the Zhoushan Archipelago over the last century. Urban development around Dinghai and Shenjiamen expanded with modern harbour construction and transport links.

Geographically it sits off the Zhejiang coast in the East China Sea as the largest inhabited island within the Zhoushan group. The island lies east of the mainland city of Ningbo and is part of Zhoushan municipality; ferries and road links connect it to neighbouring islands and the mainland.

• Access: Regular ferry services connect the island to other islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago and to mainland Zhejiang; local roads link the main towns.
• Local economy and highlights: Seafood and maritime industries dominate the local economy, with daily fish markets and working harbours concentrated around Shenjiamen.

What to See#

• Shenjiamen (port and market): Serves as the administrative centre of Dinghai District and contains the busy fishing port and market at Shenjiamen, which is the archipelago’s main seafood hub and ferry gateway to nearby islands.
• Dinghai District: The district seat and older urban area that contains local government offices, historic streets and access points for island transport and ferries.

Zhoushan Island is part of the Zhoushan archipelago off Zhejiang and is connected to the mainland by the Ningbo-Zhoushan Bridge. You can drive from Ningbo across the Ningbo-Zhoushan Bridge (driving distance varies by island/town - typically on the order of 50-80 km from Ningbo city centre) or take passenger ferries from Ningbo or Shanghai to Zhoushan ports. On arrival at a Zhoushan port or on the main island, local buses and taxis run between ports, towns and tourist sites; walking distances on the main island are short between piers and nearby town centres.

• Use the ferry connections from Ningbo or Shanghai and aim for early departures to maximize time on the islands and avoid late‑afternoon ferry queues.
• Get up early to visit the island fish markets and smaller fishing villages before day‑tripper crowds arrive; the markets are where you'll see local life and the freshest seafood.
• If you want quieter coastal scenery, head away from the main commercial harbors toward smaller peninsulas and village piers-most visitors stick close to the larger towns and miss these peaceful stretches.