[2025 Xiangshan Attraction] Travel Guide for Hua'ao Stone Forest (Updated Jun)

📍Location & Transportation • Address: Huaao Stone Forest, Gaotang, Shipu Town, Xiangshan County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. • Transportation: • Self-driving: Navigate to "Jingaoji Dock," take the ferry to the island, approximately 2 hours by car. • Public transportation: Take an express bus from Ningbo South Bus Station to Shipu, then transfer to Jinxing Dock, take a ferry to Gaotang Island, then take a shuttle bus to Jingaoji Dock, and finally take a boat to Huaao Stone Forest. ⏰Opening Hours 07:30-17:30. 🎫Ticket Prices • Adult ticket: 40 yuan/person. • Discounted ticket: Half price for children 1.2m-1.5m tall, free for children under 1.2m. 🚶‍♂️Touring Route 1. 🚢Landing: Take a boat from Jingaoji Dock to the island, about 10 minutes. 2. 🌋Huaao Stone Forest: Walk 25 minutes to reach the black sand beach, admire the spectacular stone forest and sea erosion landforms, perfect for photos. 3. 🏖️Black Sand Beach: Collect shells, take photos, and experience the island atmosphere. 4. 🌊Qingshuiao Pebble Beach: Enjoy the unique pebble beach landscape. 5. 🌄Big Buddha Mountain: View Big Buddha Mountain from afar and appreciate nature's magnificent craftsmanship. 📸Photo Spots • 🌊Black Sand Beach: White clothing photographs better against the black sand. • 🌋Stone Forest: During low tide, the rocks and their reflections create a sci-fi atmosphere. • 🌄Big Buddha Mountain: Gaze at Big Buddha Mountain and experience the island's tranquility and magnificence. 🍽️Food Recommendations • Seafood: Huaao Island's seafood is very fresh. Try seafood noodles in Shipu Town or enjoy a feast at a local eatery. • Sea duck eggs: A dock specialty, good to take home. 💡Tips • 🚶‍♂️Clothing suggestions: Wear sneakers for easy hiking. • 🌞Sun protection and warmth: Be prepared for sun protection and temperature changes, as island temperature differences can be significant. • 🚮Eco-friendly travel: There are no large supermarkets on the island, so bring your own snacks and take your trash with you. 🎉Summary Huaao Stone Forest is Ningbo's hidden gem, featuring spectacular stone forests, black sand beaches, and crystal-clear waters. April on Huaao Island offers pleasant weather, making it a great time to visit. Take this guide and start your island adventure!

Located in the Sanmen Bay off the southern coast of Xiangshan County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, Huaan Island Scenic Area is a beautiful island destination rich in tourist attractions. Geological Landscapes: Huaan Stone Forest: This is one of the most famous attractions on Huaan Island. The stone forest consists of thousands of four-sided and hexagonal columnar joints, forming a unique 6,000-meter-long, 30-meter-high cliff with a total area of 180,000 square meters. This stone forest was formed during the Late Jurassic period from a central volcanic magma channel, shaped by sea erosion and weathering. With its bright colors and natural forms, it is one of the world's rare examples of welded tuff. Qingshuiao Pebble Beach: This beach features Ningbo's only island pebble spectacle, where colorful oval stones cover the beach, creating an elegant and beautiful environment. Cultural Landscapes: Zhang Cangshui's Anti-Qing Military Camp Site: Zhang Cangshui, a hero of anti-Qing resistance who, along with Yue Fei and Yu Qian, is known as one of the "Three Heroes of West Lake," gathered his troops on Huaan Island. The site of his military camp remains preserved here. Big Buddha Head Mountain: Huaan Island is also known as Big Buddha Island, named after the Big Buddha Head Mountain. The mountain's shape remarkably resembles a giant Buddha, complete with divine features. Admission: Entry to the Huaan Island Stone Forest Scenic Area costs 40 yuan, and the round-trip ferry from Jingaoyi Pier to Huaan Island Pier costs 20 yuan. Opening Hours: The scenic area is open from 7:00-17:30.

❤Recommended reason: The magic of nature far exceeds human imagination. While creating countless mountains and rivers, it also crafted various unique landscapes. On a small island along the coast of Ningbo, Zhejiang, thousands of huge stone pillars are neatly inserted into the sea, forming a peculiar seascape of stone forest cliffs that stretch about 6000 meters long, over 60 meters high, and cover a total area of 180,000 square meters. There is no other landscape in China with a similar shape and mechanism, and it is quite rare worldwide, earning it the reputation of a "world wonder". This is the "Hua'ao Stone Forest". 🌟Highlight features: Hua'ao Stone Forest is located on Hua'ao Island in Xiangshan County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. Xiangshan is situated on the eastern coast of Zhejiang, with a coastline of 925 kilometers and 608 islands and reefs. The Hua'ao Stone Forest, with its unique landscape, is one of the iconic sights of the entire Xiangshan. 🌟Highlight features: Hua'ao Island has an area of 12.6 square kilometers, and the Hua'ao Stone Forest is located on the southeast side of the island. The Hua'ao Stone Forest is currently an open scenic area, mainly composed of marine erosion landforms, pebble beaches, sandy beaches, and cultural landscapes. 👍Upon entering the scenic area, there is a section of island mountain road. Although you can see the sea and some distant islands, the scenery is not particularly outstanding. However, when you reach the other side of the island, countless thick stone pillars, as if fallen from the sky, are obliquely inserted into the sea, forming a peculiar marine erosion landscape, which is truly astonishing. ✅Must experience: Even more amazing is that these stone pillars are uniform in thickness, neatly arranged, and the tops of the pillars are as smooth as if they were chopped by a giant axe. At this moment, all you can marvel at is the magic of nature. Looking around the world's coastal reefs, it is very difficult to find such a majestic and spectacular array of giant stone pillars. 📝It is understood that in 2009, a team of renowned geologists conducted a field survey of the Hua'ao Stone Forest, and the final conclusion was that the stone forest is a central-style volcanic magma channel from the late Jurassic period. After the volcanic eruption, the magma cooled evenly and slowly contracted to form a kind of vertical fission. The formation dates back about 150 to 200 million years, with extremely high scientific research and viewing value. 📝These giant stone pillars, after millions of years of wind and rain, as well as the pounding of seawater, still stand firm and their edges remain sharp, which is very puzzling. Some of the stone pillars that extend deep into the sea have trees and grass growing on their tops, and from a distance, they look like giant bonsai standing in the sea, which is breathtaking. 👍Most recommended: In addition, some stone pillars are inserted into the mountains, some of which are dozens of meters long, either standing upright or lying at an angle, neatly arranged to form the island's mountains. At the base of the stone pillars, there are occasional mysterious caves formed by fractures, deep and unfathomable. 📝Faced with such a spectacular sight, one can't help but feel that the Hua'ao Stone Forest is the result of a long battle between the waves and the stone pillars. Often the more perilous the scenery, the more it touches the soul. The weaker reefs have long turned into gentle sandy beaches, tenderly entwined with the sea. Only these iron-boned stone pillars have been built into steep cliffs and sharp rocks, still standing here, stubbornly confronting the waves day after day. 📍Detailed address: Hua'ao Island, Gaotang Township, Xiangshan County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. 💰Admission fee: 40 yuan.

Sharing the real photos of taking my kids to the beach during last year's May Day holiday and summer vacation~ It's not too hot or too cold on May Day, it's very comfortable to go to the beach Catch crabs, catch jumping fish, pick up conches, pick up sea duck eggs... Drying salt, fishing, stone forest, full of harvest 👧 It’s really fun to go fishing! ! ! Who understands! BBQ at 12:00 in the evening, and surprise fireworks 🎆 Watch the stars and play games together! I have taken my kids there many times, and I have planned a trip there for May Day this year as well! 🤩 · 🌊Time arrangement 🔸Day 1: 8:00 Depart from Hangzhou 12:00 Arrive at the pier and take the ferry to the island 14:00 Lunch at the fisherman’s house, check in, and take a short rest in the tent after lunch interest 16:00 Set off for the [original mudflats] and start fishing at the beach! Catch big-eyed crabs, jumping fish, pick up mud snails, dig up bees, and be a little fisherman 20:00 Let's enjoy our delicious [dinner] together. After dinner, we can sing together, watch the stars together, and play games together. 🔸Day 2: 9:00 Island nature hike, walk into the village alleys, [picking sea duck eggs] 12:00 Lunch time 14:00 Go to the only salt field in Xiangshan to experience the unique [Salt Drying] experience and learn about the production process of sea salt 16:00 Happy summer water kayaking time, let’s start the water play battle! 18:00 Return to the camp and relax to enjoy the quiet island time 🔸Day 3: 9:00 Take a bus to the [East China Sea Stone Forest] scenic area. In the Stone Forest scenic area, children can also find a lot of crabs! 12:00 Lunch time, after lunch we take a short break. 14:00 Take the boat out of the island and end our trip ——

Ningbo Huagang Island is an island perfect for rainy days. If you don’t know where to go in winter, this is the right place. The best season is cloudy and light rain. At this time, the stones on the beach are wet and turn black (this effect does not occur on sunny days) PNingbo Xiangshan Granite Island·Stone Forest Scenic Area Transportation: It is recommended to drive by yourself. First drive to Jin Gaoyi Pier, and then take a boat to the island. It takes 70 minutes to go back and forth by car and bus. "After arriving on the island, you have to drive a few kilometers to get to the Stone Forest Scenic Area. The entrance fee is 401 people, and the parking is D15/car. On the C road, you will pass by a beach with ancient camphor trees, which take root and grow from the seabed. It is very special. In winter, the last return boat is at 4:15 pm, so in the afternoon We will leave from Stone Forest at 3:20. There are not many people on weekends, but you can enjoy the island hiking in winter. The wind is strong at the beach, so it is recommended to wear: quick-drying jacket + down jacket + jacket for the upper body. The jacket must be strong in wind resistance and waterproof ability; quick-drying pants + jacket pants for the lower body (mine is plush, very warm) You can stay at Shipu Atour Hotel for less than 200 at night. It is recommended to eat Xiangshan Seafood for dinner. It is so delicious. The restaurant I ate at is called Weiping Seafood. The cost per person is less than 100. It is so delicious.