Zhou Shan

Zhoushan is less a single city than roughly 1,390 islands scattered off the Zhejiang coast, making it China's largest archipelago by a wide margin. Only a fraction of the islands are inhabited, and the ones that are still run on a rhythm set by the sea — Zhoushan has been one of China's most important fishing grounds for centuries, and the East China Sea fishery just offshore remains a major source of the country's seafood catch to this day.

The archipelago's best-known island is Mount Putuo, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism and the one specifically dedicated to Guanyin, the bodhisattva of mercy. Despite covering less than 13 square kilometers, the island holds three major monasteries and draws pilgrims and visitors by the ferry-load, particularly around Guanyin's traditional birthday in the lunar calendar, when the island's population temporarily multiplies many times over. Away from Mount Putuo, the wider archipelago's beaches and quieter fishing islands offer a version of coastal China that feels closer to a maritime province than the megacities most visitors associate with the country.

Food is arguably as central to a Zhoushan visit as the temples — the fishing economy translates directly into some of the freshest, most varied seafood in eastern China, from small harborside stalls to proper seafood restaurants built around the day's catch. Getting around means embracing ferries as the default form of transport between islands, which is part of the experience rather than an inconvenience. April through October covers the most comfortable sailing weather and the widest range of open ferry routes.