rock mummy sculpture

The rock formation looks like a woman lying down, not sun bathing though. This is why I label this as a rock mummy sculpture, etched by winds and sea waves and rains.

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I enjoy traveling to unknown places. Whenever I visit a country, I would travel on my own schedule, not with a tour group, even when it's not familiar ground. Basically I want to explore the place that I'm traveling to and not brag about the places I visited by being there!

The picture above is one of many finds on the rocky terrains at QiZi Bay. I was just sitting on this beach, pottering around taking in the sights and sounds when...

Photography is one way I discover I see more of a place I visit.

nature's sculpture

Illusion? Eyes playing tricks?

From this angle, this piece of rock looks like a human head -- hair, eyes, nose, mouth and high-cheek bone face?

Viewing from the opposite angle, it's just a piece of rock.

The nose is a piece of chipped rock of another kind.

Nature's artwork!

nature's art

A rock is a rock is a rock is a rock is a rock...

The locals call this sail boat rock

but to me

it looks like a submarine!

lovers kissing rock

What a cool rock sculpture -- a gift from nature!

A couple caught kissing in a romantic spot?

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Happy Valentine!

postscript on qizi bay

Qizi Bay caught my attention when I was browsing and I stumbled on the Hainan Photologue (http://www.hainan-world.com/). It appears the coastline has changed a little since the last time those photos were taken. No pebbles were found on other beaches except for the one at Dajiao during our time there.

One finds elderly in their 70s still going out to sea fishing. They are strong and sturdy. Where are the young ones? Have they left for bigger cities to make a living rather than building up their little hometown? Perhaps poverty is what drives the young to seek fortune elsewhere. Will there be decentralization and development in areas like Qizi Bay?

Seafood is fresh but the way it was cooked, little to rave and considered expensive.

I was touched when we were told by the motocab driver that the hotel owner called her to find out if we had called around 3pm. They were wondering if they should call for help before dark. Hotels provide only lodging – no food.

While we were somewhat lost on the mountain sandy track at Dajiao, we saw goat droppings along the path suggesting we were not lost. We kept trudging forward. While on high altitude, there was no signal to the mobile phone. Thank goodness when we entered the rocky coastline, there was reception to the mobile phone! What a relief! We were then directed to this little hut (the elderly fisherman couple’s occasional abode) and the sand dune beach – telling us we’d arrived at Zhongjiao. We then continued on to where the motocab driver collected us.

When we were on the rocky coastline, I discovered our voices were muted when we yelled or called out to one another…even with a whistle!

Strangely there were no birds or seagulls along the whole stretch of the bay. Prickly plants were found on the mountain range. Was this a desert before?

Qizi Bay coastline has some varied and interesting rock formations. Please engage a local guide (if there is one) and wear life-jackets when exploring.

Is ignorance bliss or foolishness on my part to explore Qizi Bay without a guide or a map? Whichever, I enjoyed my time there and will return to explore again.

sunsets

We were told Xiaojiao or Small Point has the best sunsets.

boulders in xiaojiao

sunset at changhua

small point (xiaojiao) of qizi bay

Xiaojiao or Small Point of Qizi Bay can only be accessed on foot. This picture is taken half-way to Small Point or xiaojiao beach looking towards Changhua. The locals gladly directed us the way when we said we were interested in visiting the beach.

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Will this become a lagoon when the tide is high?

This is when we stepped foot on the beach looking towards the rocky section of Small Point (Xiaojiao).

View looking towards the footpath we came by.

Sand dune on the beach front beyond the rocky section of Xiaojiao.

mid-point (zhongjiao) medley

It was a relief to see another human being after a day of trekking sandy mountain range and rocks! This fisherman, in his late 70s, was manouvring the boat ready to take out to sea the following morning, around 3am when the tide is high.

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It was heart-warming when his wife, in her early 70s, came to usher her husband home for dinner.

The coastline of Qizi Bay has many different faces to its formation.
At this point, there is a sand dune which we just couldn't resist sliding -- naturally this is not as exciting as those in the playground!

Sunset at Mid-point or Zhongjiao. This was taken when we were being ferried back to Changhua from new location.
Casuarina trees did not grow there naturally but were transplanted along the coast.

more zhongjiao coastline formation

Can one swim around this area when the tide is high?

Elderlies are found picking sea slugs on the rocks to make some pocket money.
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The higher terrain yonder is filled with sand, so trekking on that is more strenuous than walking along the rocky area.

mid-point (zhongjiao)

Is this monument built as landmark to the mid-point of Qizi Bay?

According to the Chinese characters, it appears one can sight its location from air and from sea.

This was the location where the motocab brought us when we asked to come to Zhongjiao.

a pocket beach along the Mid-point or Zhongjiao: broken corals and nice seashells are found along this stretch of white sand

some rocky coastlines

It's amazing how the direction of the waves have the power to create different formation of the coastline.

qizi pebble beach at dajiao

Qizi Bay got its name from this little (pocket) beach sandwiched among its rocky coastline.

Along this rocky stretch of bay lies many smaller pocket beaches.

Strangely it's only on this beach one finds pebbles, which the Chinese call 'qizi' or chess seeds. At other beaches, you find seashells and broken corals but not on this! How were these pebbles form?

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There is a popular legend known about this beach. Once two immortals were caught up in their game of chess that they'd forgotten to eat. The kind villagers brought them food. In gratitude when they left, they threw their chess seeds as memento. This was why the pebbles look like the chess seeds.

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We spent the morning pottering and basking under the sun...it was overcast though so we didn't feel the hot sun! Normally when on the beach, one finds birds or seagulls, but here...there is no sign of flying creatures!

reflections

It was an interesting morning when the sky was overcast. When I looked up, I gasped and awed -- even the clouds have the motif or pattern of the rocks below! Contrast of sandy beach on one side and rocky terrain of coastline on the other of Dajiao (Big Point).

human face sculpture

Can the fishermen sight this from the sea?

We were told that fishermen will never take the females with them out to sea as they will lose their catch of the day!Interesting finds: this human half-faced sculpture was etched on the high cliff

(see photo below on the high cliff).

The coastline is rocky and craggy. We had to trek on the mountain of rocks and sand. Vegetation like the cactus and some prickly plants survived the sandy rock crevices.

qizi bay beach at dajiao (big point)

In the next few posts, I want to record my exploration of this interesting beach-cum-rocky coastline of Qizi Bay 棋子湾 in photos: the two characters 棋子 can be translated as the pieces that one makes moves in the chess game or chess seeds.

As mentioned before, there was no map or tour guide to help us explore.

I tried sourcing the length of Dajiao 大角 (Big Point) but... We took 2 days to trek through this most challenging section of the beach and rocky coastline and sandy mountain trek.

We had arranged with the motocab driver the night before to pick us up at 6am the following day. It was really cold during the ride to Dajiao or Big Point as there was no shelter on the motocab.

We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the point to discover Dajiao or Big Point was divided along the sandy beach stretch of the Bay and the rocky coastline stretch.

I have problem in uploading the pictures!

...had the beach to selves.

Fancy cattle grazing on the beach!

sunrise at qizi bay

Qizi Bay is divided into 3 sections, from north to south: Dajiao 大角 (Big Point), Zhongjiao 中角 (Mid-Point) and Xiaojiao 小角 (Small Point).

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We were told the best sunrise is at Big Point and the sunset is at Small Point.

We arrived early to catch the sunrise around 6.30am but were disappointed on both mornings.

This sun appeared around 8.30am!

turtle rock

Legend has it that once upon a time, fishermen were caught in an unexpected huge storm. In answer to distress, seven turtles appeared to save the fishermen. However the last one did not make it back to sea as it was too tired ferrying the fishermen that it died and became that rock.

Now I understand why in Chinese souvenir shops, there is the turtle ornaments for sale.

goddess of mercy rock 观音石

From this angle, the rock does look interesting, almost like a human figure, however from another, this is just a mass of rocks.

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The Chinese believe this rock resembles the Goddess of Mercy. There is a shrine below this huge rock. There is a tiny path that leads to this rock and this is on a high altitude. (Unfortunately I could not take a picture of the shrine below as I ran out of battery power to my camera.)

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The Chinese believe that the fishermen were well protected.

emperor's throne rock 龙位石

It was after a challenging and arduous climb on the sandy mountain that we eventually reach this rocky area. We had been looking for this nature's piece of sculpture, known as the Emperor's Throne. [ In traditional China, 龙 or dragon, this character refers to the Emperor. So 龙位 means emperor's seat which is the throne. ] Surrounding the throne were the subjects just a little below the seat.

It was said if a couple made love there and bore a boy, the child was considered a dragon; if a girl, a phoenix.

When we were at the site, there was no way one could climb up to that throne nor any comfortable place below for any one to make out!

If the sea was high tide, this would be seen lying out in the sea.

qizi bay 祺子湾

The focus of my travel to Hainan Island [ 海南岛 ] was to explore Qizi Bay [ 祺子湾 ]. This is a stretch of 15km, from north to south, S-shaped coastline of sandy beach and rocks punctuated with coves ending at Changhua town [ 昌化镇 ]. We stayed at Changhua from 3rd till 6th instant exploring the Bay.

There was no guide or map on this rock 'trekking'. (I found this place on the internet and gungho I wanted to explore as I love rock formation coastlines.) We went by our instincts though. Along the way, a Chinese male visitor at the beginning of the Bay (or Dajiao literally meaning Big Point) told us not to trek those rocks alone!

The Bay is divided into 3 sections: Dajiao 大角 (Big Point), Zhongjiao 中角 (Mid-point) and Xiaojiao 小角 (Small Point).

A China Chinese friend from Guangzhou and I met at Haikou city, the capital of Hainan Island. We stayed a night at Banana Hostel, a place where overseas visitors stayed. Unfortunately this is not well-run. This friend reckoned it was expensive staying here.

We took a bus from the Western bus station at midday picking up commuters along the way until plying on the expressway. The condition of the roads and expressways were excellent -- no potholes.

Banana and mango plantations lined the west coast and flax were planted where water was lacking. We crossed several bridges. A chinese man told me proudly, "There is no flood in Hainan. All the water flows back to the sea."

The little towns we passed by were clean and tidy.

At one stopover, I had to ease myself and I was pleasantly surprise to find the squatting toilet, was clean and not smelly! This is not a flushing toilet, but there was a huge jar of water to clean it after each use. (Remember to bring your own toilet paper.) Whew! Later I was told the toilet (stood next to a shop) belongs to a home -- that was why it was clean and no odor!

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The bus driver dropped us at the first hotel sighted in Changhua town around 5pm. This was a one-year-old lodging providing room and no food. The room was spacious with a queen-size bed and a single bed -- for a family I suppose. There was comforter on the bed to keep us warm, an airconditioner if we needed to cool ourselves and there was electricity and hot water!

After checking in, we had to look for our evening meal. Eventually we ended up in the restaurant I found on the internet. Unfortunately the gentleman was not available to be our guide as he now owns a prawn farm. He showed us some photos of the natural rock sculptures and legends behind the unique pieces of rocks from his photo album.