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Voykit pocket guide · China
Paracel Islands
西沙群岛
Skip: China allows only mainland Chinese nationals to visit, so foreign passport holders cannot enter (check).
The Paracel Islands are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, administered by China as Sansha City of Hainan Province and also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. China has controlled them since 1974. Cruises run from Sanya for mainland Chinese citizens only; foreign nationals and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are refused entry. Treat this as a closed destination and spend your time on Hainan instead.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 西沙群岛
- Best months
- check
- Avoid
- check
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥200–300 excl. bed · Mid ¥400–600 excl. bed · High ¥800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
Get in
By air
- check · Sansha Yongxing Airport
- Flights to Hainan Island are for island residents only; outsiders need Chinese government permission.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On Yongxing Island you walk. Other islands on the cruise route are reached by the ship only.
See and do
Known for
- Yongxing Island (Woody Island), the administrative centre
- Quanfu, Yinyu and Yagong islands on the cruise route
- Fishing grounds and reefs
- Coconut-tree greening project
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sanya | Cruises to the Paracels leave from Sanya, but tickets are sold to mainland Chinese citizens only | check |
| Haikou | Hainan provincial capital; no public route onward to the islands | check |
| Wenchang | Hainan east coast; no scheduled link to the Paracels | check |
| Wanning | Hainan south-east coast; no scheduled link to the Paracels | check |
Sleep
- Yongxing Island
- One hotel on the islands; most cruise passengers sleep on the ship.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| Where is the bathroom? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Entry is limited to mainland Chinese citizens; foreign nationals and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are not allowed.
- Supply ships to Yongxing Island need Chinese government approval.
- Infrastructure is minimal and medical facilities are limited.
Security is strict and entry is limited to mainland Chinese citizens, so foreign tourists cannot visit the Paracel Islands.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paracel Islands yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yongxing Island (Woody Island), the administrative centre
- Quanfu, Yinyu and Yagong islands on the cruise route
- Fishing grounds and reefs
- Coconut-tree greening project
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata — Paracel Islands: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q274390
- Wikivoyage: Paracel Islands, revision 5175288 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5175288
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paracel Islands西沙群岛
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No foreign embassy or consulate on the islands; the nearest consulates are in Haikou and Guangzhou (check).
Emergency numbers are China-wide. The tourist hotline 12301 is the national line; English support is limited (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paracel-islands). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.