Paracel Islands Tourist Guide

A group of over 130 coral islands in the South China Sea, the Paracel Islands are disputed between China, Vietnam and Taiwan. Divided into two major groups, the islands occupy a total ocean area of 15,000 sq km. The Amphitite Group consists of six narrow islands with shallow lagoons and coral reefs, while the Crescent Group has eight islands forming a crescent shape surrounding a deep central lagoon.

Less than 300 kilometres from Hainan Island and equally distant from mainland China and Vietnam, Paracel enjoys a humid, tropical climate with beautiful weather all year round. Like the neighbouring island of Hainan, it can be the perfect destination for an exotic holiday in the midst of an untouched paradise, inhabited, for the time being, officially, only by turtles and seabirds. From a tourism point of view, although the islands have been controlled by the Chinese military since 1974, Paracel’s future seems uncertain, even though the Chinese government has announced a campaign to revitalise the area.

For better information, the Paracel Islands have been included in our tourist guide as a destination in China.