Discovering Huashao Islet

2018-07-18

 

Adam: Hi Li Mei, I love Gulangyu but Xiamen must have other islets to explore?

亚当: 李梅,我很喜欢鼓浪屿,但是厦门肯定不止这一个岛屿,你还知道有哪些岛屿吗?

 

Li Mei: Sure, have you heard of Huoshao Islet?

李梅:当然,你听说过火烧屿?

 

Adam: No, what is it?

亚当:没有,是什么样呢?

 

Li Mei: It's the largest islet on Xiamen's western coast and it covers 27 hectares of lush landscape.

李梅: 火烧屿是厦门西海域中最大的岛屿,水陆面积27公顷,是一个美丽的小岛。

 

Adam: What's the story behind the islet?

亚当: 哇,岛屿的背后有什么故事吗?

 

Li Mei: It's now called Huoshao but it used to be called Diaoyu in the late Song Dynasty. At that time, peasants from Shitang village, Haicang moved to Diaoyu to escape the Yuan army. The local residents made a living by fishing and farming. When the Yuan army burned down the houses on the islet and forced its residents to move back to the mainland, it became known as Huashao, “Fire Island.” Relics from torched homes can still be found on the islet.

李梅: 火烧屿原名钓鱼岛,南宋末年,海沧石塘村的农民为躲避元军,迁居钓鱼岛,渔耕为生。后来元军跨海烧毁了民房,强令农民迁回原处,从此,农民就叫它火烧屿,如今在岛的一些地方还能看到房屋的残基和瓦砾。

 

Adam: That is quite a story.

亚当:真是个有趣的历史故事。

 

Li Mei: There are also tombs from the Qing dynasty on the islet. In the 1970s, locals planted trees, cultivated fish and shrimp, and built dike and houses on the islet. After 20 years of afforestation and protective development, the islet is now covered in acacia and casuarina. Local flora includes myrtle, rhododendron and centipede ferns.

李梅:屿上还有清代的墓葬。70年代,厦门人民在这里植树绿化,养鱼养虾,筑堤建房。经过20年的封山育林和保护性开发,火烧屿上相思树、木麻黄等茂密蓊郁,杜鹃、桃金娘、蜈蚣蕨等野花争奇斗艳!

 

Adam: Wow, how can we visit?

亚当: 哇,我们怎么去那呢?

 

Limei: The islet is nestled below the bridge to Haicang. We can take a 20-minute ferry to the islet from Haicang.

李梅: 火烧屿在海沧大桥下,我们可以从海沧坐船过去,20分钟就到了。

 

Adam: What is there to do on the island?

亚当: 在岛上可以做些什么呢?

 

Li Mei: We can have a barbecue lunch and rent a rowboat to tour the islet's coast.

李梅: 可以在那烧烤,或者租船游岛。

 

Adam: Great, there's no reason to wait.

亚当:太棒了,没有理由等待了。

 

Li Mei: I agree, let's go this weekend.

李梅:那我们周末出发吧!

 

By Wendy Shi

[ Web editor:Robin Wang, Wu Jianhan    Source:CommonTalk ]