Resort island in south China's Guangxi draws more tourists with diverse recreational activities

The Weizhou Island in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, an oceanic resort measuring merely more than 20 square kilometers in area, has been attracting an increasing number of tourists with more diverse water sports and immersive experiencing events over recent years.

Located in Guangxi's Beihai City off the South China Sea, the resort island stands out among numerous tourist destinations for its warm temperature in winter.

Every year from December to April of the next year, the sea waters around the Weizhou Island offers a remarkable chance to encounter Bryde's whales. Drawn by this natural spectacle, countless visitors flock to the island, eager to join in the search for these majestic mammals.

"The moment when I photographed a whale leaping out of the water was very exciting," said Mrs. Liu, a tourist.

Thanks to its volcanic origins, the marine area of the Weizhou Island boasts distinctive underwater topography. With visibility of over five meters, divers are greeted by shimmering light patterns that reveal soft corals and vibrant tropical fish.

"In recent years, more and more travelers choose to come to Weizhou Island. Therefore, we've taken this development as an opportunity to provide more recreational options for tourists by integrating water sports, beach entertainment and shore relaxation services, without limitation of seasonal changes," said Liu Haiming, manager of Beihai Xinyi pleasure boat company's Weizhou Project.

To provide better access for visitors, the Beihai International Passenger Port has fulfilled a channel expansion project, and the passenger volume on the Beihai-Weizhou Island route has increased from 2.79 million in 2021 to nearly 5 million annually at present.

Meanwhile, the port's digital and intelligent infrastructure has been continuously strengthened.

"By leveraging key digital intelligence technologies such as IoT, big data, and AI, functions including intelligent berthing assistance, smart scheduling management, and intelligent safety supervision have been realized. To date, these technologies have ensured the safe operation of 20,000 cruise voyages, while improving ferry scheduling efficiency by 48 percent," said Liu Shuai, manager of Beihai Xinyi pleasure boat company's digital intelligent port and shipping project.

Resort island in south China's Guangxi draws more tourists with diverse recreational activities

Israeli forces have launched fresh strikes across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, with local sources reporting civilian casualties and a further worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the Israeli artillery strike on Friday evening in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City has killed five local residents, including children. The strike brought the number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to around 400.

"A classroom at the displacement site, where five families were sheltering, was targeted. I was inside when the walls collapsed on us during the strike. I was trapped under the rubble along with my grandson, who was injured. After the bombing, I tried to get up and managed to get out of the place. There were many dead and body parts everywhere," recalled Ismail Al-Barsh, an eyewitness of the attack.

Abu Hamza Affana, an ambulance director who took part in the rescue operation, said Israeli forces repeatedly obstructed emergency efforts.

"When ambulance crews first responded to the distress call, the Israeli army opened fire, forcing us to withdraw due to the continued shooting and shelling of the school. After we were later allowed to proceed, we reached the site and dealt with the casualties," he said.

The Israeli military said the incident is under investigation.

The attacks came as displaced families grapple with severe weather and growing shortages of shelter and basic supplies, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Local sources said that as a powerful storm swept through the region recently, at least 13 Palestinian children died due to shortages of essential supplies and medical services.

Gaza humanitarian crisis worsens as Israeli strikes continue