Crab Island sets an incredibly high bar for other floating villages to follow because it's WAY off the tourist circuit which gives it an incredible local vibe and working feel - nobody is putting on a show for you, nobody is trying to sell you knick-knacks. I saw three other Westerners on the larger than expected island. Once I disembarked the ferry I rented a bicycle and went all over the island. There is not just a Chinese "presence" here - for all intent and purposes this is China. Signs were in Chinese, all local residents were Chinese, and from what I could tell all the schools were Chinese. It’s not a very picturesque island and it’s difficult to figure out why the Chinese selected this location to setup a community. No trip to the island would be complete without a crab lunch. After the meal I biked back to the pier, caught the ferry, and fortunately a train was waiting at the station. I probably spent more time in transit than actually on the island but it was still a great visit.
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PHOTOS
For additional Crab Island photos see FLIKR ALBUM.