The Causeway to the Sea: Liandao Island in Lianyungang
十里长堤分海色，一湾金沙枕浪眠 Shí lǐ cháng dī fēn hǎisè, yī wān jīnshā zhěn làng mián – A ten-li causeway cuts the colours of the sea; one bay of golden sand sleeps pillowed on the waves
正文：连岛 Liándǎo Liandao Island is the largest island in Jiangsu’s coastal waters, and it reaches the mainland the most satisfying way possible – a straight sea causeway roughly seven kilometres long, driven straight across shallow water from the port of 连云港市 Liányúngǎng Shì Lianyungang City. Drive or ride the bus across the dam and the city simply stops: fishing boats, salt wind, and two big sandy bays waiting on the far side.
Dashawan, the Great Sand Bay, is the headline – a broad crescent of firm golden sand backed by pines and rented beach tents, the swimming beach of record for the whole region. Families claim the shallows, swimmers take the flagged zone, and the seafood stalls along the promenade grill whatever the morning boats landed.
The quieter half of the island is Sumawan to the east, a narrower bay framed by rocky headlands and a cliff-top boardwalk that stitches the two beaches together. Walk the plank path above the water in the late afternoon and the island shows its second character: black reef, grey-green sea, and herons working the tide line away from the crowds.
Come for a summer day or an off-season walk – both work. July and August turn the island into a proper seaside resort with lifeguards and night stalls; from October the bays empty out and the causeway becomes one of the best easy bike rides on this coast. Sunrise from the east headland is the photographer’s slot.
Practicalities
Beyond the beaches, the same 连云港市 Liányúngǎng Shì Lianyungang City keeps more places worth the detour: 花果山 Huāguǒ Shān Huaguo Mountain for the Monkey King peak, 海上云台山 Hǎishàng Yúntái Shān Yuntai Mountain for the cliff-top sea view, 孔望山 Kǒngwàng Shān Kongwang Mountain for the ancient carvings, or 渔湾 Yúwān Yuwan Valley for the waterfall gorge – four more doors into the same 连云港市 Liányúngǎng Shì Lianyungang City. Once the sands are walked, our Lianyungang food map fills the day.
Practicalities
Words and Names
flowcloud would say Liandao is the rare island you can drive to without losing the island feeling: one dam, two bays, and the smell of the Yellow Sea the whole way. All checked November 2026.
Getting there: Liandao Island hangs off the Lianyungang port area, reached by the causeway road or the dedicated bus from the city; entry is by combined scenic-area ticket covering both bays, summer swims need the beach zone, and weekday mornings stay calm even in season. All checked November 2026.