Qiongzhou Strait

Qiongzhou Strait
The Qiongzhou Strait
Coordinates 20°09′N 110°16′E / 20.150°N 110.267°E / 20.150; 110.267
Type strait
Basin countries  China
Max. width 30 km (19 mi)
Max. depth 120 m (390 ft)

The Qiongzhou Strait (simplified Chinese: 琼州海峡; traditional Chinese: 瓊州海峽; pinyin: Qióngzhōu Hǎixiá; Hainanese: Khāng-tsiú Hái-kiap), also called the Hainan Strait, is a body of water that separates the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong, southern China, to the north from Hainan Island to its south. The strait connects the Gulf of Tonkin in the west to the South China Sea on the east.

Qiongzhou Strait with Leizhou Peninsula in background viewed from Haikou City, Hainan, China.

The strait is on average 30 km (19 mi) wide[1] and centered at 20°09′N 110°16′E / 20.150°N 110.267°E / 20.150; 110.267 with a maximum water depth of approximately 120 m (390 ft).[2] The strait is susceptible to closure during strong typhoon activity.[3]

Whales and dugongs were once common in the strait.

Crossings

The strait was crossed by the People's Liberation Army forces in the spring of 1950 (see Landing Operation on Hainan Island).

The Guangdong–Hainan Ferry (part of the Guangdong–Hainan Railway) carries rail cars and automotive vehicles across the strait.

While a bridge was planned in the early 2000's it never came to fruition. A bridge or tunnel have been discussed, as of 2018, as travel by air or ferry can leave residents and visitors isolated when bad weather sets in.[4]

See also

  • Haikou, formerly called Qiongzhou

References

  1. ↑ "China to bridge the Qiongzhou Strait at a cost of 140 Billion RMB (我国将在琼州海峡建首座跨海大桥 投资超1400亿)" (in Chinese). Sohu. September 1, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  2. ↑ "The Role of Qiongzhou Strait in the Seasonal Variation of the South China Sea Circulation" (PDF). January 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Typhoon Chanthu lands on south China". Enbar.net. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Hainan travel chaos: Is it time to build the cross-strait subsea tunnel?". June 8, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2018.

Further reading


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