The Changshan Islands -- also known as the Temple Islands or the Miaodao Archipelago -- sit between the Jiaodong and Liaodong Peninsulas, facing Yantai to the south and Dalian to the north, with Beijing and Tianjin to the west and South Korea and Japan across the Yellow Sea to the east. The islands were formed primarily from Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, with smaller amounts of Tertiary igneous and Quaternary sedimentary rocks, giving them a geological diversity that translates into a striking variety of coastal landscapes: sandy beaches, picturesque limestone cliffs, and rocky headlands. Ten of the 32 islands are permanently inhabited, while 22 remain empty, some little more than sand spits. The total land area measures just 56 square kilometers, but the coastline stretches to 146 kilometers, a ratio that speaks to the jagged, indented character of these shores.

Temple Island earned its name honestly. The island was once dense with temples, the most significant being Xianying Palace, built starting in 1122 during the Northern Song dynasty. Originally a Taoist temple dedicated to Matsu, the sea goddess, it later became Buddhist -- a transition that reflects the religious fluidity of Chinese maritime culture. The local government has restored the temple to its Ming dynasty appearance, though additions from the Qing dynasty era had to be stripped away. Changdao National Forest Park and Changdao National Nature Reserve are both located on the islands, which sit on a cross-Bohai Sea bird flyway that brings migratory species through in spring and autumn. The combination of temples, military history, and natural beauty earned Changdao a place on China's 'Most Beautiful County' list in 2019.

The islands' primary industry is aquaculture: sea cucumbers, abalone, sea urchins, scallops, kelp, prawns, and fish. Tourism provides a secondary income, with many villages operating resort hotels along their beaches. But the demographic picture tells a more complicated story. By 2020, the registered population was 40,898, with a birth rate of 5.18 per thousand and a death rate of 6.91 per thousand, yielding a negative natural growth rate of -1.73 per thousand. The islands are slowly emptying out. In 2020, Changdao County itself was merged into the county-level city of Penglai and became Penglai District -- an administrative absorption that mirrors the demographic trend. The ferry from Penglai still runs regularly, carrying both passengers and vehicles on roll-on/roll-off vessels, but the islands' identity as a separate place is fading even as their strategic position remains unchanged.