Positioned at the northern edge of the Zhoushan Islands in China's Zhejiang province, Huaniao Island, has earned a spot among the country's top mountain-and-sea tourist destinations.

The Huaniao Island. [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]

The island's poetic name, Huaniao, which means flower and bird, hides a prosaic past. Historical records from the Song Dynasty (420-479) called it Shinong Mountain for its rocky outcrops. Documents of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) referred to it as Huanao Mountain, possibly a jest about its barren soil. The current name emerged during the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Today, after a century of reforestation, the 3.28-square-kilometer island boasts 74 percent greenery, over 500 species of flora and fauna, and seasonal spectacles like blooming moonflowers in the spring and migratory birds in the winter.

Romance here is also etched in steel and stone. Once a beacon for ships, the 154-year-old Huaniao Lighthouse now symbolizes enduring love as couples flock to pledge vows beneath its beam.

The Huaniao Lighthouse. [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]

The island now thrives on sweet economics. As the Yangtze River Delta region's first seaside wedding venue, businesses like wedding photography studios complete a love-themed industrial value chain here.

A love-themed square on Huaniao Island. [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]

As waves brush against its shores, Huaniao Island's real transformation echoes in the footsteps of young entrepreneurs and newlyweds — proof that even the smallest islands can write grand love stories with nature and ingenuity.