Sun and Moon Rocks

Two large smooth boulders rising from the sand near the water's edge, inscribed with the characters for "Sun" (日) and "Moon" (月) respectively. In classical Chinese the two characters combine to form 明 (míng) — brightness or clarity — a piece of symbolic wordplay that has made the rocks into a favourite destination for couples and newlyweds.

The rocks themselves are geologically striking regardless of the mythology: rounded to near-spherical by millennia of wave action, they sit at the edge of the tide line and take on different qualities depending on the light. Early morning, when the sea is still and the inscription catches the low sun, is when they're best photographed. The surrounding beach is pleasant though not exceptional.

things to do sight
A story
The tradition of lovers touching the Sun and Moon rocks together dates to a Ming-dynasty legend about a couple separated by an official's decree who promised to meet again at the edge of the world. Whether the story is old or a recent invention of the tourism board is debated, but the belief is genuine: thousands of couples visit each year specifically to touch both rocks and seal a pledge.