Text description provided by the architects. Approximately five years ago, WJ STUDIO embarked on a tourism development project in Shengsi County—a remote archipelago perched at sea in the northeastern Zhoushan Islands. The journey to Shengsi remains an expedition: 2.5 hours by ferry from Zhoushan Main Island, 3 hours combined land/sea travel from Shanghai, 4.5 hours via road and ferry connections from Hangzhou, 4 hours from Ningbo via vehicle-passenger ferries. While helicopter and seaplane routes have recently been introduced, Shengsi's accessibility challenges modern travelers' efficiency-driven expectations. This geographical seclusion inherently limits its appeal to mainstream tourism—a challenge that would later define our design approach for the Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel.
