The year 2013 marks China's Year of Marine Tourism. A new ranking of the country's most beautiful islands was recently released by the World Heritage Institute and the Asia-Pacific Environmental Protection Association (APEPA) on March, 13, 2013.

Over 100 islands on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, including the Diaoyu Islands, Huangyan Islands and Xisha Islands, appear on this latest list.

The following are the top ten most beautiful islands in China.

  Hailing Island (海陵島)

Located in Yangjiang City of Guangdong Province, it is the fourth largest island in Guangdong. Known as the "Oriental Hawaii," it features white sands and pure blue waters. The sand here is white as snow, soft and smooth. Besides the amazing natural landscape, it also boasts dozens of historical sites, including the Taifu Temple, Zhenhai Pavilion and Linggu Temple. In addition, it has a Silk Road of the Sea Museum, which sports a perfectly preserved ancient ship amongst its most prized possessions. Over 100 thousand porcelain, gold and jade items were retrieved from the ship, making it worth a visit.