Places of Interest
Sanya, the Hawaii of the East, is found at the southern most end of Hainan Island. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the other has a coastline of over 200 kilometres. It is the only tropical coastal area in China, with a long summer and no winter to speak of. For this reason, it is a very popular winter destination for Chinese nationals. Sanya has been the venue for Miss World many times and recently hosted the competision again in december 2007, won in fact by Miss China!
Sanya has a population of almost half a million, with the majority made up of people from the Han, Li, Miao and Hui ethnic groups.
Tourists are drawn to Sanya because of the climate, its fabulous bays / beaches, coconut forests, beautiful gardens, hot springs, grottoes and of course the mountain scenery. You also have excellent golfing and diving facilities.
Yalong Bay National Tourist Holiday Resort is considered to be the best along the whole coastline. It stretches for 7.5 kilometres in a half moon shape, boasts blue seas and soft beaches and so is a prime spot for swimming and diving. There are other scenic spots around Yalong Bay, such as Shell Hall and Butterfly Valley.
Dadonghai is another bathing beach, located between two hills – Tuziwei and Luhuitou. The water here is tranquil and reputed to be around 26°C all year long.
Tianyahaijiao Tourism Area is the most famous tourist spot on Hainan Island. This section of the coastline is 26 kilometres from Sanya. The beach is lined with coconut trees, but its main attraction are the huge rocks baring Chinese inscriptions, scattered along the beach itself. The inscriptions read 'End of the Earth,' 'Corner of the Sea' and 'First Pillar on Southern Heaven'.
Sanya Bay Tourism Area is the closest to Sanya City proper. Along the 20 kilometres stretch of coastline are beautiful seaside buildings and gardens.
Wuzhizhou Island was known in ancient times as Guqizhou and is to the north of Sanya City. The island is almost 1.5 square kilometres in size, with a hill on its SE part rising 80 metres above sea level. Over 2000 varieties of plants exist on the island and around its southern coastline; the sea is a haven for tropical sea life and bright- coloured corals.
Ancient Yazhou City was built during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 - 581) and is steeped in history. Its main feature is the Yingwang Pagoda, one of Hainan Province's most famous.
Southern Hill Cultural Tourism Zone is approx. 40 kilometres from Sanya City. It is a cultural and ecological garden, covering an area of 35 square kilometres. Its main attractions are its Buddhist Culture Garden, the Greater and Lesser Caves and various sculptures based on fairytales.
Nantian Hot Springs are often referred to as 'No.1 Spring in China', because of the amount of water that comes from them and height at which the water spurts. The water contains very high levels of trace elements and minerals, so is considered to be exceptionally good for people's health.
