China Vacations | Tropical Sanya

Sanya is the "jewel in the crown" of Hainan Island. Most Hainan locals ask if you have been here to visit, and they refer to Sanya as "China's Hawaii". They are very proud of this city.

There are five major bays in Sanya, namely: Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Bay, Sanya Bay, Haitang Bay, and Yazhou Bay. The first two are the sites for many luxurious hotel resorts, overlooking the clear blue waters of the South China Sea. Other attractions around Sanya include Cape Tianya Haijiao, Lu Hui Tou (Deer turns its head) Park, Wuzhizhou Island and the Tiger and Crocodile centre.

The Chinese National Volleyball Team trains here, and the Miss World Contest was held in Sanya in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

Image by drs2biz | Lens Updated: July 24th, 2012 @ 6:50 pm Beijing time.

Facts and Figures for Sanya...

• longitude: 109° 30' 13" E
• latitude: 18° 15' 12" N
• altitude: 0 m
• area: 1,919.6 km² (741.2 sq mi)
• postcode: 572100
• areacode: 0898

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

Sanya is the southernmost city in Hainan province, China. It has an area of 1919.6 square km and a population of 536,000 (2006). After Haikou, it is the second most populous city of the island. Sanya is renowned for its tropical climate and is a popular tourist destination. It is also the focus city for China's Utsul Muslims. It is the site for training of the Chinese national beach volleyball team.

Read the rest of the Wikipedia article.

The Most Prestigious Beach in Hainan

Yalong Bay is located about 25 km south-east of Sanya City. It consists of a 7.5km crescent shaped beach, with an area of 18.6 square kilometres, and is also known as the Yalong Bay National Resort. It is regarded as the best beach in Hainan Province, and many internationally-operated hotels have been constructed here. These include the Gloria Resort (the first five star resort in China), Sheraton Sanya Resort, Marriott Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Resort, and Holiday Inn Resorts.

In the centre of Yalong Bay square stands a Totem Pole of 27 meters, on which the Gods of the Sun, Wind, Rain, and Thunder as well as legendary animals such as the Dragon, Phoenix, Kylin (a mythical hoofed Chinese chimerical creature) and Fish are engraved. The design of this square has received recognition in winning the Luban Prize for architecture in China.

The Shell Hall of Yalong Bay is located in the central square of the resort. It has an area of 3,000 square metres and, with the sea shell as its theme, the Shell Hall is a comprehensive exhibition hall and shopping area.

To the North of Yalong Bay is situated the Butterfly Valley, which contains five halls that present the most precious species of butterflies. The climate is warm and sunny all year around, and this location has become a tourist "Mecca" for holidaying mainland Chinese and Russian tourists alike!

Yalong Bay Features - Admission Fees:

Yuan 30 RMB - Centre Square

Yuan 38 RMB - Shell Museum

Yuan 18 RMB - Butterfly Valley

Getting to Yalong Bay:

To get there take a taxi from the centre of town, for around Yuan 50 RMB (or Yuan 5 RMB by bus). It will cost around Yuan 150 RMB from Sanya Airport by taxi and takes around 45 minutes travelling time.

Image from yuksing used, under license, by Creative Commons

Dadonghai beach is located 3 kilometres south-east of Sanya city, between Mt. Tuziwei and Mt. Luhuitou. It is a crescent-shaped beach of 2.3 kilometres length, and is one of the most popular beaches in Hainan Province as the beach is public to all, unlike those of Sanya bay and Yalong Bay.

Dadonghai is a wonderful place for outdoor swimming and bathing. There is no surf, which makes it a very safe option for most families. Some of the features include a large Summer Mall on the shore and several amusement companies. Dadonghai Square and Outdoor Seafood Barbecue Square are able to offer leisure activities for tourists.

If you walk around 300 meters east along the beach you will come to Seashore Park. Standing on the top of the small mountain inside the park, you have a panoramic view of the beach.

There is also a famous dive company that can provide scuba diving, ship diving, seabed strolling, speed boats, motorboats, luxury yachts, sail boats, ocean fishing, beach sports and underwater photography.

Getting to Dadonghai Beach:

Airport Shuttle Bus from Sanya Airport to Dadonghai - Yuan 10 RMB

Public Bus No. 2 or No. 4 from Sanya downtown area to Dadonghai - Yuan 1 RMB

Sightseeing bus (7:15 am to 7:00 pm) to Dadonghai - Yuan 8 RMB

"Lu Hui Tou" (Deer Looking Back) Statue - by drs2biz

There is a moving love folklore about the park. A long time ago, a handsome Li ethnic hunter in a red headscarf holding a bow and arrow, was running after a deer from Mount Wuzhi to the shore of the South China Sea, crossing 99 mountains and fording 99 rivers. The deer found no way to go except into the sea under a cliff. The deer suddenly froze, standing on the cliff and turned around, looking at the hunter with a pair of passionate, sorrowful yet clear beautiful eyes. The hunter drew his bow, ready to shoot, but was astonished and lowered the bow. Suddenly, a flame shot out and mist rose into the sky, the deer turned her head back and changed into a beautiful Li ethnic girl. Soon, the hunter and fairy girl fell in love and settled down here. From then on, the romantic hill was called Luhuitou (deer turning around) and became a sacred place for young people to express love. The huge sculpture on top of the hill represents the moving scene of the romantic love story, and Sanya is also called "Deer City".

Now, Luhuitou Hill is known as the park of love and ecology. The main scenic spots include the sea view platform, Deer park, Slideway, "Fortune Comes from the East", Love Garden, Li Ethnic singing and dancing performances, Luhuitou Sculpture and the Hilltop Garden. Luhuitou Park is also the centre of a vegetation reserve of Sanya which belongs to a tropical rainforest and natural ecology, with many precious species of provincial and state vegetation"... from a sign in the park - drs2biz.

The Love Hill in Sanya Where "The Deer Looks Back"

"The Looking-Back Deer statue on the top of the hill was designed and built by Mr Lin Shuhao in 1987, who drew inspiration from the legend". ... inscription from sign at the foot of this statue... drs2biz.

In addition to the folk story of "the deer looking back", the views from the top of this peak are spectacular. Tourists can get a bird's-eye view of some of the beautiful beaches around Sanya, as well as the construction works that are being undertaken to cater for the expected influx of tourists, once the Haikou to Sanya very fast train link is completed.

You can see more images at this Flickr Set.

Instructions For Guests.

1. One ticket for all feature spots; sold beside the main entrance and checked at the second doorway.
2. Ticket price: 30 Yuan RMB (Free of charge for seniors above 70 y.o. and juniors below 1.2 metres tall; half charge for students and children above 1.2 metres).
3. Opening times: 7:30 am - 10:00 pm or 7:30 am - 10:30 pm on weekends or legal holidays.
4. Some toll services are provided, including tour guide instructions, sight~seeing with sedan, electric car and slide way.
5. Three sides of the park are facing to the sea and the vegetation is lush and abundant in species.

Please be friendly to the environment, mind your cigarettes and refrain from behaviour which may cause ecological damage.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

The Guanyin Statue of Hainan, also known as Guan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya, is a 108 metre tall statue of the bodhisattva Guan Yin, sited on the south coast of China's island province Hainan in the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone near the Nanshan Temple west of Sanya. The statue has three aspects; one side faces inland and the other two face the South China Sea, to represent blessing and protection by Guan Yin of China and the whole world. One aspect depicts Guan Yin cradling a sutra in the left hand and gesturing the Vitarka Mudra with the right, the second with her palms crossed, holding a string of prayer beads, and the third holding a lotus. The mantra Om mani padme hum is written in Tibetan script around each aspects' halo. This is currently the fourth tallest statue in the world.

The statue took six years to build and was enshrined on April 24, 2005, with the participation of 108 eminent monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China, and tens of thousands of pilgrims. The delegation also included monks from the Theravada and Vajrayana traditions.

Read the rest of the Wikipedia article.

Southern Heaven Rock is a boulder, near the Rock of Sun and Moon, with a famous poem of Fan Yun-Ti inscribed on its top.

Image: Ben Arris, on Flickr.

It is folklore in China that there were two lovers from two feuding families who escaped to this location. One of them was named "Tianya" (Edge of Heaven) and the other "Haijiao" (Corner of Sea). They made a pact to stay together, regardless of the circumstances.

When they were pursued by their families, in true "Romeo and Juliet" fashion, they leapt into the sea from this spot. This evokes images of the story of "The Jolly Swagman", where the feckless wanderer would rather die than lose his freedom. This character originates from a famous Australian folk song called Waltzing Matilda.

People believe that the couple later changed into two huge rocks, which stand facing the sea. Because of this romantic story, many lovers come here to declare their undying love for one another. You can learn more about this idyllic location by visiting this lens about Tianya Haijiao.

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Image: Greekgeek