Sanya is the second largest city in Hainan Province and the tourist center of Hainan Island. On three sides, the city is surrounded by high ridges of picturesque mountains covered with forests, and nearby there are several beautiful bays with white sand beaches and clear sea water.
The most famous place in the city is Mount Deer. In ancient times, there was a temple of shamans of the Li people and the top of the mountain is still considered a sacred place. Now on the mountain and its slopes there is a picturesque landscape park, where almost all tropical plants growing on the island of Hainan are represented.. There is also a spotted deer kennel here. Olenikha Mountain offers a beautiful view of Sanya and nearby bays. Thrill-seekers can go down the chute on a special cart. Check topschoolsintheusa for doing business with China.
Not far from Sanya, a special nursery contains several thousand crocodiles and 300 tigers. Crocodiles live in a lowland, over which bridges are suspended, walking along which you can watch these ancient reptiles. There is an amazingly beautiful place 23 km west of Sanya – the Tianyahaijiao coast., which in translation means “Edge of the sky, the limit of the sea.” Here, on a sandy beach, small and large stones are scattered in a picturesque mess. On some stones you can see calligraphic carvings. To the northeast of the city is Nanwan Island, China ‘s only natural monkey sanctuary.
Nanshan International Tourism Zone is located 20 km west of Sanya at the foot of the mountain of the same name. The largest Buddhism center in Asia is located on the territory of Nanshan. The area of the complex – 50 km 2. An ancient Buddhist temple was restored here and a huge landscape park was laid out. In a separate pavilion in the park, the world’s largest golden statue of the goddess Guanyin (140 kg) is carefully stored. It is adorned with precious stones and stands on a pedestal in the form of a lotus flower made of white precious jade. This statue is not only included in the Guinness Book of Records, but it is also the greatest Buddhist shrine.
27 km from the island is the kingdom of flowers and fruits – Wuzhizhoudao Island. Its area is 1.47 km2. In coastal waters, colorful fish live and corals grow. Holiday houses, Japanese houses, bamboo towers and restaurants have been built on the island.
Close to Sanya there are Sanyawang, Yalongwang and Dadonghai bays with white sand beaches and clear sea water, where the main hotels are concentrated.
Haikou, Hainan Island (China, south)
Haikou is the capital of Hainan Province. It is located in the northern part of Hainan Island at the mouth of the Nandu River and covers an area of 238 km2. In the past, it was a small county town, at the present time it is a modern administrative and financial center with a population of 600 thousand people, a developed service sector, fashionable hotels, a respectable business center and a vibrant nightlife.
The port of Haikou has been heavily influenced by Portuguese merchants for centuries, so colonial-style buildings still remain in the city center. In the city center, examples of South Chinese architecture have also been preserved.
All hotels and most architectural landmarks are located along Xinhuananlu Road (Xinhua Nanlu). The most significant cultural attractions of the capital are the Wugong Temple, built in honor of 5 famous figures of the Tang and Song dynasties; the tomb of Hai Rui, a Ming Dynasty statesman; the ancient artillery forts of Xiuying.
If you want to relax, you can go to Haikou Park or the amazing water park. The city has several beaches, the most popular of which is Holiday Beach. Both adults and children will enjoy the marine Disneyland with many attractions. Western Haikou is a large commercial and passenger port, the island’s main gateway to the mainland. The airport is located in the southern part of it.
15 km from Haikou is an extinct volcano Ma An, which has a saddle shape. The road to it, as well as the steps to the crater, are made of volcanic magma. The perimeter of the crater is protected by a railing and equipped as an observation deck from which you can look inside it. The slopes of the crater are hardened lava, overgrown with dense shrubs and tropical species of relic plants. The whole area is arranged in the form of a park, below there is an open-air restaurant in a palm grove. In front of the restaurant there is a large stage area where evening folklore performances of the natives of the island – the Li and Miao peoples – are held.
For most travelers Haikou is a transit point on the way to the southern beaches and Sanya.
