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Sanya - Sanya A four-country tour ends of the earth scenic area - ever the romantic lovers start, investigators of the same passion, taste scenery of the South China Sea; Chinese food presented Nanshan Ford, toured the famous Buddhist four Class A scenic resorts - Nanshan Buddhist culture Court of ecological garden, tropical garden love "1,000,000,000 Purdue Garden", the rich coastal characteristics, "acting park," Yang Bringing the majestic Hall, a worship century - sea 108 meters high three icons of Guanyin,
Late living: Sanya waters or the central line Seaview legend David
Sanya - Haikou visit has been called the "Oriental Hawaii" reputation Yalongwan beach, stroll along fine white coral sand coast, taste, "the one in charge of Bay" shocking appearance, returned to a warm home. History cannot make up its mind about Hainan Island. Sitting off the southern coast of China and to the east of Vietnam, it has been both eulogized as "the Hawaii of the East" and condemned as "the Gates of Hell". Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between. Originally consid¬ered by the Chinese to be the place where the civilized world officially ended and fit only to send convicts, the Hainan of today is conversely overrun with Chinese tourists and espoused by many as China's idyllic island paradise.
Most tourists who come to Hainan skip the commercialized port capital of Haikou and make a beeline straight for Sanya, the seaside city where all the good things about Hainan come together: sun- bleached beaches provide the island's best sunbathing, hot springs attract pamper puss¬es, jet skis and reefs lure water sports aficionados and butterfly reserves charm nature enthusiasts.
History
Human activity on Hainan can be traced back between 6,000 and 10,000 years. Written history, however, only begins after zoo BC when Hainan fell under Chinese control during the Qin dynasty. Subsequent dynasties, like the Tang, Song and Yuan (6th to 14th centuries) set up special administrative offices on the island and began incorporating it into the country's central government. Han Chinese moved in and the indigenous tribes retreated further inland. Sanya's name flip-flopped during these times with each new ruling group, from Zhuya to Zhenzhou to Ningyuan.
According to ancient records, Hainan was nicknamed the "Tail of the Dragon", the last unexplored frontier of China and civilization. Because of its remote and forbidding location, many renegades were exiled to its sandy shores, including the famous poet Su Dongpo, who was banished there during the Song dynasty.
In more recent times, Hainan was used as a strategic military outpost in 1890 to combat the French in the Qing dynasty. Similarly, the Hainan people later helped the Communists to battle the Japanese in the 193os. In 1948, the PRC officially established the Hainan Special Administrative Area. In 1984, its status was renamed as the Hainan Administrative Area, during which Sanya was given its current name. Finally, in 1988, Hainan officially became a province, with Haikou established as the capital and the archipelagos of Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha added to its territory. At the same time, Hainan became a Special Economic Zone. Free market economics quickly took root and Hong Kong investment began pouring in. Since then, the local government and people have both caught the tourism bug, seeing the tourism industry as the easiest way to make a quick buck and advance the economy. Their motto is to promote the "to major tourist resources": sea, sun, beaches, animals, hot springs, climate, forests, grottos, minority culture and beautiful scenery.
Hainan was nicknamed the "Tail of the Dragon", the last unexplored frontier of China and civilization. !!
Population and People
The total population of Hainan Island is approximately 7 million. Though this number is now predominantly comprised of Han Chinese, there are still 39 minority groups living in Hainan today. The Li people, who live around Wuzhi Mountain, are the largest minority group at 1.3 million and are also the oldest of the native groups, most likely having emigrated from China's Fujian province. Most inhabitants speak Hainanese, which is a dialect of the Min Chinese also from Fujian. The next largest population, the Miao at 6o,000, came from south¬ern China. These two minorities are the original occupants of the island and can be found living in the dense interior jungles. The third most prominent minority group is the Muslim Hui (population io,000) who live near Sanya city. All of these colourful minority groups contribute to the island's diverse festivals, dress, food, music and handicrafts.
When to Go
Average annual temperatures hover at a beautiful 22-26 degrees Celsius, however April through June can be very hot and humid. Typhoons are a fact of Hainan life, with at least one hitting per year, typically between July and September. The powerful winds and rains can be devastating and shut down the island's transportation and communication infrastructure for days. In terms of weather, the period between October and March, when the temperature is comfortable and the air drier, is probably the best time to visit. If you're looking for the best value for money, be sure to go during the low season, from April to June (when the weather is hot), or in September. The most expensive times are during the Chinese national holidays, like National Day, the May holiday and the Spring Festival. Christmas is surprisingly a good time to visit.
There are several interesting festivals that make for a good time to visit Sanya, however they primarily take place in small local villages and can be hard to find without an informed local guide. One of them is the Junpo festival, or Military Field Festival, which commemorates a national heroine, Madam Xian, who helped to develop and unite a disordered and barbaric Hainan between 513 and 603 AD. The Military Field Festival remembers her with martial arts match¬es, puppet shows, lion dancing and death defying feats like men walking on hot coals or piercing their cheeks with sharp metal poles.
The Sanyuesan Festival was originally celebrated by the Li and Miao minor¬ity groups, but has now become a public holiday organized by the government. Traditionally the festival was a way for unmarried men and women to get togeth¬er to celebrate life and love, but now people of all ages can join in the festivities and entertainment. The festival usually takes place around March 3rd.
Getting to Haikou and Sanya, Hainan
As a port city, 99 percent of visitors arrive in Sanya by air. Direct flights are avail¬able from major cities in China as well as international flights from Seoul and Hong Kong. There are more scheduled flights during the high season, from November to March. An alternative route is to fly into the capital, Haikou, where there are more daily flights and take a bus to Sanya. Or for budget travelers, take the train from Guangzhou to Haikou.
From Boao and Haikou
Taxi: Ysoo-600 one way
Bus: Deluxe non-stop ￥80/person from Haikou East Bus Station.
Sanya Bus Terminal tel: 0898-8827-2440
Haikou Bus Terminal tel: 0898-6865-7306
Car. Rentals are available in Haikou. It costs approximately ￥450 from Haikou to Sanya excluding gas and takes about three to four hours.
Airports and Airlines
Sanya Phoenix International Airport tel: 0898-8829-9389
Hainan Airline tel: 0898-8827-9489
China Southern Airline tel: 0898-825-9414
North Asia Airline tel: 0898-8827-7580
Traveller's Tips
Sanya is still in the throes of a sort of frontier capitalism. Every one is out for what they can get and they know that, generally, they can get more from for¬eigners. Expect a quote of four to five times the price quoted to a local. One example is that a beef satay being grilled on every street corner costs Yo.o5 for one, but foreigners should be prepared to be quoted up to Ys. Either practice your bargaining skills or just move on. Also, there is very little English spoken outside the five-star hotels, so have your phrase book ready.
Particularly frustrating in Sanya are taxi fares as there is no standard. Even if the drivers are running their meters, which most don't, the same trip can vary wildly. To avoid a hassle, negotiate the price before getting into the taxi. Hotels can often provide the correct price or check below for a quick reference.
From To Standard Rate
Airport Downtown ￥40-50
Airport Yalong Bay ￥80-100
Airport Dadonghai ￥50-60
Downtown Yalong Bay ￥25-30
Downtown Dadonghai ￥5-10
Downtown Nanshan ￥50-80
Dadonghai Yalong Bay ￥20-25
As in every tourist destination, there are those who want to take you where you do not want to go to get a commission. Many places (like restaurants) have the same name to facilitate that process. Be specific when instructing the driver or you may end up in a place with the same name, but with elevated prices.
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