Hainan: The Hawaii of China

Chinas southernmost province

Hainan is located in the South China Sea， separated from Guangdongs Leizhou Peninsula to the north by the shallow and narrow Qiongzhou Strait.

Hainan is known to the Eastern World as the “Hawaii of China”.

For centuries， Hainan was part of Guangdong Province until in 1988 when the island became part of the newly created Hainan Province.

The province has an area of 33，920 square kilometers（13，100 sq mi） and is Chinas southernmost province. Although it comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast， 32，900 square kilometres （12，700 sq mi） （97%） of its land mass is Hainan Island， from which the province takes its name. The PRC government claims territories of the province extend to the southern Spratly Islands， Paracel Islands， and other disputed marine territory.

There are a total of ten major cities and ten counties in Hainan Province. Haikou on the northern coast of Hainan Island is the capital while Sanya is a well-known tourist destination on the south coast. The other major cities are Wenchang， Qionghai， Wanning， Wuzhishan， Dongfang and Danzhou.

Mount Wuzhi

Wuzhishan（Mount Wuzhi） is the highest mountain on Hainan Island and the biggest tropical rainforest area in Hainan Island China.

Wuzhishan is located in the middle of Hainan Island with a total area of 1130 square kilometers. It takes 2 hours by local express bus from Sanya and 5 hours from Haikou， The total population of Wuzhishan is around 110 thousand， with around 60% of the total population being “Li” People， which a Minority in China， Han people make up the Majority of the population of China.

Wuzhishan is a new name. Before 2001， this place was called Tongza which in local Li Language means “Rice field on the top of a mountain surrounded by rainforest .” The Li Language expressed the location of the community. In 2001， the local government changed the name from Tongza to Wuzhishan because of Wuzhishan Mountain which is the highest mountain on Hainan Island and also a major symbol of the Island.

The first inhabitant of Hainan Island is the Li People. Li People are the original inhabitants of Hainan. They are believed to be the descendants of the ancient Yue tribes of China， who settled on the island more than 3，000 years ago.

The Li ethnic group of China mainly inhabits the nine cities and counties in the middle and southern part of Hainan- the cities of Sanya， Tongza and Dongfang， the Li autonomous counties of Baisha， Lingshui， Ledong， Changjiang， and the ‘Li and Miao Autonomous Counties of Qiongzhong and Baoting. Some others reside elsewhere on Hainan with other ethnic groups in Danzhou， Wanning， Qionghai and Tunchang.

The area inhabited by the Li ethnic group totals 18，700 square kilometers， about 55 percent of the provinces total.

San Yue San is a special occasion in April each year for the unmarried young men and women of Li and Miao communities to celebrate new life and pray for love and happiness. Today it has become a public ceremony for all Li and Miao， to celebrate with songs， dances and sporting activities.

Wuzhizhou Island

The island was known as Guqizhou Island in ancient times and the earliest records date from the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）， when a temple was built to commemorate the originator of Chinese characters， Cang Jie. Following the Qing Governments fall from power， the villagers rebuilt the temple to honor the Goddess Matsu， who bestowed good fortune on the local fishermen. From 1949 this island became an important strategic defense zone. However， from the 1990s， the island began to enjoy a completely new role as a romantic place for holiday and leisure.

As the island is in a tropical marine zone， the climate is temperate and pleasant all year round. It is an ideal place for vacation， winter swimming as well as entertainment. There are over 2，700 plant varieties on the island， including the tall trees and dense bushes. The eastern and southern parts of the island are hilly and two high mountains connect to form a peak about 79.9 meters （262 feet） high. In the west and north， the terrain is level. Soft white sand stretches as far as the eye can see beside a crystal clear blue sea， where protected coral reefs are rich in conches， sea urchins， sea cucumbers and tropical fishes of various colors.

As well as Goddess Matsu Temple， there are many places of interest to visit including the Lovers Bridge， Sunrise Rock， the Gold Turtle Stretching toward the Sea， Lovers Island and the Life Well. The Sunrise Rock is the ideal spot from which to observe the sunrise. Apart from these natural sites， swimming pools， bars， gymnasiums and other places of entertain- ment are available in the northwest part of the island. For those who love extreme sports local facilities include surfing， gliding， sailing and canoeing. For relaxation there is sun bathing and sea water bathing. In addition， Wuzhizhou Island is famous for scuba diving as coral reefs and brightly colored tropical fish abound in the warm water. Currently， only a third of the island has been developed.

In addition to the natural attractions of the island， tourists are certain to be pleased by the delightful catering facilities here. In the south of the island there are the Buffet Lunch Restaurant， the Pirate Bar， the Seafood Pool and the Chinese Restaurant all providing excellent food. The Summer Western Food Restaurant in the east corner and the Winter Western Food Restaurant in the west corner of the island also offer a choice of delicious food. Local caught lobsters， prawns， crabs， conch， sea cucumbers and jellyfish will make your mouth water！ Furthermore， this island is rich in fruits； bananas， coconuts， mangos and other tropical fruits are plentiful and inexpensive.

For those who want to spend a night on the island， Wuzhizhou Island Holiday Center offers 81 Guest Rooms with a choice of perfect facilities. Onshore Wooden Cabin and the Presidents Villa on the southern seashore， and other rooms located in the inner island， such as Deluxe Mountain Room and Sea-view Wooden Building are all very pleasant. Furthermore， all the rooms have views of the fine scenery of the island.

Due to its abundant and unique tropic island tourist resources， Wuzhizhou Island has been the most favored scenic spot for those medium and high-end tourists paying a visit to Hainan.

Gorgeous natural landscapes， various and characteristic supporting facilities such as villas， cabins， bars， tennis courts and seafood restaurants， and the well-developed thirty-odd maritime and beach entertaining events including diving sightseeing， semi-diving sighting， offshore fishing， water-skiing， yachting， windsurfing， motorboat， banana boat， canoe， dragging parachute， frisking boat， beach motorcycle， sea parachute jumping， beach volleyball and beach soccer， all of which may bring sight-seers and tourists with all experiences in the sense of primitivity， peace， romantism and dynamic vogue.

Lying in Haitang Bay and north of Sanya City， Wuzhizhou Island is 2.7 km away from the Houhai Village of Linwang Town in Sanya and with Nanwan Monkey Island on the north and Yalong Bay， which is known as the “No. 1 bay under the sun”， on the south. It is 30 Km away from the center of Sanya and 38 Km away from Sanya Phoenix International Airport and adjacent to Hainan east line expressway， all of which contribute to convenient and speedy traffic conditions.

The Island is in irregular shape like a butterfly covering a land area of 1.48 square kilometers. Its length along the west-east orientation is 1500 meters and its width along the north-south direction is 1100 meters. Total coastline length of Wuzhizhou Island is 5.7 Km and the southern peak has an altitude of 79.9 meters.

85 families or 2700 species aboriginal plants pervade over hills and dales in the east， west and south of the Island. Local vegetations include tall and lofty arbors and flourishing and low shrubs， both of which you may encounter anywhere. And you may even take a chance to meet with some exotic flowers and trees for instance alsophila spinulosa， one of the dominant foods for those dinosaurs in ancient times， and dracaena draco， the oldest plant remained so far around the world and thus titled as “ the king of longevity under the sun” and also botanic landscapes created by some types of parasitical plants and strangling plants prevailing in tropic zone.

Jagged rocks soar loftily into the sky and fall vertically into the sea. Stormy sea beats the shore and presents a splendid sight. Winding center wood and grassland undulate like a dancing girl in green. Calm and tranquil beach lies in the north and contains pure white and fine sands as if a jade from God.

Neighboring waters is clear and crystal with the seawater visibility of 6 meters through 27 meters. It teems with luminous whelk， sea cucumber， lobster， sierra， echinus， pomfret and colorful tropical fishes. There are well-preserved coral reefs on the seabed in southern waters. As one of few islands around the world with no reef or miscellaneous cobbles， Wuzhizhou Island is the optimal diving base in China. Gazing in the distance， you may find out mist-covered waters and that the sea melted into the sky.

Scenic Spots in Wuzhizhou Island：

1. Matsu Temple （ Ma Zu Miao ）

Matsu， the patron saint for navigation industry， is consecrated here. Initially it was built up in A.D. 1893 （and thus it has a history of more than one hundred years） as a hospice to consecrate Can Jie， initiator of Chinese characters.

The hospice has been gradually ruined due to poor maintenance after Qing Dynasty. Local fishermen had no idea of which deity was this hospice for， so they pulled down the original joss and began to consecrate Goddess Matsu， the patron saint for navigation industry in their belief. At last Goddess Matsu Temple was also ruined and existing temple was the result of reconstruction in 1993 when local developers commenced large maintaining campaigns within the Island.

2. Lover Bridge （ Qing Ren Qiao ）

Lover Bridge， originally an iron chain bridge， was an offshore watch post once used by the island defending army.

It would need some courage and flexibility if you want to walk on it.Some pretty girls may be eager enough to walk through the chain bridge and step into the watch post to find something new. While they are still worry about risks of falling into the deep sea. So the girl would grasp his boy friends hands firmly and yell and walk forward. Therefore the bridge got a romantic name as “Lover Bridge”.

The previous iron chain bridge has been renovated as present wood board bridge by us for the safety of guests. Have a girl friend？ Then it would be an opportunity here to walk through the “Lover Bridge” grasping your girl friends hands.

3. Sunrise Rock （ Guan Ri Yan ）

The Sunrise Rock is located at the southeastern cliff in Wuzhizhou Island. Standing on the Sunrise Rock， leaning against the azure ocean in breeze and gazing far into the distance， you can overlook the whole island and have a panoramic view toward the vast South China Sea.

At the foot of Sunrise Rock there are jagged rocks in gro- tesque shapes. Upon calm seas and gentle breezes， you may only witness the majestic stones in all its variety； while upon stormy sea and terrifying waves， you may experience our great natures magnificent scenery of shaking heaven and earth. Sunrise Rock is the most optimal site to observe sunrise.

When the red sun initially gushes at the easternmost skyline， boundless sunglow would trigger all your joyfulness and at the same time those overwhelming billows would comfort all those frustrated hearts.

4. Gold Turtle Stretching Sea （ Jin Gui Tan Hai ）

In the southeastern area of Wuzhizhou Island and exactly under the Sunrise Rock， there is a natural giant stone in the shape of a huge turtle whose head and shell are vivid and visible.

The most fantastic thing about the turtle is that a long strip rock above the sea level seats itself at the left front of the whole rocks and thus when submerged by sea water， it looks like that the turtle is thrashing water with its paws. The image is so dynamic and vivid that it looks like a giant turtle edging down upon the vast ocean and returning to its motherland. Then the sight spot got its meaningful name as “Gold Turtle Stretching forward to the Sea”.

5. Lover Island （ Qing Ren Dao ）

Lover Island consists of two giant stones that have witnessed thousand years of ebb and flow and now still stands there calmly face to face as if a couple in love.

It is said that it was nominated in the name of a pair of deeply loved young couple who were turned into stones by irritated Dragon King. Now Lover Island has became one of the most attractive sights in Wuzhizhou Island and the best favored site for those lovers to whisper to each other and appreciate the rote of surf.

6. Life Well （ Sheng Ming Jing ）

According to the record of Sanyas county annals， long ago there were a fisherman and his three sons， who made their living by going fishing in the sea.

One day they were hit by an unexpected hurricane and all fell into water. With a piece of shipboard in hands and confronting the struggle of life and death for several days， they were so hungry and thirsty. Fortunately they were carried by waves and landed at the beach of the Wuzhizhou Island. To their great surprise， they found a little pond adjacent to their landing site and thus they were saved. Consequently they settled down in the Island and successfully excavated a well at the landing site and then the well got its name as “Life Well”.

Ever since then the well has been providing fresh water to numerous fishermen who pass by it and go out for fishing.

Dadonghai & Sanya Bay

One of the most popular tropical seaside holiday areas in Hainan Province is located 3 kilometers （about 1.9 miles） southeast of downtown Sanya， between Mt. Tuziwei and Mt. Luhuitou. Dadonghai has a crescent-shaped beach 2.3 kilometers long （about 1.4 miles） and clear blue sea， sunshine， white sand and green trees creating a beautiful location in the Torrid Zone.

The famous beach is ideal for diving， beach sports， bathing and sunbathing. And as it has everything to support a seaside tourist location， including a large shopping square on the shore， amusement companies and a famous dive company that can provide scuba diving， ship diving， seabed strolling， speed boat， motorboat， luxury yacht， sail boat， ocean fishing， beach sports and underwater photography， this location is renowned for water activities in Sanya and throughout China. Dadonghai has spring-like weather all year round. The water temperature is about 20C degrees even in winter， hence its reputation as an idyllic spot for winter holidaying and relaxation. It also has several shopping areas； the largest shopping center is the Sanya-Ruihai Shopping Park， then Dadonghai Pearl Square， Tropical Rain Forest Square， Seashore Lovers Road and Seafood Barbecue Square， are all able to offer leisure for tourists. 300 meters （about 328 yards） east along the beach is Seashore Park. Standing on the top of the small mountain inside the park， you have a panoramic view of the beach.

This area is a wonderful outdoor swimming and bathing place. At the thought of vernal sunshine and soft sea breezes you will be agreeably dissolved into the blue sky and seawater.

In addition to Asian Dragon Bay and Dadonghai， Sanya Bay is also an ideal place for vacation and leisure. Lying to the west of the city center， it stretches for 20 li （6.2 miles） from Sanya Harbor.

From the city center， Sanyawan Road leads directly to the bay. As you pass along the road， you can see the greenbelt on both sides as wide as 80 meters （87.5 yards）， like a tropical plants viewing garden. Here you can find some typical and valuable tropical plants， such as cycad， palm， madagascar palm and oil palm.

The bay is surrounded by beautiful tropical scenery with a boundless sea view. The crystal clear blue sea stretches to the edge of the sky， while the waves lap the soft white sand. Across the sea， you will see two adjacent islands： Western Hawksbill Island and Eastern Hawksbill Island （commonly know as Western Island and Eastern Island）. The Eastern Island is a garrison island with strict safety measures while the Western Island is open to the public. If you are interested in angling， you can reach the Western Island by motorboat as it has the biggest and best angling club of Sanya. There are many fish and you will return with great success. Further- more， the island is famous for its limpid sea water and various benthoses.

Additionally， as this bay is not far from the city center， it would be a good choice to wander along it after supper to feel the soft sea breeze and warm sea water， and view the sunset. As you walk along it， you can see the fishermen trawling and hear their working songs resounding to the skies. If you want to taste the real life of the fishermen， you can join them. But remember， trawling is not easy work. The net is about 100 meters （109 yards） long and it takes nearly two or three hours to tow it up to the bank. Moreover， this scene can only be seen in this bay as fishing has been forbidden in Dadonghai and Asian Dragon Bay. Compared with those places， the sea water and sand in this bay are not as good； however it attracts millions of visitors with its advantages.

As the bay is near the city center， its very convenient to reach and is much cheaper to visit. Not only is it much quieter and less crowded， but it has the most beautiful sunsets and is safe for swimming as the sea is calmer. Also， it is a better choice to live here to taste the daily life of local people.

Tianya Haijiao

Tianya Haijiao， a romantic and beautiful scenic spot， lies to the west of Sanya City， Hainan Province. It receives many visitors from home and abroad every year since its open in 1988. It also attracts thousands of young lovers from every corner of the world to hold their wedding ceremonies here.

Tianya Haijiao means ‘the furthermost part of the sky and the sea in Chinese， suggesting an unattainable place. In the past， Chinese people believed that the sky was square and the earth was round. Therefore there was definitely a furthermost part of the sky and the earth. Hainan Province， the southernmost part of China， was believed to be the location of Tianya Haijiao.

The Tianya Haijiao Scenic Spot sits on Maling Mountain facing the sea. Walking along the seashore， you will see a stone carved with four characters Nan Tian Yi Zhu， which means ‘a pillar standing in the southern part of the sky in Chinese. The story goes that when the local fishermens daily life was affected by terrible storms， and they could hardly catch the fish， two kind-hearted fairy maidens transformed themselves into two large stones and stood on the beach to shelter the fishermen. From that time fishermen were safe from storms whenever they went to sea. But the maidens master， the Mother Goddess of Heaven， was so furious that she dispatched the Thunder God to drag them back to Heaven. The two maidens refused， so the Thunder God broke them in two. One of them was thrown into the sea and the other one was left here. Near the remaining one lies another stone carved with the Chinese characters Hai Pan Nan Tian， which means ‘the sea and the sky joined together. It is the oldest stone inscription to be found here.

Walking on for a further 500 meters （1600 feet）， you will see a stone carved with the characters of Tianya and another stone carved with the characters of Haijiao. There is a romantic Romeo and Juliet story about these two stones. In ancient times， two young lovers eloped when their parents disapproved of their marriage. Unfortunately， when they arrived in Hainan， agents， sent by their parents， were also there. Facing the sea， they had no escape. They were so sad that they just held each other as they jumped into the sea. Suddenly， there was a thunderstorm. They were hit by lightning and changed into two stones， with the agents turned into many smaller stones around. Now people regard these two stones as symbols of eternal and faithful love. Because of this beautiful and romantic story many young lovers choose this place for their wedding ceremony.

Besides the three stones， modern facilities can be found such as a Shopping Center， the Li Ethnic Group Village and a Celebrity Sculpture. An international wedding festival is celebrated in Tianya Haijiao every year. Around the Mid Autumn Day， there is a Lantern Festival， which adds to the special atmosphere.

This area is a heaven for people who are head over heals in love， and also an ideal place for people who are deeply in love with the sea. You will definitely have fond memories after visiting this scenic spot.

Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone

The Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone is located 40 km（24 miles） southwest of Sanya City in the Hainan Province. Countless visitors flock to the area， drawn by the beauty of Nanshan Mountain （South Mountain）， making it a principal eco-tourism zone. Visitors also are attracted to the area because of the profound Buddhist influence on the surrounding culture. The zone features three theme parks： Buddhism Cul- ture Park， Blessing and Longevity Park， and Hainan Custom Culture Park.

Buddhism Culture Park was developed to portray the Buddhist culture and help people understand its profound philosophy. Highlights included the South Mountain Temple（Nanshan Temple）， the statue of the South China Sea Kwanyin Bodhisattva， the China Buddhism Culture Institute and the Kwan-yin Park. Visitors are awed by the giant sea-side statue of Kwan-yin which stands 108 meters （353.33 feet） high. A second statue of Kwan-yin， located nearby， stands 3.8 meters high （12.47 feet） and was constructed out of gold， diamonds and jade， among other precious stones. It is said that its craftsmen used over 100 kg of gold to make this statue.

Blessing and Longevity Park embodies the essence of Chinese culture， conveying an atmosphere of peace and fortune.

The Dharma Door of NondualityHainan Custom Culture Park is filled with the characteristics of Hainan Province. It takes advantage of its picturesque location （by Nanshan Mountain） to showcase tropical scenery and the customs of Li and Miao ethnic minorities.

In the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone， you will be able to feast your eyes on the beautiful location， while dining on the areas renowned vegetarian dishes. Cooks make use of wild mushrooms and other vegetables when preparing delicious and nutritious dishes.

After you dine， be sure to attend the classical concert and kung fu performance. The concert band is comprised of 14 Chinese young girls. They use traditional instruments such as the Erhu， zither， lute （pipa）， and flute， to create beautiful Chinese Music. The Chinese kung fu performance is splendid as well. One cannot fully appreciate the skill and technique of Chinese kung fu without witnessing a live performance such as this one.

Local food

As we known， Hainan is a big tropical ocean province， the natural resources have the abundant advantages， Hainan cuisine is said to be “lighter， with mild seasonings.” The food is lighter， less oily， and more mildly seasoned than that of the Chinese mainland.

There are four famous traditional dishes in Hainan. Jiaji Duck， Dong Goat， HeLe Crab and WenChang chicken.

The top one-WenChang chicken. Its one of the best kinds of chicken in China. In Hainan， people always say that a feast without Wenchang Chicken cant be called a real feast. Boiled Chicken with Flavored Sauce is the most popular way to cook this Wenchang Chicken and people also make Stewed Chicken with Coconut Juice or Deep Fried Chicken. The fin-ished dish is golden and crispy， tender， tasty and the bones are very soft. And Hele Crab. There are various cooking skills to make this dish. The most commonly used is steaming. Guests are encouraged to eat the steamed crabs with the mixed of ginger， garlic and vinegar to enjoy the original crab taste. The flavor is marvelous！

If you eat seafood in Hainan， you can eat the different kinds of fresh fish， the crab， shell and shrimp. All of the seafood of Hainan Island is caught up from the South China Sea， so they have no pollution， the meat is fresh and the flavor is beautiful. It can be regarded as the best seafood in the whole country.

As we known， Hainan is rich in tropical fruits. Now I will introduce some special local Tropical fruits of Hainan that we are not familiar with.

Sugar Apple

What do you think It looks like？ I think it looks like a cake. It has the special smell and tastes taste slightly sweet， tender and soft Guava pulp may be sweet or sour， it depends on the color. Whether its green or red， it has a distinctive aroma and flavor. Guava is used extensively in candies， preserves， jellies， jams， and juices.

Wax Apple

It Taste sweet， pure and fresh and refreshing. Not only the flavor is special， also wax apple is excellent and will prob- ably quench your thirst. Jackfruit， it contains numerous golden pulps. It tastes soft and sweet with strong fragrance. This is Jackfruits unique aromatic， sweet with tropical flavor notes. Naseberry has unique flavor. It is crisp， sweet and succulent， fragrant and tender. While beginning to eat， you can feel the green tomatos smell.

Passion Fruit

It composed of juice and pulp-filled pockets， as well as hundreds of small， black seeds. The fruit pulp has an intense， aromatic flavor and can be used for making beverages and sauces.

Then， do you want to taste some famous local snacks？ I will recommend to you. Such as Coconut rice， Coconut Cake， Coconut glutinous rice， bamboo rice of the Li nationality， Baoluo Rice Noodles and Ching Bo Leung and so on. Baoluo Rice Noodles is a famous local snack in Hainan， and it is made of rice noodles， soup， and numerous ingredients such as beef cutlets， lean meats， peanut kernels， sour bamboo sheets， hot peppers， the hot and delicious soup is something you shouldnt miss. Ching Bo Leung is a local characteristic dessert of Sanya as well as a popular snack on the whole Hainan Island. It is sometimes known as Liuwei soup （Six flavour soup）. Although it is sometimes described as a drink， the term“soup” is more appropriate as a spoon is generally necessary to consume the solid ingredients.