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Sanya City Sanya is the second largest city on Hainan Island. The whole of Sanya is related to the sea. Here you can enjoy a unique tropical oceanic landscape and all year round sunshine that is totally different from the other cities of China. Yalong Bay, Haitang Bay, Dadonghai, and Sanya Bay, all golden seaboards of Sanya are some of the first choices for visitors to spend their holidays.
The Chinese government said on Jan. 4, 2010 that it aims to build the southern island of Hainan into a top international tourism destination by 2020. And Resorts, lotteries coming to Hainan.
Apr. 20, 2011, The opening of a duty free store in Sanya, has grabbed the attention of shoppers across China, many of whom will be relishing the prospect of being able to purchase luxury imported goods at competitive prices without embarking on long trips abroad. Please click here to find out more information.
Jenny’s Summary : Sanya is the best tropical resort destination in China, the best time to visit Hainan Island is between September and March the next year. Those who are fond of swimming and water sports had better come to Sanya. It's an excellent place for swimming, sun bathing, scuba diving and water sports all the year around, and far away from the crowded cities, it is your best choice for relaxation and entertainment.
Please click here for information of hotels in Sanya, hotels in Haikou.
Location of Sanya
Sanya is the southernmost city of China and a famous international tropical seaside resort, which is located in the southernmost point of Hainan Island. Sanya is the second largest city in Hainan island, measure 91.6 kilometers from west to east and 51 kilometers from south to north. Sanya has 19 bays and harbors such as Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Bay, Sanya Bay, which is the most well-known. And has 40 islands with the West Island being the biggest one covering an area of 105 square kilometers.
Panoramic View of Sanya City Ｎight Scenery of Sanya City
How to get here?
The best popular way is by flight. As a port city, 90% of the visitors arrive in Haikouand Sanya by flights. Haikou is the capital of Hainan Island, so there are more flights to Haikou. Sanya is the highlight for your holiday in Hainan Island. So if there is no direct flight from your departure city to Sanya, we would suggest via Guangzhou as there are more than 10 flights from Guangzhou to Sanya daily. The second way is to fly to Haikou then come down to Sanya to bus or Taxi or private car. It takes 3.5 hours from Haikou to Sanya by private car. If you have more time, you can come by train.Please click here for more information.
Dadonghai Sanya Bay
History of Sanya
According to a report from archaeologists, the Luobi Cave was the living area for original Hainan inhabitants about 10 thousand years ago. Sanya was called Zhuya dring the Han Dynasty. Its name was changed to Zhenzhou in the Tang Dynasty and Yazhou in the Ming Dynasty. After the Qing Dynasty, its name was Yaxian County. In 1954, its capital moved from Yacheng Town to current location, and in 1984, Sanya got its present name and was upgraded to a city.
Yazhou is the old name of Sanya. Many years ago, the Qiongzhou Strait (between Hainan Island and the mainland) was regarded as the dividing line between paradise and hell, because the Hainan Island was the penal colony for those officials who were out of favor.
Local people Walking bridge/Dragon Bridge - Simple of the city
Climate of Sanya
Sanya is the best resort in China due to its ideal climate. It is like summer all the year round. The annual average temperature is 25.4 C, with the highest monthly temperature at 28.4 C in July and the lowest monthly temperature at 21 C in January. The yearly sunshine time totals 2563 hours, and the yearly average rainfall is up to 1279 mm.
Average Temperature of Sanya Hainan Island: Tropical Climate
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
23.4°C |
23.6°C |
25.5°C |
27.9°C |
28.7°C |
28.9°C |
28.9°C |
28.4°C |
28.0°C |
27.8°C |
23.9°C |
23.0°C |
Average Ocean/Sea Water Temperature of Sanya Hainan Island
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
24.1°C |
24.4°C |
25.7°C |
28.3°C |
29.9°C |
29.9°C |
29.3°C |
30.1°C |
29.2°C |
29.0°C |
26.2°C |
24.60°C |
Sanya Hainan Island is no doubt your best choice for your winter to get away from the chilly weather.
People in Sanya
The total population in Sanya is more than 500,000. The main nationalities are Han, Li, Miao and Hui. The minorities, including Li, Miao and Hui have their own languages, but they all can speak Chinese, so communication is convenient.
Bamboo Dance- local dance by Li people
The Li peopleare original inhabitants of Hainan island, who have their own style of living, food, costumes, marriage and festivals.
The Miao peopleare belived to move to Hainan from Guangxi Province, as many of their old songs describe guangxi’s landscape and Lu Ban, the Miao’s creator of the world. A lot of traditional herb medicines have been developed.
The Hui peoplein Sanya live in the Huihui and Hui xin villages of the Phoenix Town, who have a talent for engaging in trade. They have their own language which is different from other local dialects and is called Huihui dialect. The Hui people believe in Islamism and pray five times every day in accordance with the Koran. Some Hui historic sites can be found in Sanya such as steles, tombs, and mosques.
Dining and Drinks in Sanya
Tasting the local dishes is a must on your journey. Both of the hotels and a number of roadside booths serve the freshest seafood. Except the seafood, you still can try the famous four dishes of Hainan: Wenchang Chicken, Dongshan Lamb, Jiaji Duck and Hele Crab, or the very local Hainan special and Dim Sum such as Baoluo Feng(picture), Coconut meat dumpling(picture), which are the best popular breakfast that local people will take instead of bread and milk. Of course, you may also enjoy Russian, Japanese, Korean, Italian and other western style foods here. Please check here for more information. Times Coaster Bar Street serve the best wines and drinks in Sanya. Please click here for more information. |
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Hainan Tropical Fruits
After the delicious food, you need to have some fruits. There are many kind of tropical fruits which are available all year round. We could like to recommend some tropical fruits that you must try during your stay in Sanya.
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Mango(芒果) : The king of Tropical Fruits. Hainan Island is the biggest Mango production center in China. Best mango’s available from March till June. Sometimes we could get late harvest till September. But do not eat too much in a day, otherwise you will suffer from sore throat the next morning. |
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Papaya(木瓜): is cool according to traditional Chinese medicine. So eat some papaya if you have sore throat or suffer from constipation. The pork steak soup with papaya is one of the best soup in Hainan |
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Banana: Hainan Island is also the biggest production area of Banana in China. Remember the small and yellow ones called grain of rice banana are tastier than the green or yellow big ones. |
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Carambola(杨桃): Some sweet, some sour, try to get the ones with yellow colors. Autumn is a good time to taste the best Carambolas. To have better taste, you could keep them in salty water for a few minutes. |
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Dragon fruit(火龙果): Taste is very light. Peel off the skin to taste fruits in side. It would taste better if you put some sugar. |
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Rambutan(红毛丹): The taste is also very light. Just peeling off the hairy covering, you will see white fruits with nuts in side |
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Areca, a kind of tropical fruit(槟榔). Local people cut the areca into pieces and chew it with a special leaf and plaster. It taste little bitter at the first time, but will get sweet when the juice turn red, and the people may get red in face. Sometimes they may “get drunk”. Very interesting, you need to try. It is sold everywhere. |
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Coconut(椰子) : The most popular fruit in Hainan. You can buy everywhere. Yellow ones taste better than green ones. It is said the taste of the coconut is best during noon time. The white fresh of coconut also tastes good. |
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Jackfruit(波罗密): is one of the largest tree-borne fruits in Hainan Island. It tastes very sweat, sometimes too sweat. The local people also eat the seeds of Jackfruit after boiling. But some people do not like the smell, similar to Durian. |
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Chinese wampee(黄皮) ：The grapelike fruit tastes sweet, some are sour. For better sweat taste, get the bigger and brown-yellow ones. |
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Guava(石榴) : Another popular tropical fruit in Hainan Island which is rich in Crude Fiber, Protein, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, B, and C. Most local people like it with some pepper & salt. Fresh guavas are very tasty and good appetizer. |
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Mangosteen(山竹): Regarded as the “Queen of fruits”. The ball-shaped purple fruits are available everywhere on Hainan Island. The better ones are the soft ones with green leaves. Mangosteen is also very important ingredient in Chinese Medicine. |
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Pineapple(菠萝): Very delicious and popular tropical fruit. Local people will put it in salt water for a few minutes before taste. It is also very helpful for digestion. |
Shopping in Sanya
| Shopping is also a must on your journey, so don't forget to choose some sea products, local coffee, coconut candy, tropical fruits and beautiful decorations such as pearl and christal necklace, coconut crafts, etc for you or your friends and relatives back home. Please click here for more information. |  |
Festivals
Lunar March 3rd Festival: On lunar March 3 every year, ethnic Li people will hold various shows and contests in celebration of their traditional festival. They sing and dance, row dragon boats and hold comp fire parties. Now, the traditional activities have been upgraded to an international coconut festival containing trade, investment fairs and tourism business.
Lunar March 3rd Festival
Lunar March 3rd Festival
Tianya-Haijiao International Wedding Festival: Since 1996, every year, at the end of November, couples from all over the world will gather at the famous ”End of the Earth” near Sanya City, to celebrate their new marriage or wedding anniversaries. When referring to love and marriage, Tianya Haijiao in Chinese implies eternal relationship. It means that the sea and the sky, the stones and the mountains will all act as the witnesses of love. The international wedding ceremony is highlighted with various interesting activities.
The International Wedding Festival is a big event in Sanya every November.
Tianya-Haijiao International Wedding Festival
