Sanya

Sanya, People's Republic of China

Sunrise light falls across the sandy shore and resort towers of Sanya Bay on Hainan Island.

Sanya is a warm, sunny resort city on Hainan's southern tip, best enjoyed in the drier winter months.

The place

Sanya sits at the southern tip of Hainan Island, on the shore of Sanya Bay in South China. Sanya is among Hainan Province's four cities at prefecture level, and roughly one million people call it home. Its identity is firmly that of a resort city, with large hotel complexes along the waterfront and beaches that fill up during Chinese holiday weeks. The tropical climate keeps the sea warm for much of the year, and the city has become a training base for the national beach volleyball team, which says something about how reliably the sand is used.

Offshore, the Sanya coral reef lies within a national protected nature reserve spanning 4000 hectares. Phoenix Island, an artificial island in the bay, carries a seven-star resort and a cluster of five-star hotels, and it is one of the more striking sights seen from the water. Inland, the Guanyin of Nanshan rises as a large Buddhist statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin, counted among the tallest statues in the world.

The city is spread out, so most visitors choose one stretch of coast as a base and travel by taxi or bus to the rest. Dadonghai is the easiest area for shops and restaurants, though much of its signage is in Chinese and Russian rather than English. Summers are hot and humid, with sudden rain showers that pass quickly. Prices range widely between beachfront resorts and local eateries, so check current rates directly with each place.

Its story

Sanya's name reflects how far it once felt from the centre of power. In ancient times it was known as Yazhou, later romanised as Aichow, a name that means something like cliff state or prefecture. Its recorded history reaches back to the Qin dynasty. Because the area was so remote from the political centres, it was sometimes called Tianya Haijiao, roughly 'the end of the sky and ocean', or simply the end of the earth. That distance made it a place of exile for officials who had fallen out of favour with rulers, and for a long time the coast carried the feeling of a last stop.

A different kind of traveller arrived during the Tang dynasty, when a Buddhist monk landed here by accident while crossing the sea on a missionary journey to Japan. The site became a staging post on that route, a small but telling thread in the wider story of Buddhist travel across Asia.

The administrative map changed repeatedly in the twentieth century. The seat of government moved, neighbouring districts were separated and recombined, and the name Yaxian was used for much of the period. The modern city was formally established in 1987 under the name Sanya. Tourism grew quickly after that, and the resort identity is recent, even though the reputation of this coast as a remote edge is very old.

In 2007 the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee announced that Sanya would host the first leg of the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. The announcement brought the city national attention at a moment when it was already reinventing itself as a holiday destination.

What to see

Culture

Sanya's residents include Han Chinese, Hainanese speakers, Li communities, and a small number of Utsul people, who are officially counted under the Hui ethnic category. Mandarin is the common language, and Hainanese is widely spoken in older neighbourhoods. Buddhism is practised across the city, most visibly at the Nanshan Temple grounds and at the Guanyin statue. Local life is also shaped by the Yulin Naval Base, a major military facility on the coast, which explains the restrictions on photography in some hilltop areas. Tipping is not expected in restaurants or taxis. Markets run early in the morning and into the late afternoon, and haggling is normal for souvenirs but not for food. Shops near the beaches often post prices in Chinese only, so a photograph of the price tag or a calculator helps. At the Nanshan Temple grounds, remove hats in shrine halls, keep your voice low, and ask before photographing people who are praying.

What to wear

Sanya's traditional dress is closely linked to the Li people of Hainan, whose women have long woven textiles on backstrap looms, typically in cotton and dyed in deep colours with geometric patterns. Older garments, and the weaving techniques behind them, are now more often seen in museums and craft shops than in everyday life. The Utsul community, though small, has its own clothing traditions shaped by Islam, and these are rarely seen in the tourist areas. Most people in Sanya today dress in ordinary Chinese urban style: jeans, T-shirts, light dresses, sandals and sneakers, with swimwear worn freely on the beaches. Resort staff often wear uniforms, and some restaurant staff dress in themed costumes. For a visit, light and breathable cotton or linen works best in the heat. A wide-brimmed hat and high-factor sunscreen are essential on open beaches. Carry a light cover-up or shawl for temples, and wear closed shoes with grip for the hill paths, and water shoes for rocky coves.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. December to April is the most comfortable stretch, with drier weather and lower humidity that make beaches and walks easier. June to October is humid and wet, with October the rainiest month, and typhoon season brings the risk of disrupted ferries and flights.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Sanya Phoenix International Airport lies a short drive from the city, and an airport bus runs into town. Air routes link Sanya to a majority of China's large cities. Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong are among them. Sanya also has a high-speed rail station. Haikou's larger airport is an alternative, followed by a rail or road transfer of several hours.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources