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- Hainan
Island - China's Tropical Playground
 Lying 30km off the coast as
China's southern most point, Hainan Island is the second largest
island in China. Facing the Leizhou Peninsula across the Qiongzhou
Strait, Hainan includes the Hainan Islands, Xisha islands, Nansha
Islands, Zhongshan Islands and the territorial sea. With its
pleasant weather and sandy beaches, Hainan Island has developed
into an ideal tropical resort offering water sports and sun
bathing all year round. Hainan is also referred to as a "treasure
island", well known for its abundance of tropical crops, rare
plants and animals, aquatic products and mineral resources.
Haikou is the capital of Hainan, serving as a major transportation
hub in the province. Sanya is a major tourist attraction with
sunshine and beaches.
- Hainan City
Ratings
- ** The
following ratings are based on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the
best.
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- Quick
Facts
- Area - 34,000
square km
Population - 7.7 million
People - Han, Li, Miao, and Hui
- When to
go
- Tourist Season
- October to March;
Weather - Tropical, with typhoons possible from March to October;
Annual Precipitation - 2,000 millimeters (mainly in June)
- Getting
In and Out
- By Air - Haikou,
the capital of Hannan Island is 30 minutes by air from Guangzhou.
Haikou's new airport offers flight links with Bangkok, Hong
Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Macau and 37 Chinese cities. Sanya can also
be reached by air from Haikou, Hong Kong and nine other Chinese
cities;
By Boat - Hainan can be reached by boat from Guangzhou in about
24 hours.
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History
Hainan was first colonized
by the Han Dynasty troops more than 2,000 years ago. The island
long served as a place of exile for poets and disgraced politicians.
Nowadays, Hainan is one of China's special economic zones, encouraging
foreign investment, trade, and tourism. With its bright sunshine,
sandy beach and abundant natural resources, Hainan is quickly developing
into China's Hawaii.
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Local Culture/Unique Tour
- Xinglong
* * *
- The Xinglong
Farm in Wanning County was founded in 1951. It is the largest
and also the earliest farm in China staffed with returned overseas
Chinese totaling more than 20,000 from 22 countries and regions
(mainly from Southeast Asia and Indo-China). It mainly grows
tropical crops such as coffee, pepper, coconut, rubber tree,
and cocoa. Now the farm has been opened up as a tourist attraction
with beautiful scenery and modern facilities. There are hot
springs with proper mineral contents and temperature, and the
Hot Spring Hotel.
With the development of its tourism, the little town Xinglong
has also became an unofficial "Red Light District".
- Tongza:
Li Village * * *
- Li Village
of Fanmao, two kilometers southwest of Tongshi is where the
ethnic minority Li inhabit. Thatched cottages look like a pyramid
or a boat with reeds hanging from the roof down to the ground.
The Li people cook rice in a hollow bamboo, which gives the
rice a fragrant flavor. Their home-made wine is also very special.
The Li people like singing, dancing and sports. Hospitality
and honesty are their tradition.
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Nature/Scenic
- End of
Heaven and Corner of Sea (Tianyahaijiao)* * *
- It refers
to a group of huge stones standing on the white-sand beach in
Sanya by the South China Sea. In the center is a giant stone
10 meters high with a circumference of 60 meters. Carved on
it are two Chinese characters "Tian Ya" (End of Heaven) on its
front and another two Chinese characters "Hai Jiao" (Corner
of the Sea) on its back. To its east lies a cone-shaped huge
stone carved with "Pillar Supporting the South Heaven". With
mountains in the background and the sea in the foreground these
stones form a spectacular view.
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Food/ Shopping
- Famous
Local Food
- Tropical fruits
(lichee), Wenchang Chicken, Jiaji Duck, Hele Crab, Dongshan
mutton
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Adventure/Sports
- Yalong
Bay Beach * * * * *
- Ten kilometers
from Sanya lies Yalong Gulf sheltered by five small islands.
The sea surface of the gulf is more than 50 square kilometers.
A 7.5-kilometer-long beach covered with fine white sand is an
ideal beach with an annual average temperature of 22 degree
centigrade and 300 days of sunshine. The sea water is quiet
all year round. It is also a good place for water skiing, yachting
and other water sports.
Dadonghai Beach * * * *
- Conveniently
located 3 km southeast of Sanyan, the crescent shaped Dadonghai
beach is a good place for swimming and other water sports.
Haiwang Nanyanwan Golf Club * * * * *
- Located on
Nanyan Bay, the Haiwang Nanyanwan Golf Club was designed by
American golfer Bob McFarlane.
Kangle Garden Resort (Hot Spring)* * *
- Kangle Garden
Resort is one of best hot spring resorts in Hainan Island. Built
in 1989, it is a well-maintained international class resort.
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