Holiday in Hainan II: Sanya--China’s Tropical Playground

Reported by China Daily today, Sanya may be the country's most popular resort during the coming Spring Festival as its warm climate in winter. In the last chapter, we have talked about Haikou, in the northernmost of Hainan and in the article, we will talk about Sanya, which is in the southernmost Hainan province.

                                                                 Chapter Two

                 Sanya--China’s Tropical Playground

There is a funny phenomenon in China: when southerners head to China’s frozen northeast to catch the snow sculptures and ice lanterns in the winter, the northern people stream south to Hainan province for Sanya’s sun drenched beaches and luxuriant jungles.--People often describe Sanya as the Hawaii of China where is their ideal tropical playground.

Sanya Overview

White sand, blue water and palm trees make Sanya a great destination for sun worshippers. Whether sipping coconut milk as the clean ocean water laps at your feet or floating through a coral jungle, Sanya is the place to go if the words “beach, sun and fun” comes to mind. 

While the full 40Km or so of coastline dedicated to tourism is usually referred to as Sanya, the region is actually made up of three distinct zones. Sanya Bay is home to the bustling city center and a long stretch of beach and hotels aimed at locals and mainland holidaymakers. Dadonghai Bay, about 3Km southeast, beyond the Luhuitou Peninsula, is where most Western travelers stay. A further 15Km east, at exclusive Yalong Bay, the beach is first-rate, as is the line of plush international resorts.

The Facts of Sanya

Sanya is an important political, economic, cultural and foreign trade port in the southern part of Hainan, China, and also a famous coastal tourist city filled with tropical landscapes and local customs. Since Sanya is situated in the southernmost part of China, she has been called "the remotest cape of the earth" since ancient time.

Sanya Night View

The region of Sanya has a long history of human development. There were discoveries of cultural relics of the Old Stone Age. Sanya region was called Ahuya Prefecture in the western Han dynasty, later changed to Linzhen Prefecture in the Sui Dynasty, Zhen Zhou in the Tang dynasty, Ya Zhou in the Song Dynasty, Ya County in 1920 and Sanya City in 1984.

Sanya’s long history and diversity of inhabitants have helped create colorful folk culture and rural craftworks. With love stories and legends, folk dance and music, statues and parks, Sanya has a lot to offer its visitors.

Sanya in Your Eyes

For most visitors, this city is a noted tourist resort with mountains, sea, river and city. The favorable climate is hot in summer but warm in the three other seasons so attracting large numbers of followers from both home and abroad every year. The whole city is related to the sea.  Here you can enjoy a unique tropical oceanic landscape that is totally different from the other provinces of China. Sanya Bay, Dadonghai and Asian Dragon Bay all golden seaboards of Sanya, are some of the first choices for visitors to spend their holidays. 

Beach

Instead of a busy and exhausting journey, you can relax totally here by strolling along the beaches and breathing the fresh air. If you are an enthusiast of exciting water activities, Wuzhizhou Island is your place to challenge the mysterious and changing sea. Additionally more than 20 ethnic groups including Han, Li, Miao, Hui inhabit there becoming a wonderful place to appreciate the various cultures of China.

Tasting the local dishes is a must on your journey. The city never shirks in its efforts to entertain its guests with a variety of seafood and delicious tropical fruits all the year round. Both of the star-rated hotels and a number of roadside booths serve the freshest seafood. Shopping is also a must on your journey, so don't forget to choose some sea products and beautiful decorations for you or your friends and relatives back home.

Lovers’ Favorite: Tianyahaijiao

Tianyahaijiao

Tianyahaijiao, lying 26 kilometers southwest of Sanya city, is famous for its name which literately means “The End of the Sky and The Corner of the Sea”, and is associated with endless love and romance. Almost every Chinese tourist in Sanya goes there to witness the beautiful scenery. Since 1996, the site has been host to group weddings in December of every year. 

Tianyahaijiao consists of Tianya Shopping Village, Tianya Roaming Area, Tianya Gallery, Tianya Ethnic Custom Park and Tianya Remarkable People in History Statues. Nearby, the Fire Platform, Signal Fire Tower, Wanghai Pavilion, Huaisu Pavilion and “A Winding Path Leading to A Secluded Spot” are reachable.

Wuzhizhou-Island of Love

Wuzhizhou Island

Wuzhizhou Island is known as a romantic island for lovers. The island sits in Haitang Bay, about 30 kilometers from downtown Sanya, and about 38 kilometers from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. With a coastline of almost 6 kilometers, the island is popular among tourists and is an ideal place for snorkeling and diving. It also has a Mazu Temple with a long history, and is home to the oldest plant in the world, dracaena.

Colorful & Special Nightlife in Sanya

Apart from the sea, beach and sunshine, the nightlife in Sanya is also a highlight. After a day of exploring cultural sights and shopping malls, you can walk out of your hotel and enjoy the nightlife of Sanya, which can help you relax and introduce you to the other side of Sanya. No matter who you are travelling with, Sanya’s cafes is a good choice. You can have a cup of coffee with your lover or friends while listening to music and watching the tide lap the shore. 

Bar

If you are looking for more excitement, try some of Sanya’s bars. Times Coast Bar Street is home to various bars and pubs, where you can let you admire the sea, yachts and beach at the same time, and offers a great place for people watching among the fashionable crowds. Cinema and theater lovers are also catered for in Sanya, so whatever you prefer, you can always find nightlife to suit your tastes in Sanya.

All in all, if you are a person who is good at enjoying, Sanya can be a perfect place for you to waste time. Sanya offers so many unique sightseeing and attractions so that visitors are never short of places to see and visit. Enjoy Sanya tours and see sapphire seas, and feel the warm radiance of the sun on your cheeks while a cool rush of ocean water sucks the sand from between your toes. Don’t you think Sanya is your tropical playground and leisure paradise now?

Holiday in Hainan I:China’s Mouth of Sea—Haikou

Hainan, is known as Oriental Hawaii as its unique tourist resources, which is also the world's biggest winter.It's winter now in China, and it's very cold in most area but it's also warm in Hainan. So, a lot of people go to Hainan to enjoy the sunshine and beach. Are you interesting in it? In the article, we will talked about the capital of Hainan province.

                                                                    Chapter One


                         China’s Mouth of Sea—Haikou

Haikou, at the North of Hainan Island, is the capital of Hainan Province in China, which means   “Mouth of the Sea”. It is located on the Nandu River, at the southern bank of the Qiongzhou Strait, facing the mainland's Leizhou Peninsula. 

Centenary Bridge

Haikou is a tropical city with the colorful tropical temptation. The natural scenic sites make Haikou become a resort for travelers on holiday. Parks, temples, mountains and reserves will tell you a landscape Haikou. You can spend a leisure time by losing yourself in this charming city. --The typical sight of the city are the lined coconut trees along the street and the colorful neon light shining at the dark blue sky at night. 

What’s the real fun in Haikou? Follow my steps below to enjoy and find out the funs in Haikou. Come on now!

Fun in Haikou 1: Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden

Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden

Hainan Island lies in the tropical climate zone, Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden which is located in Wuning City of Hainan Island can be a good place to get touch with this exotic experience. It was built in 1957 and covers an area of 0.4 square kilometers. It possesses more than 1200 plant species such as coffee, pepper, cocoa, and dragon trees. 

Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden is regarded as a hot destination and furthermore dedicated to issues related to botany and environmental protection in cooperation with agricultural authorities in China. Featuring tropical monsoon climate all year round, Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden is suitable for tourism and thus evaluated as AAAA-class tourism spot and model of agricultural tourism. The garden is developed and managed by the Tropical Spice and Beverage Crops Research Institute of China Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

Featuring all sorts of plants, including coffee, pepper, cocoa, durians, mangosteen, Antiaris Toxicaria, Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden domesticates tropical plants around the world and thus embodies a harmonious picture with plants. Besides, a canteen is accessible to provide visitors many sorts of beverages produced by the Garden itself.

Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden is nearly perfect for plants to grow. Now the botanic garden does not o­nly play the role of an important agricultural base, but also a famous tourism resort. It really deserves the name of "tropical plants encyclopedia". It is o­ne of the most popular tourists attractions on Hainan Island.

Fun in Haikou 2: Mt. Wuzhi National Reserve

The Mt. Wuzhi (Five Fingers Mountain) is one of the symbols in Hainan Island. Located at the center of beautiful place, Mt. Wuzhi (Five Fingers Mountain) National Reserve, which takes Mt. Wuzhi as its main scenic spot enjoys an international fame.

Mt. Wuzhi National Reserve

As the highest mountain in Hannan Island, the peaks are waving like saw-tooth and the shape is like five fingers, this is how the Wuzhi Mountain (Five Fingers Mountain in Chinese) got its name. Meanwhile Mt. Wuzhi is also the kingdom of precious animals and birds. There are various animals such as reptiles, birds and animals. When visitors travel Mt. Wuzhi, you will see animals come out to look for food or play with each other now and then.

When climb up along the mountain roads, the cloud and mist make this mountain as a fairyland. This is one of the features of the Mt. Wuzhi. If you climb to the top of the Mt. Wuzhi, the cloud and mist is much thicker as if you were in the space. Looking down, you can see the green waves are all under your eyes and water is connected with the sky. These are all too beautiful to be absorbed all at once. 

Fun in Haikou 3: Dongjiao Coconut Plantation

Dongjiao Coconut Plantation

Dongjiao Coconut Plantation is about twenty-minute's ferry from Qinglan Habour. There are about 500,000 various kinds of coconut trees planted at here. Together with the winding footpath, small huts, sunshine and the sandy beach, all things create a picture of tropical marine world, making people fell relax and refresh. Visitors can have great fun here including enjoying the delicious seafood in the restaurants at the shore, trying different kinds of beach and doing sea sports with friends or just have a stroll along the footpath. If it happens to be a breezy day, the leaves of coconut trees will let out a sound of pleasing.

The local people say, “Wenchang produces half of the coconuts in Hainan while Dongjiao produces half of the coconuts in Wenchang.” Over 500,000 coconut trees of many different varieties grow in Dongjiao. With its thick and flourishing trees, beautiful scenery and clean water, it is a natural swimming spot, suitable for different kinds of a beach sports and maritime activities. 

Among other attractions and facilities are the Coconut Park, a tourist quay, and a couple of seaside holiday resorts and seafood restaurants. The shallow water along the coast produces precious aquatic products including lobsters, prawns, rockfishes and abalones. The charm of Dongjiao Coconut Plantation lies in its tropical coconut culture.

Fun in Haikou 4: Hairui Tomb

Located in the Yabin village, Xiuying district of Haikou city, Hairui Tomb is the key national cultural protection unit, as well as one of the "Eight Sceneries" of Haikou. It has become a famous place of interest known as "Yue Dong Zheng Qi" (the integrity and upright). Hairui, the famous official in Ming dynasty, was born in Qiongshan and was known as "Hai Qingtian" (which means incorruptible official).

Hairui Tomb

The tomb was built in 1589 and it is said that when people was carrying Hairui's coffin, suddenly the rope broke, and then people considered that this should be the very place where Hairui himself had chosen to be his place. Hairui Tomb has an area of 7.4 acre and all the architectures around this tomb form a solemn, simple and unsophisticated style. In the middle, there is a high honorific archway on which written four eye-striking scarlet Chinese characters "Yue Dong Zheng Qi". The grave path was paved with granites and there are three memorials on the way. 

On the sides of the path leading to the tomb, there stands stone statue shaped like sheep, horses, lions, tortures, and human beings. Hairui Tomb was completely built by granites, with a round top, six-angled base, a height of 3 meters, and a reducing size from up to down, thus it looks like an ancient bell. All kinds of evergreen trees were planted around the cemetery, such as coconut trees, pines, and cypresses. Hairui Cultural Exhibit Hall is also in the cemetery for visitors to look at with reverence.

--Dream to enjoy your leisure time by the sides of sea? Why not go to Haikou? It will fulfill all your fantastic of seaside life!

Worship Tibet V: Lifestyle of Tibetan People

We have talked about the popular attractions in Tibet in the last chapters, Now, I will show the lifestyle of Tibetan people in the article, as you know, it is a special minority which is different from others in China.

                                                                 Chapter Five


                         Lifestyle of Tibetan People

The inhabitants in Tibet include Tibetans, Menpa, Luopa, Han Chinese, Hui, Sherpa, and a few Deng people. Among them, the Tibetans are the main inhabitants, who take up more than 92 percent of the regional population. The Tibetan people are optimistic, bold and uninhibited.

Tibetan People

A woman in Tibetan may pass her one day like this: “The women of the household are up for hours before dawn, hauling water and wood, milking and feeding the animals. The young mother pours yak butter tea...Her baby in one arm, she is simultaneously breast feeding, loading firewood into the stove, checking the rice, stirring the yak butter eta, tossing potato peels over the railing to the pigs, washing dishes, sorting peppers and talking.”

What’s the real style of Tibetan people’s life? Let’s take a glimpse of it together.

The Hospitality of Tibetan People

Tibetans are extremely warm and hospitable to their guests, and they seem to laugh more than any other people in the world. Tibetan people have not only managed to survived in the high altitudes of the Tibetan plateau, but have thrived. They have created a unique culture all their own.

Hospitable Tibetan People

It is tradition for guests to bring a basket filled with food or snacks. After chatting for several hours, the guests offer the gifts to the host. The host will take everything offered, and will put their own gifts for the guests into the basket. It shows their generosity towards each other. Hosts will always go out of their way to entertain their guests and make sure that they have a wonderful time.

Houses of Tibetan People

House of Tibetan People

Traditionally, Tibetans living in the grasslands live in large tents, which allow them to be able to move to greener pastures for their livestock. Their tents are beautiful and appear simple, but they are quite complex. 

People who live a less nomadic lifestyle live in wooden houses that are covered with Buddhist carvings. Every square inch of their houses are decorated with bright colors, and visitors are always welcome.

Most Tibetans in cities made a living as craftsmen. Nowadays, more and more people are migrating into businesses. However, their special life styles do not disappear as time passing by. 

Diet of Tibetan People

The diet of the Tibetans living in mountainous regions is quite unique because due to the high altitude water cannot be brought to a boil. Although their diet is limited, it is very good at supplying Tibetans with the nutrition that they need to survive. The Tibetans have what they call the "four treasures" of their diet. 

Diet of Tibetan People

The four treasures are tsampa, butter tea, beef and mutton, noodles. Their tsampa and teas are filled with nutrients and not only keep Tibetans warm in winter, but give them energy. Tibetans love eating meat, especially beef or mutton, but refuse to eat dog meat or fish, because they feel dog meat is dirty, and they regard fish as gods of the water, so eating them is forbidden.

The various drinks are also the necessary parts of local food. The most popular ones are buttered tea, sweet tea and barley wine. Other well-known local food includes zanba (roasted qingke barley flour) and butter, etc. 

Clothing of Tibetan People

The traditional clothing in Tibet is also very unique and well adapted to the weather.

Clothing of Tibetan People

They are thick, warm and loose with wide waist and long sleeves and skirts which are often made of silk, sheep skin, wool, and cotton. Usually, some space is left on the chest to hold food and children, just like a bag. 

When it is hot, a sleeve or two will be taken off and tied about the waist to adjust the body temperature. When night falls, two sleeves will be taken off and the clothes can be used as a big sleeping bag.

Costumes for men are bold and loose, and for women, elegant and graceful. The sleeves of their shirts are usually longer than their arms and are used as a feature in their dances.

The Language of Tibetan People

The Tibetan language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan phylum. Traditionally, the land was divided into U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham three dialect boundaries.

Festivals in Tibet

It is often said that Tibetans can sing before they can speak. They are especially fond of singing and dancing. Tibetans need little excuse to sing or dance. Most of their festivals are all about singing and dancing. 

Each spring after all of the fields have been plowed, Tibetan people celebrate the Guozhuang Festival. 

This festival is a chance for all the locals to get together and sing and dance together. It is very popular, especially amongst Tibetans living in the southern areas of Tibet. The person who is considered to be the best singer and dancer is rewarded with a pot of the local Chang alcohol. 

Wangguo Festival

Another popular festival is the Wangguo Festival. It is held just before the autumn harvest. This festival lasts from three to five days. People wear their best clothing, create colorful prayer flags. They sing and dance, beat drums and gongs, and walk around their fields to express their hope for a bumper crop. Another feature of this festival is horse racing. After the festival ends, the harvesting begins.

Moreover, local Tibetan people enjoy some distinctive traditional entertainment activities like wrestling, tug-of-war, horse-racing and archery, etc. They are also excellent singers and dancers, earning the reputation, 'Sea of Dances and Songs' for the land. On this land, there are also many ethnic festivals held every year. If you happen to be there on those days, you could join them to fully experience their unique and interesting customs.

Worship of Tibetan People

Tibetan people believe in Buddhism--most people here are devout Buddhists while a few believe in the old Bon. Islam and Catholicism also have a few followers in Lhasa and Yanjing respectively. In this case, the land boasts temples and religious sites. The Jokhang Temple and the Sera Monastery are the famous ones. Strolling on the street there, you could find many Mani Stones, colorful prayer flags and people wheeling prayer wheels, all of which are important elements of local Buddhism.

Worship of Tibetan People

Life is dominated by religion. Religion is a daily, if not hourly practice of Tibetan people. Tibetans spend much of their time in prayer or doing activities, such as spinning prayer wheels and hanging prayer flags that earn them merit. Tibetan Buddhists also send their sons to monasteries. Participate in pilgrimages, do good deeds and present gifts to lamas to earn merit.

Common rituals include rubbing holy stones together and performing the traditional blessing of dipping a finger in milk and flicking it towards the sky (more common in Mongolia than Tibet). Buildings are blessed by a lama who circles it twice and casts handfuls of rice in all directions. As one Tibetan Buddhist explained, "Before you do anything, you have to have the permission of the gods."

All in all, Tibetan's are adept at finding ways to enjoy themselves. They need little excuse to throw a party, and find pleasure in the simple things of life. Everything about Tibetan's lives is worth exploring. They are just waiting for visitors to experience their lives in the "Top of the world".