Holiday in Hainan V: Welcome to Hainan: a land of unique gourmet

As you know, there is four major styles of cooking in China-- Guandong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine and Jiangsu cuisine. And, Hainan cuisine is similar to Guangdong cuisine. Have you heard the four famous dishes in Hainan. We will talk about it in the article.

                                                                     Chapter Five 


   Welcome to Hainan: a land of unique gourmet

Hainan Cuisine or Qiong Cuisine originated from the ancient central plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and has a history of more than two thousand years. It absorbs the dietary customs of Miao and Li ethnic minority groups and combines the cooking techniques of Fujian and Guangdong Cuisine introducing cooking styles form Southeast Asian countries. 

Hainan Cuisine

Now, it has already evolved into a young, unique and promising local cuisine. Hainan Cuisine is based on Guangdong Cuisine and combines special local characteristics with the application of well known raw materials. For example, sea food and game are frequently used whereas the selection of poultry and livestock is very strict. In most cases, the addition of local Hainan fruit is always considered. 

Wenchang Chicken, Jiaji Duck, Dongshan Lamb and Hele Crab are the four great dishes of Hainan and are known throughout Southeast Asia. Naturally, the seafood on this tropical Island is superb with incredibly value for money. Various local snacks, full of unique Hainan flavors, including Hainan Noodles, Hainan Chicken Rice, and Dongshan Pancakes, etc.

Now, let’s begin our Hainan eating feast!

Wenchang chicken

This dish is the top one of the “Four Most Famous Hainan Traditional Dishes”, utilizing one of China’s best chickens, Wenchang chicken. In Hainan, People always say that a feast without Wenchang Chicken can’t be called a real feast. 

Wenchang Chicken

The key of this dish is the main material - the chicken. Different from the traditional chicken which is raised by rice, the chicken eats the banyan seed but is fatty, put to feed for 8 to 9 months, then put them in the pacific place of avoiding the light, feed them with the peanut cakes, coconut meat silk, Fanci, hot rice...etc. to become fatty. Thus when eating, you can find the chicken very delicious, crisp and fresh.

First a Wenchang Chicken is boiled then cut into pieces. The diced chicken is dipped in mixtures of chopped ginger, salt and other spices then eaten. Wenchang chickens are small, fed a diet of coconut and peanut bran, and raised in coops high above the ground. As a result the meat is tender and succulent with smooth skin. Plump but not greasy, Wenchang Chicken served with fragrant Hainan Chicken Rice is a tasty delicacy.

To boil in the water, then cut into pieces, and eat with the mixtures of sauce, salt, garlic and other spices. 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 which culminates in the creation of very unique flavors. The finished dish is golden and crispy, tender and tasty and the bones are deliciously soft, nobody could forget the daintiness of Wenchang Chicken.

Jiaji Duck

The nickname of Jiaji Duck is “Fan Duck”. This kind of duck contains rich protein, low fat, rich amino acid and vitamins as a healthy diet. 

Jiaji Ducks are raised along the Wanquan River in Jiaji Town, Qionghai County. As they grow this special breed is kept in coops and fed with rice grain, sweet potato, and chaff. This means the duck develops thick meat, thin skin, soft bones and little fat. 

Jiaji Duck

The cooking way of Jiaji Duck is particular. The traditional way to prepare which it is to boil it in water, dice it, then eat with mixture of vinegar, chopped ginger and sesame oil. Stewed Jiaji Duck with Chinese caterpillar fungus is said to make one strong and healthy. What distinguishes this variety of duck from others is that the fat between the skin and flesh has a special fragrance.

The folks of Hainan take the Jiaji Duck to be as the medicine food of repairing falsely and tired, boil them with the insect grass that is in winter together, they can nourish the body. Boil the duck porridge with duck and the sticky rice together, it has the larger nourishing of effect; Such as the effect that have already kept the stomach and increase the blood, promote the body fluid.

Dongshan mutton

As one of the “Four Most Famous Hainan Traditional Dishes”, Braised Dongshan Lamb is very unique. It’s a black-wool mountain goat fed camellias and orchids on Dongshan Mountain, Wanning City, which is good at jumping and climbing hills: it drinks in springs; it sleeps in caves. Thus the lamb is famous for natural nutrition.

Dongshan Lamb

Normally, the sheep weighs around 35 to 40 kilograms and are fairly stout. Dongshanling mountainous area is rich in Ganoderma, Zhegu Tea and other rare plants and herbs withwhich the sheep feed upon. This causes the soup to be strong, oily but not odorous. 

The delicacy is known for its tender meat and savory soup. Various cooking methods are employed in making the dish including stewing, roasting or braising in coconut milk. The meat is cooked with individual seasoning and ingredients. The finished course is appealingly red in color and savory to taste.

Hele crab

Hele Crab is a traditional dish originating from Hele Town, Wanning County in Hainan. Autumn is the best season for eating crab. In this time, nobody can resist to eat the rich fat and loose meat of Hele Crab.

Hele Crab

Hele Crab is famous for its hard shell, rich meat and full crab roe. 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 flavorings of ginger, garlic and vinegar to enjoy the original crab taste whose flavor is marvelous. 

Eating Hele Crab is considered to be beneficial to nourishing the bone marrow and liver, muscles and tendons, and promoting good blood circulation. 

Hainan Native Snacks

A diversity of local snacks can be found in Haikou Tourism Belt, different cities and counties have different dainty snacks that are also very famous. There are the baked porker in Lingao, the water spinach in Duowen, the goose in Chengmai, the lamb in Shishan, the Honey Sliced Pogeon, the fish and ostrich in Nanli Lake of Dingan, the carp of Wanquan River in Qionghai, the deer in Fengmu of Tunchang, the glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves in Danzhou, the meat of dog in Nada, etc.

Wenchang Chicken Rice

In addition, anything you can find in Haikou where various kinds of restaurants and hotels serve almost all kinds of food in China.

Tropical Fruits: there are 53 famous tropical fruits growing in Hainan Island in four different seasons. However, the coconut has the greatest reputation. Foodstuff made of coconuts, natural bananas, pineapples, mangoes and watermelons sell well throughout China and in Japan, South Korea, Russia and other countries and regions. 

Haikou Aquatic Products: as a city surrounded by sea, Haikou benefits from extremely abundant marine resources with more than 800 precious fishes. Good fingerlings include Lutianus sanguineus, Spanish mackerel, abalone, hairtail, grouper, peneus, blue, crab, cockler, clam, oyster, etc. Abalone is the most precious seafood in China for it contains a variety of vitamins which have special effects in treating liver diseases. On any bazaar in Haikou Tourism Belt, fresh and dry seafood can be found to meet visitor's demands. 

Baisha Green Tea

Hainan Chicken Rice: it originated from wenchang, Hainan. The local people there will be white cut chicken practices and match with chicken oil and water extraction cooked chicken rice, so in Hainan Island called Wenchang Chicken Rice. The major raw materials of this dish are rice and chicken. The weight of the selected chicken is about 1 to 1.5 Kilograms and uses fresh top quality rice. The chicken is chopped into pieces and boiled producing a golden skin and a savory tender meat. It’s trulty a delicious dish. 


Baisha Green Tea: Baisha Green Tea grows in a special environment with unique faint scent and moist green color. People favor it not only for the scent, but also for the effect in maintaining health such as resisting cancer.

--All in all, cuisine forms part of a culture, blending food and drink together through a mixture of science and art. Hainan cuisine reflects Hainan culture which in turn determines the characteristics of Hainan vegetable and meat dishes.

Holiday in Hainan IV: Hainan— where the Li Ethnic Group lives

There is a a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island-Li Ethnic Group. The Li nationality is just distributed in Hainan Province, and it is very different from other ethnic groups in China. We will talk about it in the article.

                                                             Chapter Four


           Hainan— where the Li Ethnic Group lives

Li ethnic group is not only one of the oldest nationalities in China, but also the earliest natives in Hainan Island as well. As early as 10,000 years ago, the forbears of Li people had labored and lived on Hainan Island. Over the years, the Li people have created rich and varied material and cultural wealth and have formed a historical and cultural legacy unique to their own nationality.

What’s the folk customs of the Li ethnic group? Let’s probe into it with topics below.

The Customs of Li

According to the customs of Li nationality, children, both boys and girls, should not live together with their parents when they reach 12 years old. Instead, they live in small houses put up by the side of their parents’ house or by the side of the village. This is called Longgui in the Li language, which is the place for young men and women playing music, singing in antiphonal style and falling in love.

Wedding

Li nationality follows monogamy. Marriage with blood relationship within four generations is strictly prohibited. Intermarriage is not allowed among members of the same clan. A marriage is based on equality between man and woman with respect shown for both of them. Marriageable young man and woman take the night tour method of courting. For example, singing in antiphonal style and palying Dongxiao (a vertical bamboo flute) and Bixiao (nose flute) to express each other’s tender feelings in Longgui. After they fall in love with each other, they respectively tell their parents to the girl’s home to present an engagement ring. The dowry for the girl includes a cow and two silver dollars and the bride and her mother will each have a suit of jacket and skirt made.

Li people hold impressive wedding ceremonies with exciting wedding procedures. The bridegroom takes a procession band to the bride’s home and escorts her back. The bride’s escorting procession forms a long queue. Crowds of people come from all directions for congratulations at the wedding ceremony and toasting and singing last throughout the night. 

Harmony among Li people

Weaving

The Li people advocate equality among men and women as well as the virtue of mutual help. They care for both the elderly and the young. They are also a warm-hearted and hospitable people who keep their promises, In their social contact, the Li people emphasis on affection for one another and courtesy. When a man and a woman come across each other in the street, the man should make way for the woman. When pestilence hits a village, in order to prevent the spread of disease, a branch of green tree leaves is hung up above the entrance of the village informing outsiders not to enter the village. When a Li family gives birth to a child, they hang up a branch of tree at the gate to forbid outsiders from entering the house and whoever violates the rule is condemned by the public. 

Li nationality attaches importance to friendship and moral justice. When one family puts up a house, people of the whole village will lend a hand. When a person captures a boar, those who see this will have a share of the pork. The Li people make friends with those of other ethnic groups by becoming sworn brothers or sisters. They entertain their guests by killing chickens and serving wine. One when both the hosts and guests are drunken can they be called true friends.

Houses Style of Li

House of Li

Since ancient times, Li nationality has lived in thatched cottages. After liberation, the Li residences in Tongshi and Nankai of Baisha County still retain balustrade houses. The house is 25 meters long and 9 meters wide with coupled doors. People live in the house with their beds erected above the ground and poultry and animals live under them. Such cottages are very form and will not collapse easily even in time of storm. Living in a balustrade cottage, one feels warm in winter and cool in summer. 

Festivals of Li People

The traditional festivals of Li nationality include the Spring Festival, January 15th of lunar Month, March 3rd, Cattle Day and Rice Festival. They also adopt some holidays from the Han people such as New Year’s Day, Pure Brightness Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Ghost Festival, Mid-autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival. 

March 3rd Festival

January 5th of Lunar Month is a festival of Li nationality. In the evening, chickens are killed for a family dinner, an occasion for family members, old and young, gather to discuss production plans for the New Year or other matters of the family.

March 3rd Festival is a traditional holiday of the Li nationality since ancient times. It is a time in memory of ancestors, congratulating the newborn, in praise of life and singing odes to heroes. Because the festival is celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, hence it got its name. On that day, men and women of Li nationality, in their holiday best, dance, exchange toasts and sing in antiphonal style, making a jubilant atmosphere that prevails throughout the night.

Pounding Rice 

In addition, the Li nationality worships cattle as a symbol of good luck and wealth. On the Cattle Day Festival, each family sets up a“cattle spirit treasure basin” and hung an ox horn in the house. A cattle god temple is built in the village. During the Cattle Day in July each year, a ceremony of calling back the spirit of cattle is held. On that day, a cattle pen is built in the village. Cattle are let to drink wine to build up its body. In the evening, people are gathered together playing gongs and beating drums, accompanied with dances to call back the spirit of the cattle. They wish that the cattle would grow into herds and the family become rich. On the Cattle Day, the slaughter of cattle is prohibited. 

--Are you interested in ethnic groups of China? Then the folk customs of the Li ethnic group in Hainan will be your ideal choice to seek into the ethnic life of them. Varied and special ways of life styles are laid in their daily life. Why not get close to Li people in Hainan to take a glimpse of them to widen your sights of ethnic people?

Holiday in Hainan III: Seaside Paradise--Yalong Bay

If you have a tour in Hainan, I think Sanya is the must destination. And the Yalong Bay, should be the must-see attraction in your Sanya Tours. In the article, we will talk about the Yalong Bay.

                                                          Chapter Three 


                     Seaside Paradise--Yalong Bay

Yalong Bay National Resort is Sanya's premier destination for fun in the sun. It boasts the five essential elements of modern tourism: sea, sands, sunshine, lush green plants and fresh air. It provides visitors with an irresistible combination of a world-class beach, matchless swimming and diving, international resorts and superb golf facilities in one extraordinary package. 

Situated about 30 km east of Sanya city along a first-rate expressway, Yalong Bay is centered on a crescent-shaped beach. The beach sits roughly on the same latitude as Hawaii and enjoys similar temperatures and weather conditions with the average temperature a pleasant 25.5°C all year-round. 

Yalong Bay

Yalong Bay boasts unparalleled beauty. The 7.5-kilometer (4.7- mile) long, crescent-shaped bay with an area of 18.6 square kilometers (about 7.2 square miles) is one of the famous scenic spots in Hainan Province.

Because of the unbeatable environment, Asian Dragon Bay Resort was authorized by the State Council in 1992. The unique state-level tourist resort is characterized by its tropical ambiance - the resort holds seaside parks, deluxe villas, conference centers, top-end hotels, golf-courses and so on. 

Features of Yalong Bay

The Yalong Bay is famous for its picturesque scenery as well as blue skies, warm sunlight, fresh moist air, rolling green hills, primeval forests, calm bay, limpid seawater, and multi-colored seabed landscape.

Features of Yalong Bay

In the center of Asian Dragon Bay square stands a Totem Pole of 27 meters (about 88.6 feet), on which the God of Sun, and Gods of Wind, Rain, and Thunder as well as those legendary animals such as Dragon, Phoenix, Kylin and Fish are engraved. 

Moreover, along the coastline grow multitudinous strange flowers and grasses and primitive tropical vegetation while several vacation hotels are scattered in the area, which shines like a radiant pearl along Yalong Bay.

Fun on Yalong Bay

In recent years, with the perfection of facilities, thousands of travelers are attracted by its unique charm to swarm to this ideal place for vacation. This great beach is adjacent to shops, restaurants and a museum with a large collection of sea shells. There is also a charming outdoor butterfly garden with a mountain hiking trail and some great walks. Hot springs, numerous golf courses and submarine cruises are also offered.

Coconut Grove

Besides, it is the first choice for people who conduct conferences and matches, including the New Silk Road Model Look China representing the top level model contests in China.

The water here is wonderfully clear, reflecting the blue sky and white sand beneath the depths. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular pursuits here given the clear water, bright-colored coral reefs and tropical fish that abound and this is one of the nicest places to swim on the entire island. 

Those who prefer lounging by the pool to swimming in the sea will find pools of every size in the international resorts now overlooking the beach. More resorts are planned like Sheraton, Shangri-La, and Hyatt.

Golfers will find the 36-hole Yalong Bay Golf Club up to world standards. In addition to water sports and golf, look for tennis, rock climbing and hiking among a wide selection of activities and attractions. Yalong Bay National Resort simply should not be missed.

Enjoy Yalong Bay

Because of its magnificent scenery, a lot new-wedding couples choose Yalong Bay as their Honeymoon journey destination. They have sun bath under bright sunshine and swim in the crystal sea to enjoy great fun. They also take advantage of the picturesque sights everywhere to take their sweet photos. 

If you’re a nature lover, come to Yalong Bay to experience its great and beautiful natural world;

If you’re a shutterbug, come to Yalong Bay to take shoots and surely everywhere in your camera lens will be perfect;

If you’re couple, come to Yalong Bay to enjoy the series of fun and its high-standard facilities for leisure and have your romantic moment here;

If you want to experience a walking on the bay, Yalong Bay will be your ideal choice;

If you want to have a dive in the sea, then the sea area of Yalong Bay will give you ideal sights under the sea;

If you want to have golf match with your friends, Yalong Bay will provides you with completed facilities with splendid natural sights to enjoy.

Yap, Yalong Bay is really the seaside paradise in Hainan!

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".

Worship Tibet IV: Closest to the Heaven—Lake Namtso

In the previous articles of Tibet series, we have talked about three most popular attractions in Tibet. But do you know there is another famous attraction? Lake Namtso, the highest saltwater lake in the world, which is talked about in the chapter.

                                                              Chapter Four


               Closest to the Heaven—Lake Namtso

Lake Namtso, meaning “Heaven Lake” in the Tibetan language, is often described as being next to Heaven because of its lofty altitude, stunning beauty, pure blue water, and spiritual associations.--Snow-capped mountains and open grassland, dotted with yak herds and local nomads, surround the crystal clear waters of Lake Namtso, making it one of the most beautiful places in Tibet. 

Lake Namtso

Located northwest of Lhasa in Nagqu Prefecture, Lake Namtso is the highest salt lake in the world, with an elevation of almost three miles, or 4,718 meters. The lake also ranks the second largest salt lake in China, covering a vast area of over 1,900 square kilometers, or about 757 square miles. It is over 70 kilometers long, reaches a width of 30 kilometers and is 35 meters at its deepest point. 

The Striking Beauty of Lake Namtso

The scenery at Namtso is beautiful and magnificent. Mt. Nyainqentanglha standing to the southeast of the lake, soars to a height of over 7, 100 meters (23, 294 ft) above sea level, and is snow-capped throughout the year. The lake's northern side is bounded by gently undulating hills that form this part of the continental plateau. Melted ice and snow from the surrounding mountains are the major source of the pure and clean waters of this placid lake which has a typical emerald hue due to the high mineral content. 

Mt. Nyainqentanglha

Encircled by vast grasslands, the lake resembles a huge mirror. The lakeside plain provides a natural pasture where herdsmen graze their cattle and sheep. Here too is an abundance of wildlife that includes birds, ducks, bears, yaks, donkeys, blue sheep, foxes, river deer and Himalayan marmots, while the lake teems with fishes and is a source of precious medicinal materials. Numerous mani stones and colorful prayer flags can be seen all around the shore and these add another touch of brilliance to the scenery. 

The azure blue sky dotted with white clouds, the greenish lake water, and white snow, swathes of green grasses, red mani stone piles, multicolored flowers enhance the beauty of the area and together with the lively animals form a picturesque view of nature. 

It is small wonder that visitors had been to the lake say that they enjoy spiritual refreshment and a heart gladdening feeling when they stand beside Namtso.  

Lake Namtso--Holy Lake

There are four monasteries at the four compass points of Lake Namtso, and on the walls of these monasteries there are many rocky Buddhist artifacts carved out by nature. Lake Namtso is said to be the mother of Nyainqêntanglha Peak. 

Sunrise of Lake Namtso

At the end of the twelfth century, eminent monks of the Tibetan Kagyu school of Buddhism came to Namtso to practice their religion. They considered that this lake was the seat of Chakrasamvara of Esoteric Buddhism and they pioneered the practice of circumambulation around the lake. Later, Buddhists came to believe that during each Year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Vajras assemble at this place. 

They also believe that during these auspicious occasions the chanting of scriptures and making a circumambulation of the lake is equal to doing them ten thousand times at other times. So each April to June in the Year of the Sheep, numerous pilgrims trek many miles from all over Tibet and other provinces, such as Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan as well as from India and Nepal. It takes twenty to thirty days to circumambulate the lake just once so today most of the people walk around an islet of the lake instead. 

During the Year of the Sheep, believers would come in large numbers at the end of winter, walking over the lake's frozen surface and carrying their food with them. They would spend the summer at Lake Namtso unable to return again until the water froze the following winter. Worshipers believed that if one walked around the lake once during the Year of the Sheep, he and his family would be blessed with good health, safety, knowledge and other virtues. --Though the practice of walking across the frozen lake is no longer permitted by the Chinese government, modern believers can worship at the Tashi Dor temple, which is built on the southeast corner of Lake Namtso. 

Travel Tips for Lake Namtso

Scenery of Lake Namtso

Traveling to Lake Namtso may require visitors to endure rough weather and high altitude but once they arrive there and take in its pristine beauty, the trip is a worthy and unforgettable experience. 

The best season for visiting Lake Namtso is summer, from May to September. However, visitors should come prepared at all times for wet weather, snow, and cold winds. October often brings heavy snowstorms and treacherous road conditions. 

There are tours available to Namtso from Lhasa or tourists can hire a taxi or mini bus from Lhasa, which is about a four-hour drive. 

Do you want a spiritual refreshment right now?—along these days, the quiet of mind is the most needed thing of modern people. If you are stressed, if you are disappointed, if you are searching for a pure world, then come to Lake Namtso to feel the natural world here to calm everything down and then be a stronger person to face the difficulties in life with strengths.—I believe, everything will be seen easy as you enjoy yourself in nature.