Sanya accommodation from AU$175

Sanya is one of three prefecture-level cities on the island of Hainan, China. In ancient times, the area was the most remote corner of earth and a place considered only fit for convicts and exiles. The poet Su Dongpo, who lived from 1037 to 1101, was banished there during the Song dynasty.

Things to see and do

Impressive in both name and size, the Guan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya is a 443-foot statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin. A gleaming white figure standing at the end of a long pier in the South China Sea, it’s the world’s fourth largest statue and definitely the world’s largest statue of Guanyin. Close by is the Nanshan Temple, set among the manicured tropical gardens of the Nanshan Cultural Park. Inside the temple, you’ll find shining gold statues, Buddhist shrines and a library of Buddhist scriptures.

Yalong Bay is Sanya’s most popular beach, and with eight km of long, white coastline it’s easy to see why. It’s 7.5 km southeast of Sanya city, and the clear water makes it a great place to snorkel or dive at the nearby reef full of tropical fish.

Seafood is one of Sanya’s signature dishes (no surprises there) and in addition to the restaurants splashed around the city, the Chunyuan Seafood Square is your one-stop destination for shellfish treats. There are about one hundred seafood cooking stalls and after selecting your seafood at farmer’s market prices, you can choose one of the stalls to cook it. When the sun goes down in the city, pick up a microphone in a karaoke bar and show the people of Sanya why YOU should have won ‘The Voice’.

The End of the Earth

This is one of Sanya’s biggest scenic attractions, and thankfully, it isn’t the bleak and desolate place the name makes it out to be. Roughly 20km west of Sanya City, it’s a white beach with green hill views where two large boulders are etched with Chinese characters meaning ‘The Edge of the Sky’ and ‘The End of the Sea’. There’s a love story mythology to this place, and legend has it two young lovers jumped into the sea together to escape their disapproving parents, were struck by lightning and became stones.

Wuzhizhou Island

About 30 km north-east of Yalong City, Wuzhizhou Island is a destination of its own with year-round warm temperatures and opportunities to sunbake, surf or scuba dive around the colourful coral reefs.

Getting here

Book your flights to Sanya and your Sanya accommodation with us and say "aloha!" to the ‘Hawaii of China’. With fresh seafood, lovely beaches and the watchful eyes of Guanyin, it’s one place you won’t mind spending some time in exile.