Located in the tropical zone of southern China (capital: Beijing), this island has no winter. It has warm summers all year round. In addition, Hainan boasts snow-white beaches and beautiful tropical landscapes, which make it a famous resort not only in China but also in the world. Which Hainan attractions are worth checking out? Read the article.
1. Romance Park (Sanya)
Romance Park is a large theme park focused on the culture of the local Hainan minority. The park is divided into 10 themed areas, including the Grand Romance Theater, Yazhou Ancient City, Banyan Bar, South China Sea Goddess Square, Elephant Valley Wildlife Park, Li and Miao Minority Village, Snow World, and many more.
The park is best known for Legend of Romance, a colorful professional stage show about the multicultural history and legends of Sanya City. The show includes singing, dancing, and acrobatics and is popular with visitors of all ages.
- Hours: 11:00 am — 9:30 pm
- Ticket price: 280 yuan ($41.52) for adults and 300 yuan ($44.49) for VIP seats
- Tel: 86-0898-88658333
- Add: No 333 Yingbin Road, Sanya, China
- Public transit: Bus No 1, No 7, No 9, and No 23
Bus: 1, 7, 9, 23, 27, 40, get off at the Qianguqing/Romance Park Station stop. Not all districts in Sanya have direct buses to the park. You can take a cab (costs from Sanya Bay about 500 rubles one way) or buy a tourist package with a transfer.
2. Luhuitou Park (Sanya)
Luhuitou, literally «The Deer that Turns its Head», is a park on a hilltop 4 kilometers south of Sanya City and is the source of Sanya’s nickname «City of Deer». Legend tells of a young folk hunter, Li, stalking a deer. When the deer had nowhere to run, it turned its head to look at the hunter and turned into a beautiful girl. The hunter immediately fell in love with her. Now the park is a place for lovers. At the top of the hill, you can enjoy a wonderful view of Sanya City.
- The entrance costs 45 yuan.
- It is open from 7:30 am to 10 pm.
- Bus: 26, 41, 52, 55, 58.
3. Nanshan Temple Park (Sanya)
This is a Buddhist paradise with a 108-meter-high statue of the goddess Guanyin, a large temple complex, vegetarian restaurants, a hotel, and extensive manicured grounds. Traditional cultural and religious festivals are often celebrated in the park, providing a grand spectacle for visitors.
A visit to the park includes several beautiful temples, incredible tropical gardens, and colored koi carp ponds.
- Opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tickets cost: 145 yuan for adults; free for children under 1.2m; free for children over 1.2m and teenagers under 18-73 yuan.
- For seniors over 60 years old, including foreigners, 50% discount.
- Older people over 70 years old are free.
- Buses 25, 29, and 55 take you to Nanshan Temple.
4. The Li and Miao Ethnographic Village (Sanya)
Historically the people of Hainan have been a diverse group with up to 36 minority groups. This gave rise to «theme parks»-museums such as Binglanggu, which gives the opportunity to see the Li and Miao people, the most prominent minorities, the former of which are also among the oldest in Hainan.
You can watch a live performance to see traditions come alive!
- Every day from 09.00 to 18.00.
- Tickets cost 125 yuan.
You can get there quite inexpensively from the suburban bus station by the bus that goes to Baoting. You should show a paper with the name of the park written in Chinese at the ticket office. The cashier will understand and sell you a ticket to the right destination. The trip costs 14 yuan. Cabs back to the Park can take you to Sanya inexpensively
5. Yanoda Tropical Park (Sanya)
This is an incredibly beautiful tropical jungle that has been landscaped and made more accessible to the public.
Tourists built bridges, benches, and wooden walkways.
In addition to the river, there are small ponds with colorful carp. There are many planted plants, such as medicinal plants, in Yanoda Park. Admission costs 108 yuan.
There are different kinds of tickets: children, parent plus child.
Activities such as bungee jumping, viewing platforms, and swings over the precipice are paid for separately. You can take the Haiqi commuter bus from Sanya, from the suburban station. The bus goes to Baoting or Wujishan.
6. Historic streets of Kilow (Haikou)
Take a stroll through Hainan’s past on the historic streets of Haikou Hailou, where you will see a second overhanging superstructure of buildings in the «kilou» or arcade-style. This architectural style shows a strong South Sea influence and some of the buildings here are over 700 years old.
7. Wugong Temple — Temple of the Five Officers (Haikou)
Originally built during the Ming dynasty, the Wugong temple complex honors five important historical officials who lived in Hainan. The temple is a quiet retreat from the city, a good place to spend a few hours enjoying the beauty of the temple architecture, ancient wells, and carved stones inside. The small Haikou City Museum is also located within the walls of Wugong Temple.
- Address: Wugong Temple, Haifu Road, Haikou City.
- Free.
- Buses #4, 14, 11. 38, 41, 201.
8. Volcano Park (Haikou)
Is China’s first themed national volcano park. Hainan is home to almost every kind of volcano in the world, boasting the best-preserved volcano in the country. It is located west of the city of Shishan in Haikou Qiongshan District, about 20 kilometers from the center of Haikou City. The large park covers more than 40 volcanoes and 30 volcanic caves, among which Volong Cave and Immortal Cave are popular. This attraction is ideal for a day trip from Haikou, an opportunity to get out of the city and enjoy nature. The hikes are not strenuous, and even families with young children will find plenty of activities suitable for children, including a small volcanic rock museum, and many interesting geological features to explore.
- Opening hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The tickets cost 60 yuan.
It is not convenient to get to the park, as there is no direct transport from the city center. The distances to Haikou are far from the city center and require a connection to Haikou. A one-way cab ride costs about 400 rubles.
9. Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden (Haikou)
Covered in 90 percent greenery and spread over 800 acres, this is the largest tropical wildlife and botanical garden in China. It is home to more than 4,000 rare birds and 200 species of animals, some of which are endangered. One part of the park is for hiking and the other is for car safaris.
There are lions, tigers, elephants, bears, giraffes, hippos, ostriches, crocodiles, buffalo, monkeys, elk, deer, and many others. This is the best zoo in Hainan.
Flamingo Restaurant, located in the park, offers refreshments.
- Opening hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Admission is 128 yuan (online 108).
- Address: Dongshan City, Xuying District.
There are special buses from Haikou to the park, to the park at 10:00 from Wanfulong Super Market, back at 2:30 pm.
10. Dongzhai Harbour Mangrove Forest
One of Haikou’s best natural attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mangrove forest is about 50 miles long and covers about 4,000 square kilometers. It includes six rivers as well as several bays and ravines. Mangrove trees grow right in the shallow waters of the harbor, and their complex root systems strengthen the soil, creating a perfect environment for other wildlife to thrive.
The preserve is home to about 159 species of birds, including many rare migratory birds. The best time for birdwatching is in winter when the park is filled with thousands of birds escaping the cold weather of northern China. This beautiful nature preserve offers a great opportunity to get out of the city and take a nature walk or go on a relaxing boat tour.
- Location — Dongzhai Harbor, Haikou (border of Haikou and Wenchang)
- Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Take the tourist bus from Baishamen Park to Mangrove Forest.
- The bus leaves at 8 am and the bus tickets cost 18 yuan.
Many of Hainan’s attractions are natural. These are beautiful natural parks and nature reserves where it will be nice to spend time with the family and relax.
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