Sanya Overview

Sanya, located at the southernmost tip of Hainan island, is an international tourist city featuring tropical seaside scenery, also known as "Oriental Hawaii".

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 三亚市
• Location: Southernmost of Hainan Province
• Government Seat: Jiyang District(吉阳区)
• Area: 1919.58 square kilometers
• Population: An approximate population of 614647
• Minorities: Sanya is home to 20 ethnic groups, including Han, Li, Miao and Hui. 
• Language: Southern Fujian Dialect, Hianan Dialect, Li Language
• Airport: Sanya Phoenix International Airport(三亚凤凰国际机场)
• Important Festivals: San Yue San of Li and Miao Minorities
• Railway Stations: Sanya Railway Station(三亚站), Yalong Bay Railway Station(亚龙湾站), Yazhou Railway Station(崖州站), Phoenix Airport Railway Station(凤凰机场站).
• Famous Attractions: There are Yalong bay, Dadonghai sea, Luhuitou park, Tianya and Haijiao, the sea mountain wonders, Nanshan culture tourism zone, Yanuoda rainforest scenic area, Wuzhizhou island and other famous tourist attractions at home and aboard.
• Gross Regional Domestic Product: 59,551 billion(in 2018)

Geography

Sanya is located at the southernmost end of Hainan Island, adjacent to Lingshui County in the east, Ledong County in the west, Baoting County in the north, and South China Sea in the South. Sanya City has a total land area of 1919.58 square kilometers and a total sea area of 6000 square kilometers. 

Sanya lies on the mountain in the north and the sea in the south, and the terrain gradually tilts from north to south, forming a narrow and long polyhedral shape. The coastline of the territory is 258.65 kilometers long, with 19 harbors and bays. The main ports are Sanya port, Yulin port, Nanshan port, Tielu port and Liudao port, and the main bays include Sanya bay, Haitang bay, Yalong bay, Yazhou bay, Dadonghai bay, moon bay and so on. There are 40 islands, large and small, including 10 major islands. Sanya owns 2 million square kilometers of the south China sea and a length of coastline  209 kilometers, the area of sea under its jurisdiction is 5000 square kilometers. 

Climate

Sanya has a unique climate. Located in the southernmost of Hainan province, Sanya enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, with an annual average temperature of 25.4℃, an annual rainfall of about 1279 mm, and more than 300 clear days in a year. Sunny, long summer without winter, Sanya is a well-known winter resort, "A place that exports sunshine and air to the world". Sanya is located in low latitude, affected by the Marine climate, is a tropical Marine monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 25℃, with the highest temperature being 28℃ in July and the lowest being 21℃ in January.

Best Time to Visit

Autumn and winter are best time to travel in Sanya. Sanya is a winter resort in China. Every year from October to March, the cold current from the north make temperature in the most area of China drop, but Sanya is still warm and pleasant. You can wear summer clothes, beach shoes taking a leisurely stroll on the sunny beach, soaking in the warm sea water, eating tropical fruit and enjoying the romance of Tianya and Haijiao.

Administrative Divisions

Sanya city has jurisdiction over 4 administrative districts, including 49 communities and 92 village committees. The seat of municipal government is in Jiyang District.

• 4 Districts: Haitang District(海棠区), Jiyang District(吉阳区), Tianya District(天涯区), Yazhou District(崖州区)

History 

Because the Sanya river (named Linchuan water in the ancient time) and Sanya east and west two rivers meet here, formed a the "丫" character shape, so named "Sanya". Sanya was called Yazhou in ancient times. Although it is located in the southernmost part of China, it was enriched and influenced by the central plains culture and has a splendid culture. This area is the political, economic, cultural center of the ancient time and modern time of Yazhou, existing many cultural and historical relics. Sanya is located in the southernmost of Hainan province, is the only tropical coastal tourism city in China, with the territory, there are ten landscape resources including sunshine, sea, beach, climate, forest, animals, hot springs, caves, pastoral, customs. Sanya is the first leg of the mainland torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Transportation

As a top tourist destination in China, the transportation in Sanya is convenient. You can get to Sanya by air, train, long-distance bus or ship. At present, flights from all over China to Sanya are very frequently, with more than 200 direct flight routes covering more than 70 cities nationwide. Except Beijing, Shanghai and other first-tier cities, provincial capitals and popular tourist cities all have flights to Sanya, which can be easily reached. Besides, Hainan Roundabout Railway has been opened, tourists can easily enjoy the beautiful sea scenery of Hainan island by train. Like railway in Hainan, expressways in Hainan is in a ring. Hainan's expressway began to construct from Sanya and Haikou, forming a ring-type along the coast, connecting Lingshui, Wanning, Qionghai  and other cities and counties. You can take a bus or car from other counties and cities in Hainan provinces to Sanya. 

City Scape

The blowing sea wind, the boundless sea and the forests of coconut trees are the city appearance of Sanya. The narrow coastline has very different natural scenery. There is no fast-paced urban life, only the flip-flops and sunglasses are the city symbol of Sanya.

Tourists who come to Sanya in the cold winter, are all fascinated by its beautiful scenery. Sanya, where public transportation is not developed, leaves tourists plenty of room for going on a road trip. Whether lying on the beach of Yalong bay to feel the summer sunshine, or standing on the peak of Luhuitou mountain with moving legends to enjoy the view of the bay, or diving into the mysterious underwater world to look for the quiet beauty, all can leave you an unforgettable memory in Sanya. Perhaps only when you really escape the congestion of the bustling city, set foot on this south land full of coconut trees, you can really feel the infinite surging and beauty of sunset under the breezing.

Festivals and Celebrations

Half of Sanya's local population is made up of ethnic minorities, including more than 20 ethnic groups such as Li, Miao and Hui. These ethnic cultures also constitute the most distinctive urban symbol of Sanya. For thousands of years, while promoting each other's prosperity and development, all ethnic groups in Sanya have always adhered to their own most simple life mode and ethnic characteristics, which have been maintained to this day. The ancient Miao village and Betelnut valley Miao culture tourism area are the best symbols. Sanya has rich and colorful festivals and activities, including San Yue San of Li and Miao, Hainan international coconut festival, Nanshan longevity culture festival, Tianya Haijiao international wedding festival, merry making festival of Hainan, Nanshan spring festival temple fair, etc.

Water Resources

There are 12 small and medium rivers in Sanya. Ningyuan river and Tengqiao river have an catchment area of over 500 square kilometers. Rivers with catchment area of more than 100 square kilometers include Sanya river, Damao river, Longjiang river; Other rivers include Jiuqu river, Liudao river, Shaoqi river, Wenchang river, Donggou stream and Maopeng river. According to the distribution of water resources in Sanya, it can be divided into three water systems, central, eastern and western.

Keep Reading

• Hainan Overview
• Haikou Overview
• Sansha Overview
• Danzhou Overview